Location: "I don't care about being "better" . I care about building a cup contender." -Iggysbff, ON Joined: 07.03.2009
Sep 20 @ 2:27 PM ET
Last year, Matthews was tied for 1st in the league for takeaways.
Marner 7th.
Willy 55th. - Atomic Wedgie
I definitely thought Willie was better. That's still good though. He'd be like the second or third in takeaways on any given team. That's how I'll look at it lol.
Location: The centre of the hockey universe Joined: 07.31.2006
Sep 20 @ 2:31 PM ET
I definitely thought Willie was better. That's still good though. He'd be like the second or third in takeaways on any given team. That's how I'll look at it lol. - bmoney411
Nothing wrong with 55th.
Although I am always skeptical of these subjective stats.
Location: Henry Hudson's Fairchild 24 South Porcupine Joined: 04.03.2016
Sep 20 @ 2:37 PM ET
Lol
Matthews is no datsyuk - pavel was at least one category above him. - MaximusAurelius
This is a guess at the very best. You are comparing a player who has completed his career vs one that is just starting. And Matthews in his fourth season averages more than a point per game, Datsyuk career about .96 , Dutsyk also scored over 40 goals zero times in his career, Matthews has already done it twice. Matthews has scored more than half the goals Dutsyuk scored in his entire career. While your conjecture is a guess at best, it seems unlikley that Matthews stats do not exceed Dutsyuk's significantly. Whether he wins a cup or two along the way is a different matter.
Location: Pretentious Beer Snob, ON Joined: 06.22.2015
Sep 20 @ 2:46 PM ET
Different styles.
Datsyuk was my favorite player.
I can see people would prefer the goalscorer, but I'd always prefer the more complete player. - MaximusAurelius
Matthews is becoming just that. He lead the league (for forwards) in takeaways and was 16th in Selke voting this year.
Give AM34 a few years and then tell us he's not the more "complete" player.
Also, lest we forget, PD played for one of the most dominant NHL teams ever. Hell, even Stevie Y was playing elite level d on that team.
Location: Lawless Soldier of The Devil, ON Joined: 02.28.2011
Sep 20 @ 2:48 PM ET
Different styles.
Datsyuk was my favorite player.
I can see people would prefer the goalscorer, but I'd always prefer the more complete player. - MaximusAurelius
I love Datsyuk. It's the highest praise to say Matthews could have a better career than him. I think it's very possible though.
Location: Lawless Soldier of The Devil, ON Joined: 02.28.2011
Sep 20 @ 2:50 PM ET
- Tumbleweed
Notice how other teams sometimes go after Dermott? But it's not because of anything he's doing with his play. He's not smashing guys or agitating. It's because they've seen this pic. And on the ice, they are right there, looking at his stupid face. And they go, holy poop, within the rules of my workplace, I can actually punch that stupid face and not really get in real trouble. It would be wrong not to do it.
Location: Lawless Soldier of The Devil, ON Joined: 02.28.2011
Sep 20 @ 2:53 PM ET
Dermott has the most puncheable face on the Leafs since Phaneuf. And I would even say he goes far beyond Phaneuf in stupid puncheable face factor. In fact he makes Phaneuf's face seem acceptable.
This is a patently absurd position to take. If AP ages "gracefully" then who cares about age?
Will the Leafs need to move out a contract to fit him in? Sure. But I'd much rather have AP on this team than, say, William Nylander.
There's no way Parayko is better than Rielly. I'd also disagree that he's better by "quite a bit" over Muzzin. But that's not the point, is it? You seem to be saying that AP will decline necessarily because players like Rielly and Muzzin wouldn't be able to shoulder some of the load of hard minutes that AP would, presumably, be saddled with.
That's quite a bold statement to make. It's unfalsifiable but I'll reject it anyway. I think AP is a phenomenal athlete and I don't see how playing on the Leafs would somehow make him age faster or decline harder with the pieces currently in place.
Leafs would be dumb to pass this opportunity up. - mjones242
I'd also like to say and I did.. that the Leafs aren't built the way Blues are with the F corps defensively responsible. So by extension more and harder responsibility falls to the D corps.
My main point is still it's not good cap management in a flat cap world for the next couple yrs. to invest that much money and term.. in a older player.
You disagree... I can respect that. We just come at it from different perspectives.
Location: Pretentious Beer Snob, ON Joined: 06.22.2015
Sep 20 @ 2:59 PM ET
I'd also like to say and I did.. that the Leafs aren't built the way Blues are with the F corps defensively responsible. So by extension more and harder responsibility falls to the D corps.
My main point is still it's not good cap management in a flat cap world for the next couple yrs. to invest that much money and term.. in a older player.
You disagree... I can respect that. We just come at it from different perspectives. - dozerD10
And my main point, which I'll state again, is that he's NOT an "older" player yet and likely won't see his play diminish for many years (5+).
See Suter, Ryan for a comparable.
AP instantly provides legitimacy to a Leafs d-corps that is severely lacking on the right side. He's captained a team to a Cup before and would bring significant leadership to his Top 5 defender in the NHL skillset.
And my main point, which I'll state again, is that he's NOT an "older" player yet and likely won't see his play diminish for many years (5+).
See Suter, Ryan for a comparable.
AP instantly provides legitimacy to a Leafs d-corps that is severely lacking on the right side. He's captained a team to a Cup before and would bring significant leadership to his Top 5 defender in the NHL skillset. - mjones242
This is a guess at the very best. You are comparing a player who has completed his career vs one that is just starting. And Matthews in his fourth season averages more than a point per game, Datsyuk career about .96 , Dutsyk also scored over 40 goals zero times in his career, Matthews has already done it twice. Matthews has scored more than half the goals Dutsyuk scored in his entire career. While your conjecture is a guess at best, it seems unlikley that Matthews stats do not exceed Dutsyuk's significantly. Whether he wins a cup or two along the way is a different matter. - winsix
And my main point, which I'll state again, is that he's NOT an "older" player yet and likely won't see his play diminish for many years (5+).
See Suter, Ryan for a comparable.
AP instantly provides legitimacy to a Leafs d-corps that is severely lacking on the right side. He's captained a team to a Cup before and would bring significant leadership to his Top 5 defender in the NHL skillset. - mjones242
Boggles my mind how people dont want to give Petro 8.5M but are fine with committing to 2nd pairing 30 year old D for 5M.
If anything history shows us Petro will be fantastic for many more years while the Brodie's, Mansons, ect could turn poop out of no where. The safe bet is Petro if they can clear the space.
