Clearly? I think not. Schieffele or Little, it matters not, Laine puts up points with either one. He has played a dozen games with Little.

In November when Laine had a 17% shooting percentage the naysayers said he would never keep it up.
In January when Laine had an 18% shooting percentage the naysayers said ha would never keep it up.
Today Laine has a 19% shooting percentage and the naysayers say he will never keep it up.
Not a very good track record so far naysayers.

Matthews 205 shots and corsi numbers are greatly aided by the fact that he has 63% of his starts in the offensive zone. The complete player is being sheltered big time.
- BookemDano

It's an insane shooting percentage. If he kept that up he would be the best goal scorer the NHL has ever seen. And if you believe that you are a clear cut homer.

And woah!? A whole dozen games with Little(39 points in 30 games) yeah that changes everything Hyman and Brown are waaaaaay better than Little


The zone starts are only a 7% difference. Having line mates like Schifelie, Ehlers or Little over Hyman and Brown throws that small zone start % out of the window.

Then Matthews-24 5v5 goals and Laine-16 5v5 goals. Yeah Matthews is the better 5v5 player by a landslide.

The team is not much better ( both mediocre) but Scheifelle is one of the best players in the league vs. Connor Brown a former 6th rounder and Zach Hyman who is a hard working but not offensively talented 4th liner.

In any case, both teams got what they needed and would probably make the same picks again if they could do it over.
- Rang

I can get behind that.

That's auto-correct and he deserves nothing because he has a weird spelling to his name. He's American, why does he have to be so European?
- Peter.Tessier

It's SO perverse!!

It's an insane shooting percentage. If he kept that up he would be the best goal scorer the NHL has ever seen. And if you believe that you are a clear cut homer.

And woah!? A whole dozen games with Little(39 points in 30 games) yeah that changes everything Hyman and Brown are waaaaaay better than Little


The zone starts are only a 7% difference. Having line mates like Schifelie, Ehlers or Little over Hyman and Brown throws that small zone start % out of the window.

Then Matthews-24 5v5 goals and Laine-16 5v5 goals. Yeah Matthews is the better 5v5 player by a landslide.
- Santo_44

Laine has 20 5v5 goals...6 ppgs.

My point about playing with Little is that Laine was producing at the same rate with either guy.

Laine has 20 5v5 goals...6 ppgs.

My point about playing with Little is that Laine was producing at the same rate with either guy.
- BookemDano

As per corsi Matthews has given up 849 opportunities and Laine has given up 753.

Imo if this draft was redrafted and the jets have first overall pick knowing what they know now they would pick laine. But also leafs wouldnt switch their pick either.
Leafs needed a star centre. Jets needed a star sniper. I honestly think both teams would be doing worse if the players were swapped.
That being said marner is gonna steal a couple votes away from Matthews and laine will probably win the Calder. Matthews and laine are both deserving of it and I doubt there will be too much argument when all is said and done.

The team is not much better ( both mediocre) but Scheifelle is one of the best players in the league vs. Connor Brown a former 6th rounder and Zach Hyman who is a hard working but not offensively talented 4th liner.

In any case, both teams got what they needed and would probably make the same picks again if they could do it over.
- Rang

Yeap

Werenski > matthews > liane
my opinion > everybody else

Great goal Laine

Enjoy watching this Laine kid for the next decade plus. He's a special talent.

Hey Santo what is Laine's shooting percentage now?

Enjoy watching this Laine kid for the next decade plus. He's a special talent.
- BetterCallSaul

When he has the puck sure..

Otherwise he's pretty bad at everything else.

When he has the puck sure..

Otherwise he's pretty bad at everything else.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

This whole idea that Laine is better than Matthews is beyond silly. No GM in the NHL, not even Winnipeg's would take Laine over Matthews if they had a choice today.

Matthews is playing a tougher position with much lesser line mates. He is already a very nice 2 way player. Laine is a pure sniper and benefitting from far superior line mates while plays a much weaker position.
I like Laine a lot, he is going to be an awesome player for the Jets for a long time but Matthews value is much higher.

This whole idea that Laine is better than Matthews is beyond silly. No GM in the NHL, not even Winnipeg's would take Laine over Matthews if they had a choice today.

Matthews is playing a tougher position with much lesser line mates. He is already a very nice 2 way player. Laine is a pure sniper and benefitting from far superior line mates while plays a much weaker position.
I like Laine a lot, he is going to be an awesome player for the Jets for a long time but Matthews value is much higher.
- Cooshie

Keep spewing what the media gives you but Laine has had the better year thus far. The race for the Calder is tight and that make Leaf fan nervous.

Keep spewing what the media gives you but Laine has had the better year thus far. The race for the Calder is tight and that make Leaf fan nervous.
- BookemDano

Keep blaming the media...C>>>>Winger

Laine is an amazing sniper. Has an unreal shot. But he's a floater in his own end. Rielly flipped the puck past him like it was nothing last night. Points is only 50% of the game my friend.

Keep spewing what the media gives you but Laine has had the better year thus far. The race for the Calder is tight and that make Leaf fan nervous.
- BookemDano

What do Leaf fans have to be nervous about? Even if Laine wins said award the Leafs will still have an elite player in Matthews.

What do Leaf fans have to be nervous about? Even if Laine wins said award the Leafs will still have an elite player in Matthews.
- BetterCallSaul

leafs fans self esteem all depends on Matthews winning the calder so they can say someone in the organization has won something in the last 50 years...

it's sad actually how invested emotionally some people are in that...

leafs fans self esteem all depends on Matthews winning the calder so they can say someone in the organization has won something in the last 50 years...

it's sad actually how invested emotionally some people are in that...
- kaptaan

Even for you this seems like a (frank)ing stupid comment.

Matthews is a year older....

actually no. he is 7 months older


Matthews has an extra year playing against men.....

actually that woud be Laine lol


at least try to be unbiased

He played 45 games. A substantial amount of games and well above the 9 minimum. Hindsight being 20/20, if it wasn't obvious before (it was), it is most certainly obvious now how much better he is over the two players he lost to.

The whole McDavid missed half a season, due to being injured because of the play of another, so shouldn't win the Calder was a massive load of garbage.

The best rookie should win the Calder. Currently I think that is Liane, but it is close and if Mathews can finish stronger than he has been so far, or Liane fades, he deserves the award.
- Aerchon

I don't think many people disagree with you about McDavid. He should have won the Calder. He was the best rookie.

Your earlier point about empty-netters is pretty terrible though. Nobody is saying empty-netters aren't worth anything -- they aren't easy. However, they aren't as impressive as regular goals, which Matthews has more of than Laine.

Either way, who cares. The two are tremendous players already, and should both improve over the next few years. Whichever one loses the Calder doesn't take away from the fact that the Jets and Leafs both got very lucky to draft the players they got in last season's draft.

Significantly low competition? Huh? No need to pull stuff out of your ass.

If you want real stats. Laine has been playing with Schifelie all season and Ehlers for the majority. Matthews has been playing with two rookies. Brown and Hyman. And occasionally Nylander.

His shooting percentage is at 19% while Matthews is at 14%. While Laine also having 3 empty net goals. I should mention the league average is 9% while Ovi(the best shooter in the game has a 12.5% career average with his best season coming at 14.5%) yes , Laine's shooting% is extremely high. Which is not possible to keep up.

Matthews having 205 shots over Laine's 150.

Not only has Matthews been dominant offensively he has also been dominant defensivly where as Laine's Defense is non existent.

All that while playing the much harder position

Both extremely good players but Matthews is the clear Calder winner right now.
- Santo_44

This is the difficult thing about rookies. What if Laine does shoot around 20% for his career? It's the only thing we've seen him do so far. That would be so much fun to watch!

leafs fans self esteem all depends on Matthews winning the calder so they can say someone in the organization has won something in the last 50 years...

it's sad actually how invested emotionally some people are in that...
- kaptaan

Sucks when your team has nothing to look forward to dosnt it ?

Imo if this draft was redrafted and the jets have first overall pick knowing what they know now they would pick laine. But also leafs wouldnt switch their pick either.
Leafs needed a star centre. Jets needed a star sniper. I honestly think both teams would be doing worse if the players were swapped.
That being said marner is gonna steal a couple votes away from Matthews and laine will probably win the Calder. Matthews and laine are both deserving of it and I doubt there will be too much argument when all is said and done.
- aeberg

Good post

Did a Leafs fan just say "nothing to look forward to"?

Are the Leafs not celebrating an incredible 50 years of futility?

zero for 50 is tougher then 2 in a row I would say! For the "richest" franchise in the league you would think by accident you'd be a winner, but no.

Toronto, like Winnipeg, is not a free-agent destination (Canada as a whole usually not),so the Leafs took 48 years to figure out they are a draft and develop market period.

Bringing Lou in who from '94-2011 went to the finals 5 times, winning 3 in the home of hockey......New Jersey.....

Bottom line, both teams have great young talent and a bright future

What do Leaf fans have to be nervous about? Even if Laine wins said award the Leafs will still have an elite player in Matthews.
- BetterCallSaul

remember when Samsonov beat Jumbo Joe for the Calder?