Oh this will be fun
On Rakell: everyone seems to think he's an elite or close to that level scorer but in fact he's a 2nd liner
Name the 90 forwards in the NHL better than Rakell to make him belong on a second line.
On Kessel: his role is a 2nd line one
He's possibly worse.
On Kase: he just sucks, and is actually a great proof of why analytics don't tell the full story
Today's most empty statement. He's a solid player. Since I can tell you don't know from your previous comment, this is what a second liner looks like.
On Hall: he's not a 80 pts player, he's a 70 pts player
Okay? Since when is points the only decider of player value? Thought you knocked Draisaitl on that. Hall is great in transition and a player driver at elite level, although his last year may be cause for concern.
On Gaudreau: he can't carry a team IMO, not when it matters anyway. Tkachuk should be the main guy in CGY, not Gaudreau
Crazy idea: What if they're both really good, and the issue is that the players around them aren't? Gaudreau has made Monahan look like 1C material for far too long.
On Trockeck: it's time to stop thinking about him as an excellent 2C and we need to start seeing the truth: he's just an average 2C
He was good even for a 1C before his injury. He's not really been the same since, so can't give a definitive answer on this one.
On Kubalik: he's not the vest invention since sliced bread ok? Very good player yes but he still plays with guys who can drive plays in an elite way, Toews and Kane
>Elite
>Toews and Kane
On Makar: look, I love the guy, he really is an elite PP quarterback, but he needs to improve his defense before we start including him in top 10 d-men rankings
He's probably not top 10, but probably close. I'm not sure it's as much defense as it is him not driving all of his own point production, but whatever.
On Korpisalo: he's great but really his number have to be boosted by CLB's defensive system
Yep. Merzlikins is also better.
On Seguin: he isn't exactly close to making Team Canada IMO, not even sure if he's a top 20 center in the league
Kinda agree here. Deffo a bottom half (15-30) 1C.
On Mantha: he isn't worth the world ok?
I don't know what this means. He's really, really good though.
On Draisaitl: one of the worst defensive players in the league, he shouldn't have won the Hart and isn't a top 15 centers when it comes to the overall game
He might still be a top 15C, but I'm curious how you feel about an equally defensively flawed McDavid. I want to do a little consistency check here.
On Barkov: he's great but isn't even the best on his team
The real overrated part is his defensive ability. He always had good underlying numbers, but they just weren't necessarily in regards to defense.
I couldn't find anyone for LA
Did Drew Doughty slip into an existential void?
On DUmba: he isn't anything more than number 3 d-man
Umm... So - again, if you name me 90 better defensemen than Dumba I'll be impressed. Actually, I'll be impressed if you mention 40.
On Tatar: he isn't a top liner, I think his playoff performance showed us that he's just an average 2nd liner
Ah, yes, let's use the smallest sample size possible to judge player ability. I think he's hovering between first and second line, but average 2nd line implies there are 45 wingers on each side - or 90 wingers better than Tatar. This is just incorrect.
On Duchene: nuff said
Well you didn't say anything, but okay.
I couldn't come up with anyone for NJ, since PK isn't overrated anymore, everyone knows he's a bottom pairing d-man (I'd even argue he's not NHL caliber but that's just me)
Not. NHL. Caliber. Again, I don't think you think of these things in terms of real numbers. That means 6 x 31; 186 better defensemen than P.K. In reality he's what, a #3?
On Varlamov: he's a good goalie for sure, but the defensive structure in NYI helps him a lot
Varlamov is a pretty tricky goalie, but what you're saying is probably true. He's been elite before that though, but he bounces a lot between season. This is a fine take I guess.
On NYR: Kreider could be overrated in 2 years but not now. You could make a case for ADA too.
I have a deep, personal, burning hatred for Deangelo. Really. But he's still really good. Kreider is funny to me, cause usually it's the guys with elite tools that are overrated, but he's been underrated for most of his career.
On Murray: he's not a true starter
No, he's garbage.
On Giroux: dude's not consistent
Consistently a top 10-15 winger at least.
On DUmoulin: he's very good but not an elite defensive d-man, as I've sen some PIT fans call him. IMO Marino torches him
I swear if anyone's ever called Dumoulin elite... Marino is really, really good. Like this doesn't say much about anything.
I honestly don't know who to pick for SJ
Perception seems to have caught up on Burns, everyone knows Jones is garbage, but I'd still press on Martin Jones, cause SJS would be a staple playoff team with even average goaltending.
On Krug: he's not a very good player, he's only a very good PP player
He's actually pretty okay 5on5 too. He gets a lot of easy zone starts, but that what you do with offensively skilled players. A very good PP-player can be a very good player.
On Kucherov: I think people overrate him because they see him as TB's best F, when their best F is Point
Kucherov is like a top 5 player in the league over the last couple of years, what do you mean
On Marner: until he shows he can play with the fire he had in the 2018-19 season on a consistent basis he's overrated. Sorry
He's overpaid more than overrated I think. However, I swear every Leafs fan has a crush on Jake Muzzin cause he's burly or something.
on Boeser: IMO the presence of EP/Horvat helps him more than we'd like to admit
H-H-H... Horvat..? The most defensively overrated player in the league?
On Pacioretty: just a terrible playoff performer. He's not a 1st liner when playoff time comes
Again with the playoff talk. Pacioretty is underrated if anything - it seems people forgot he's a solid 1st line winger just cause he left Montreal and turned 30 or something.
On Carlson: he shouldn't have been nominated for the Norris. Terrible at defense. Nuff said
One can still be nominated for the Norris while being trash at defense, as long as your offensive ability makes up for it. He's still really good - I wouldn't go as far as Norris votes, but still good.
On Connor: IMO he's worse than Scheifele and Ehlers who, IMO, play much better 200 foot game than he does
This is of course true, but even more true for Laine who's like the 4th best winger on that team.