Quoting: PointStamkosVasilevskiy219188
True, but Howe was so good for so long, even as the team around him changed. Agreed that Richard was the better playoff performer (if not the greatest ever).
As for the latter point-I'm going to assume for your sanity's sake that you're not calling Heiskanen better than Makar, because that would be blasphemy. Obviously Makar has a WAY better team around him, but just watch him play. He's the best in the league, and it's really not that close (and I say this while rooting for the Lightning, who have a guy named Victor Hedman on the blue line)
Like I said, if you would switch them on draft day I’m not sure it’d look like how it does today. As of right now Makar is clearly the best dman in the league, but his development was incredibly well put by the likes of Sakic and Bednar.
Started playing him a year close to two after he was drafted (at 20 years old), played glued to the Mackinnon line and was played with good d partners. They couldn’t of done a better job developing him.
Meanwhile Heiskanen was glued to Comeau, Faksa and Cogliano (3 ECHL’ers) from 19 to last year (last year he pretty much only played with bums), and his d partner has never been good except this year where Lindell is decent. And played for arguably the worst coach in the league (who probably had a major impact on him).
Put Makar with those bums and Heiskanen with those titans at 18-20 years old and it very well could’ve been different. If you would switch them of scenarios now it wouldn’t matter since they’re developed (Makar>Heiskanen), but when they’re brand new in the big leagues it could very well of been different.
Only thing Heiskanen is better at than Makar currently is in the playoffs.