Edited May 29, 2023 at 9:25 p.m.
Quoting: Caniac2000
Marner doesn't break games open. Marner doesn't drive play. Aho does. Aho scores big goals in big moments. Aho's a WAY better goal scorer and that is exactly what the Canes need. It's braindead to try and argue this.
Quoting: Caniac2000
I completely agree with almost everything you've said here. I don't know Drury is a 4C on a contender, I could see him on the 3rd line wing of a lot of teams.
Svechnikov and Pacioretty would have helped, but even with Svechnikov this offense wasn't high-flying. Carolina won 2 games with Pacioretty active, he was hurt in both games and didn't see the final whistle. Don't exactly think he's making the difference. Goal scoring is the biggest issue. You can't tell me that a guy coming down with an elite shot isn't going to change this team a ton. It will at least make the powerplay better than mediocre at best. Someone like Kyle Connor is going to be a better fit for that reason. That said, there's a reason I'm not completely against Marner and that is for everything you mentioned. He's good enough defensively to fit Rod's system, albeit he shouldn't be a Selke candidate, he's a gifted skater, and he is talented. I'm against moving for Marner at the cost of Necas (75% production, 25% of the cost) Pesce, or other roster players to make it fit. I think Marner is overvalued, that doesn't mean I don't think there's a very usable player there. In Carolina he's not putting up 99 points, I fear he would struggle to make the 60 mark to be completely honest because this team doesn't have Auston Matthews on it, but he's an upgrade on someone like Teravainen.
You do know that Marner doesn't always play with Matthews right?
Marner had 94 points in 2018-19 playing with Tavares and Hyman. Both Tavares and Matthews had career highs in goals playing with Marner.
If Marner struggles to get 60 pts in Carolina, that would mean that the Hurricanes cannot finish plays. If his numbers come down it should still be in the 90s, with Matthews as his primary linemate his point pace is 100+ (2020-2022).
Marner isnt a great goal scorer by any means but he's an elite playmaker, who could help increase the goal production of the Canes' goal scorers