Not sure why anyone goes beyond Laine for comparison purposes? There is no doubt that McDavid is a generational talent. No fault in standing behind him in terms of talent. So, far and away the most important comparison for Matthews is the only other guy the Leafs could have taken 1st and that is Laine. If Laine wins the Calder, as many expect he will...the triumphal march around Matthews will miss a tiny beat. I expect Leaf fans will say they are okay with Laine winning the Calder. And, perhaps they are right. Malkin might have been the better choice.
- spatso

"As many expect he will" hahaha. Okay

Debatable.... Marner and Nylander will get killed in the NHL unless Leafs sign some beef over the summer.
- Grumpy13

Please tell me you're joking....

Haha have to love the analysis of a fan whose team has literally nothing going for it.
- SameOld

The guy loves the Phaneuf deal and thinks the Sens are much closer to being top contenders than most people think, but it's Leaf fans' magical thinking he's concerned with.

Linkin park
- HB77

Hybrid Theory/ Meteora age Linkin Park. Now? Meh. But those two albums didn't age well, they simply didn't age. Still listen to them.

Kanye's last three records are all-time masterpieces. Yes he's an idiot, but his music is genius. I love the guy. I think he's even better than he himself thinks he is.

He's got more classic records than Nas, Jay-z, Tupac, Biggie, Wu Tang etc. Take out Jay-Z and he's probably got more classics than all those guys combined, though obviously out of extenuating circumstances.
- James_Tanner

I loved graduation. He can write powerful music. He's got flow. But he's slow, has some awful features to his name (that song with Katy Perry), and more often then not his style holds him back. A good example is that song Forever with Drake, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. If you get killed in a song by Eminem, that's cause you were in a song with Eminem. You get killed by Drake and Lil Wayne? You need to figure out what you did wrong.

I would say there is a zero percent chance - hell it's not impossible, let's say 2% chance that Eichel is better than Matthews. I think there are zero credible people who have or would say such a thing.

The odds of Eichel being better are roughly the same as Mattews being a bust.

I don't see how anyone can rank anybody ahead of Mario. IN the dead puck era, after overcoming cancer and not playing for 3 years, he came back at Christmas and missed the scoring title by just a few points.

That is the single greatest accomplishment in NHL history in my opinion. Even post lockout at 40 he was nearly a PPG. No one is better than Mario. No one.

You're probably right about the statue. I appreciate you reading and responding, thanks.
- James_Tanner

You don't spend much time on other hockey sites I'm guessing if you have not read or heard of anyone credible suggesting Eichel will be better than Matthews. I read an article on nhl.com within the week saying 3 scouts agreed Matthews would go 3rd if eligible last year. And all 3 agreed he is the best pick this year. It was a story discussing the possibility of Laine being taken above Matthews.

Hahahaha come on. R.E.M is the best band of all time.
- James_Tanner

Sure, if the list consists of R.E.M., The Bay City Rollers, Andy Gibb(not Bee Gees. Andy Gibb), Hanson, Chumbawamba, and Peaches & Herb. Then yes, I'd agree that R.E.M. is the best band of all time. But if you include The Beatles, Metallica, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Rush, Eagles, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Nirvana. And those are just the (mainly) rock bands. They're certainly among the best bands of all time, but they're not really all that close to the top. And if you include solo artists like Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvis, Elton John, Billy Joel, and The Boss. They're really not even close to the best.

Hybrid Theory/ Meteora age Linkin Park. Now? Meh. But those two albums didn't age well, they simply didn't age. Still listen to them.
- Rexypoo

Totaly agree. Those albums are still great, but everything after that sucked ball.

Just....so much wrong here. Stamkos the top UFA ever??? Austin Matthews (a very good player)"one of the best prospects the NHL had ever seen?"

I mean...come on dude. Even for you, this is pure malarky.

You don't spend much time on other hockey sites I'm guessing if you have not read or heard of anyone credible suggesting Eichel will be better than Matthews. I read an article on nhl.com within the week saying 3 scouts agreed Matthews would go 3rd if eligible last year. And all 3 agreed he is the best pick this year. It was a story discussing the possibility of Laine being taken above Matthews.
- wreckage

Third last year when a year younger. Big difference. They're talking about still taking him earlier than 98% of people a year early.

Hybrid Theory/ Meteora age Linkin Park. Now? Meh. But those two albums didn't age well, they simply didn't age. Still listen to them.
- Rexypoo

Linkin Park is the worst band of all time.

Sure, if the list consists of R.E.M., The Bay City Rollers, Andy Gibb(not Bee Gees. Andy Gibb), Hanson, Chumbawamba, and Peaches & Herb. Then yes, I'd agree that R.E.M. is the best band of all time. But if you include The Beatles, Metallica, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Rush, Eagles, Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Nirvana. And those are just the (mainly) rock bands. They're certainly among the best bands of all time, but they're not really all that close to the top. And if you include solo artists like Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvis, Elton John, Billy Joel, and The Boss. They're really not even close to the best.
- Wetbandit1

AC/DC is about as good as Linkin Park. You're just listing boring, generic classic rock. I hope I never hear another song by almost any band you listed. I consider people who like Eric Clapton the same as if someone said their favorite author was RL Stine.

I can't understand why how anyone who isn't a teenager and still discovering these bands could possibly still listen to them. I can't be the only one who is just done with classic rock.

Just....so much wrong here. Stamkos the top UFA ever??? Austin Matthews (a very good player)"one of the best prospects the NHL had ever seen?"

I mean...come on dude. Even for you, this is pure malarky.
- jmatchett383

Please name me the best UFA of all time if it isn't Stamkos. I don't think anyone is even close.

garf jr.

Please name me the best UFA of all time if it isn't Stamkos. I don't think anyone is even close.
- James_Tanner

Scott Niedermayer, one of the top-5 NHL defensemen of all time. I mean, not as good as the immortal OEL, but still pretty good.

Brett Hull (to Dallas), Belfour (to Dallas), Selanne (2nd Anaheim stint) would be close, but probably not better.

And that guy who signed with the Rangers in 1996 and went on to finish 5th in scoring that year...Can't think of his name at the moment. Wayne something-or-other.

Edit: While not as big of a name as Stamkos, Chara is one of the best UFA signings in the past 15 years.

Scott Niedermayer, one of the top-5 NHL defensemen of all time. I mean, not as good as the immortal OEL, but still pretty good.

Brett Hull (to Dallas), Belfour (to Dallas), Selanne (2nd Anaheim stint) would be close, but probably not better.

And that guy who signed with the Rangers in 1996 and went on to finish 5th in scoring that year...Can't think of his name at the moment. Wayne something-or-other.

Edit: While not as big of a name as Stamkos, Chara is one of the best UFA signings in the past 15 years.
- jmatchett383

Yup...
Gretzky meant nothing to the league though! LOL
Agree that Chara signing with the B's was probably the best UFA signing in memory too. (Although his current contract is a bit of an albatross)

Yup...
Gretzky meant nothing to the league though! LOL
Agree that Chara signing with the B's was probably the best UFA signing in memory too. (Although his current contract is a bit of an albatross)
- mlindsay

Don't get me wrong: Stamkos is the best (at least best name) UFA to come along in quite a while. Definitely bigger than Parise and Suter, and bigger than Briere, Gomez, and Drury. But as far as all-time goes there have been bigger ones.

Scott Stevens was also technically a UFA. If we're going for big names, Bobby Orr was a big one (although his knees were shot).

Scott Niedermayer, one of the top-5 NHL defensemen of all time. I mean, not as good as the immortal OEL, but still pretty good.

Brett Hull (to Dallas), Belfour (to Dallas), Selanne (2nd Anaheim stint) would be close, but probably not better.

And that guy who signed with the Rangers in 1996 and went on to finish 5th in scoring that year...Can't think of his name at the moment. Wayne something-or-other.

Edit: While not as big of a name as Stamkos, Chara is one of the best UFA signings in the past 15 years.
- jmatchett383

I'll give you Chara, but none of the other players was even close to their Prime. Scott Niedermeyer helped win a cup, so I'll even give you that one. But even still, I think at 26 Stamkos is the best/youngest ever.

I'll give you Chara, but none of the other players was even close to their Prime. Scott Niedermeyer helped win a cup, so I'll even give you that one. But even still, I think at 26 Stamkos is the best/youngest ever.
- James_Tanner

I think Niedermeyer did more than help win that cup in Anaheim... I think it was largely due to him being on the team. Without him anchoring the blue line, with Pronger, I don't think they win.

I'll give you Chara, but none of the other players was even close to their Prime. Scott Niedermeyer helped win a cup, so I'll even give you that one. But even still, I think at 26 Stamkos is the best/youngest ever.
- James_Tanner

I didn't know that being "in your prime" was the basis we were using. Wayne Gretzky, even at 35, was still the best assist man in the game. Niedermayer was 32 and, much like Lidstrom, was still playing like he was 25, and was awarded the Conn Smythe, so I think he did more than simply "help." The rest, as I said, were good but not as good as Stamkos.

Now, if you want to argue about the top UFA "in his prime" of all-time...you may have a good argument there, but I'd argue Scott Stevens on that one, although it's a technicality.

I didn't know that being "in your prime" was the basis we were using. Wayne Gretzky, even at 35, was still the best assist man in the game. Niedermayer was 32 and, much like Lidstrom, was still playing like he was 25, and was awarded the Conn Smythe, so I think he did more than simply "help." The rest, as I said, were good but not as good as Stamkos.

Now, if you want to argue about the top UFA "in his prime" of all-time...you may have a good argument there, but I'd argue Scott Stevens on that one, although it's a technicality.
- jmatchett383

The fact is guys are eligible much younger now then before. Meaning "in their prime" never really happened before the change in free agency rules came in after the new CBA.

The fact is guys are eligible much younger now then before. Meaning "in their prime" never really happened before the change in free agency rules came in after the new CBA.
- mlindsay

There were a lot more guys who were traded, and the salary cap has become a huge factor as well. The landscape has definitely changed.

There were a lot more guys who were traded, and the salary cap has become a huge factor as well. The landscape has definitely changed.
- jmatchett383

Oh. No doubt.
Just look at Gretzky... traded in his prime out of Edmonton. That would be one of the bigger ones.
Forsberg comes to mind as well.
EDIT: scratch that... Forsberg was traded as a rookie and then in the dwindling years.

There were a lot more guys who were traded, and the salary cap has become a huge factor as well. The landscape has definitely changed.
- jmatchett383

During the salary cap era – chara, kovalchuk, hossa, suter, parise and now maybe stamkos. So once every 2-3 years you get a big time player becoming available.

I’d put kovalchuk up on stamkos’ level.

Literally every rapper who could ever be considered 'best rapper alive' has a song about it. I can't link to it for obvious reasons, but you should youtube Lil Wayne's 'best rapper alive' it's an amazing song, and, at the time, 100% true.
- James_Tanner