Hockeybird.com: Who's Better? Messier vs. Oates

Bird's well-written article on Messier awakened my Ranger
slumber, though this piece is not forged as a counterweight.
Indeed, Bird balanced his praise of Messier with the
realities of his current value.

I've recently seen New York's fascination with Mark Messier
as the equivalent of a guy who loses his virginity to a girl
who later takes his money, keys his car and trashes his
reputation.

But since the guy hasn't slept with anyone since, he doesn't
want to see the girl for what she is for fear of losing the
memory of that moment of bliss.

Absurd? Consider a simple comparison of two aging centermen ...
Adam Oates and Mark Douglas Messier.

Oates was born in 1962, Messier in 1961, so this should
take the age factor out of the equation. And let's take the
last six seasons, which seems a large enough source of data to
make the process scientific.

Messier was in 408 games, an average of 68 games per season.
Oates has played in 451 games, an average of 75 games per season.
Edge: Oates

Messier has 292 points, for an average of 48 points per season.
Oates has 406 points, for an average of 68 points per season.

Messier is a combined -65 over the past six seasons.
Oates is a combined +4 in that same time frame.

I haven't been able to get a firm read on these stats. But
I know Oates was the league leader in faceoff wins in the '99-00
season, and that he has been one of the best since then.
Messier's faceoff acumen has diminished greatly in the past
six year.
Edge: Oates

Not one of Messier's team made the playoffs.
Oates led the Capitals to two straight SE division titles at the
turn of the millenium. And he helped lead Anaheim to the
Stanley Cup finals this past season.

Mark Messier is sitting at home with an open invitation to join one
of the NHL's Original Six Teams. He has chosen not to make that
decision yet, as of August 28, which means that the club can not
make subsequent roster plans.

Messier also elects not to practice for much of the season, in order
to preserve his health. And while he may expect a decrease in his
$4 million salary, a significant reduction seems unlikely.

Sitting at home waiting for a team to offer him a substantial enough
salary to continue his pace of putting up points and getting his
teams into the playoffs.

Draw your own - analyzing how much Messier has pulled down this
team over the past six years is like slamming my nuts in a car door
with the stereo blasting 98 Degrees' Greatest Hits.

Nice going Gabe.....I had a smile on my face until you reminded me of how tough things have been around here.

You are not now, nor have you ever been a "Moose-bunny".

I still chose to look back at a career so very few have had. I'm not blind to recent history, just selective in what I choose to look at while watching my minds version of the Hockey History channel.

----}-

Posted by: Bird on August 28, 2003 10:43 AM

One man doesnt make a team and you have to look at the players playing around mark in the last 6 years, you have to take in more factors than just one guy against the other without looking at other circumstances. If they where on the same team then yes your analysis would have a leg to stand on but they arnt so...

Posted by: Ricky on November 6, 2003 08:12 AM

Posted by: Ricky on November 6, 2003 08:14 AM