Different styles of play. And O'Neil as a Cane was actually pretty solid.

Having said that, he never did have Marner's wheels, vision or puck handling ability.

So Marner is the better player imo.

Certainly ONeill was a solid NHL player. I guess he wavered between first line and second liner winger throughout his career. Except when he joined the Leafs for his final two years, then I thought his play fell off considerably . Marner is definitely the superior player between the two. Sports analysts might believe what they say in their jobs. But mostly they are entertainers. So a panel needs a contrary point of view....and if ONeill doesn't appreciate Marner, maybe that's his gig. I doesn't listen to the talking heads much cause I find they are either dishonest or really don't contribute that much in knowledge.
Personally, what I heard of ONeil, he's useless on a NHL panel.

Jeff O'Neill is a crybaby fanboy who does nothing but whine when the smallest thing doesn't go the Leafs way. He's absolutely insufferable, I have no idea why he still has a job.


Also Marner is better and it's not even close. That's like asking who is better between Carter Hart or Jamie Mclennan lmao. There's no comparison.

Between the two, Marner is the better player however there is also a large difference in the style of game between the two era's. When O'Neill played it was a tough grinding game with a lot of allowed interference, grabbing and hooking which slowed the game down a lot. Marner would not be the same player in the O'Neill era of the game and O'Neill would not fit as well in today's game.

It's a different time but I agree wholeheartedly. O'Neill was a very good power forward and served a great purpose. Marner is definitely the more skilled player, but it's like comparing Backes (as a Blues player) to Pastrnak. Both are very good players, but serve entirely different roles.

Marner and its not even close. ODog was good for sure, no bum but if you would watch both players side by side its painfully obvious.

Personally i don't get it. TSN gladly over exaggerates and over uses everything Leafs but they have someone bad mouthing something Leafs going unpunished? Pretty surprised "TSN" hasn't gone to Jeff and said "Hey we like you and all but cool it with the Marner bashing or you'll be doing intermission interviews in Carolina before your know it".

What about in raw talent?

Couldn't have put it better myself. The early 2000s was one of the most physical and low scoring eras of all time.

I don't think Jeff is very fond of Mitch's contract.

I agree, and it depends on what type of player you are looking for. Although it could be argued that Backes never reached superstar status with the Blues whereas Pastrnak has done so with the Bruins.

We have to keep in mind O-Dog scored 41 goals in his prime. He was maybe good enough for an 85-86 rating. If he can score 41 goals with his playing style in the modern game, he would be one of the most desired forwards in the league.

Yeah, O-Dog is a big Marner hater.

Marner hands down really. O'Neill was great at driving the net, getting in traffic and fighting for posession down low (things Marner doesn't do "that" well). But, O'Neill's centres in Carolina were primarily Francis and Brind'amour, and given what the game looked like in the early 2000's...... let's say those two helped O'Neill hit numbers.

Marner and Traveres complement each other in a way O'Neill couldn't possibly pull off with Francis or Hot Rod. P

O'Neill never reached superstar status either which is part of my point. O'Neill was seen as the Backes type to the more skilled guys. Backes, while not a superstar, did have a 30 goal, 30 assist, plus/minus of over 30,and had over 200 hits which made him a rare player in the modern NHL when with the Blues.

Backes was a shutdown center like Kesler in his prime who played on the edge and with a high level of physicality. He finished top 5 in Selke voting in 2014 and 2016 I believe.

Yeah Marner is mainly known for his ability to create chances.