Mario created nearly all his offense by himself. Laine is more of a finisher. Bad comparison imo.
- daeth

Many of Laines goals aren't beautiful one time feeds Daeth, in fact he quite literally creates a scoring chance at of nothing at all. Or do you forget his goals against the Leafs?

Don't think he was good enough period....I'm sure not playing didnt help. He's in the AHL now and doing quite well, so he could earn his way back with the big club if he keeps it up. But, overall Burn, he didn't show enough in the games he did play.
- mykokes

Wasn't worse than polak or hunwick or marincicn and was better the year before.

Wasn't worse than polak or hunwick or marincicn and was better the year before.
- burn

I saw nothing that differentiated his game from hunwick, and Polak brought a different skill set. Marincin just sucks haha.

Many of Laines goals aren't beautiful one time feeds Daeth, in fact he quite literally creates a scoring chance at of nothing at all. Or do you forget his goals against the Leafs?
- mykokes

Laine gets the puck, he shoots, and it goes in.

Lemieux would skate around the entire team before deking out a goalie and scoring. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay different style.

Corrado played 2 games months apart and wasn't worse blueliner in either.
- burn

Leivo played less. Didn't effect him. Didn't complain.


I want the guy in the lineup that comes ready to play no matter what. Not the whiny one.

Corrado has some growing up to do if wants another opportunity here.

lets bask in the glory that is 66

Takes on Laine (not my own)

Possession via Patience. Laine is very comfortable with the puck on his stick, and uses his size and strength to protect it well. He doesn’t seem to panic and relies on his vision and puckhandling skills to create space for himself.

He’s using his reach and strength to protect the puck, he creates an effective presence in the high danger areas of the ice, and he’s an excellent retriever.

From Mckeens:
“He looks like Mario when he’s carrying the puck,” noted one top scout during the U-20, and he wasn’t alone in that assertion. When asked for a comparison, Teemu Selanne brought up Lemieux as well, and McKeen’s chief amateur scout Grant McCagg was making the correlation between the two even before there were others echoing it…he first made the suggestion early on in the World juniors, and he hasn’t changed his mind. If anything it has only been reconfirmed.
“I can’t honestly recall scouting a forward over 6-4 with a skill set as similar to Mario’s as Laine’s,” says McCagg. “The way he creates space when he has the puck, his hands, his release, his shot, his vision…maybe he’s not quite at Mario’s level…but he’s not that far off. He’s a tier above Rick Nash at the same age…and as we know both Nash and Mario were first overall picks. I have a hard time thinking anyone should be drafted ahead of him even if I really like Matthews a lot…I see a future 50-goal NHL scorer, maybe a 60-goal guy. I don’t see that same upside with Matthews.”

not even slightly similar

Morning motherfathers

Takes on Laine (not my own)


- mykokes

Grant McCagg has been awkwardly bullish on Laine...over the top imo

Takes on Laine (not my own)

Possession via Patience. Laine is very comfortable with the puck on his stick, and uses his size and strength to protect it well. He doesn’t seem to panic and relies on his vision and puckhandling skills to create space for himself.

He’s using his reach and strength to protect the puck, he creates an effective presence in the high danger areas of the ice, and he’s an excellent retriever.

From Mckeens:
“He looks like Mario when he’s carrying the puck,” noted one top scout during the U-20, and he wasn’t alone in that assertion. When asked for a comparison, Teemu Selanne brought up Lemieux as well, and McKeen’s chief amateur scout Grant McCagg was making the correlation between the two even before there were others echoing it…he first made the suggestion early on in the World juniors, and he hasn’t changed his mind. If anything it has only been reconfirmed.
“I can’t honestly recall scouting a forward over 6-4 with a skill set as similar to Mario’s as Laine’s,” says McCagg. “The way he creates space when he has the puck, his hands, his release, his shot, his vision…maybe he’s not quite at Mario’s level…but he’s not that far off. He’s a tier above Rick Nash at the same age…and as we know both Nash and Mario were first overall picks. I have a hard time thinking anyone should be drafted ahead of him even if I really like Matthews a lot…I see a future 50-goal NHL scorer, maybe a 60-goal guy. I don’t see that same upside with Matthews.”
- mykokes

IIRC from last game, hunwick pushed laine off the puck pretty easily on a one-on-one rush as laine tired to deke around him.

Little old poopty matt (frank)ing hunwick.

IIRC from last game, hunwick pushed laine off the puck pretty easily on a one-on-one rush as laine tired to deke around him.

Little old poopty matt (frank)ing hunwick.
- Tumbleweed

Yeah and Naz shutdown McDavid.

not even slightly similar
- daeth

Comparing videos of Mario's highlight reel goals to Laines first 29 isn't exactly the best way to do this comparison is it?

As i said to start this, style of play I see similarities......but NOONE is Mario. I was ready to punch tanner in the face for even suggesting Sid was on that level or even better.

lets bask in the glory that is 66
- daeth

couple things ..

Goalies were awful back then
Lemieux was amazing..maybe could have broken some Gretzky records if healthy
he had 282 points in 70 games in junior.. just bonkers

oh I forgot.. some of those goals he had a player basically on his back hooking slashing..mauling him ..what a time to play

Comparing videos of Mario's highlight reel goals to Laines first 29 isn't exactly the best way to do this comparison is it?
- mykokes

Take any footage from Mario you want, non of it will look like Laine. Totally different player stylistically. He was a 1 on 1 animal. Laine isn't that type of player at all. He's very hands-off, he tries to get open and then he lets it rip when he gets the puck.

couple things ..

Goalies were awful back then
Lemieux was amazing..maybe could have broken some Gretzky records if healthy
he had 282 points in 70 games in junior.. just bonkers
- senstroll

I don't think he would've broken the 92 goals or 215 point records, but he probably should have 3 200 point seasons and a couple more 80 goal seasons.

Kovalchuk was several tiers above him as a skater and way more dynamic.

Stamkos is probably the closest in regards to how some of his goals are scored but he has more of a net presence. Laine scores most of his goals from a greater distance, that seems way less sustainable but it's way more impressive.

I don't even know the closest comparable. Brett Hull? Hull was a volume shooter too though with several 300+ shot seasons. I'm not sure he's even a half decent comparison.
- daeth

I agree Kovalchuk was a more dynamic player.

I think Hull is the best example. His 300+ shot attempts where in the early 90s before the NHL shifted to a more defensive game. In the early 90s, even with his 300+ shots, he was still scoring at 17% and over. In the mid to late 90s his attempts dropped, and so did his shooting %. But is that because of the change in the style of play in the NHL, or because Hull was on the wrong side of 30. Probably a combination of both.

At the moment it seems that Laine has found the perfect spot to fire off his shot. It seems to be just far enough back that the defenders don't want to go that high. His first goal last game is a perfect example. If Zaitsev moves a step closer, chances are he doesn't score there. I think teams will eventually adjust.

couple things ..

Goalies were awful back then
Lemieux was amazing..maybe could have broken some Gretzky records if healthy
he had 282 points in 70 games in junior.. just bonkers

oh I forgot.. some of those goals he had a player basically on his back hooking slashing..mauling him ..what a time to play
- senstroll

In his prime he was pretty close to Gretzky. I still like Gretzky more but Mario was so damn good too.

In his prime he was pretty close to Gretzky. I still like Gretzky more but Mario was so damn good too.
- daeth

Like comparing 2 beautiful women, or 2 very good bottles of wine..

I don't think he would've broken the 92 goals or 215 point records, but he probably should have 3 200 point seasons and a couple more 80 goal seasons.
- mykokes

he had 69 goals in 60 games one season...it would have been close..he might have been the best ever in a couple year window

I agree Kovalchuk was a more dynamic player.

I think Hull is the best example. His 300+ shot attempts where in the early 90s before the NHL shifted to a more defensive game. In the early 90s, even with his 300+ shots, he was still scoring at 17% and over. In the mid to late 90s his attempts dropped, and so did his shooting %. But is that because of the change in the style of play in the NHL, or because Hull was on the wrong side of 30. Probably a combination of both.

At the moment it seems that Laine has found the perfect spot to fire off his shot. It seems to be just far enough back that the defenders don't want to go that high. His first goal last game is a perfect example. If Zaitsev moves a step closer, chances are he doesn't score there. I think teams will eventually adjust.
- VT001

I don't know if I've seen anyone that could score from as far out as Laine anywhere near that consistently. It's actually pretty ridiculous. He might have the best shot I've seen.

Like comparing 2 beautiful women, or 2 very good bottles of wine..
- bixll

Good way to put it really

But Gretzky's career stayed hot like Helen Mirren and Mario's went to poop like Lara Flynn Boyle.

I don't know if I've seen anyone that could score from as far out as Laine anywhere near that consistently. It's actually pretty ridiculous. He might have the best shot I've seen.
- daeth

The shooting % he sports is insane. I wonder if all of these rookies see regression once the league gets a "book" on them.

Ron hainsy got a 2nd. Rental prices are definitely going to be high this year.

Well that Hainsey trade is an eye opener. Glad he's finally going to make the playoffs!

Still don't think Komarov could get a 2nd or 3rd Wedgie?