Dany Heatley or Marian Gaborik?

[SpezDispenser]

50 in 07, guy was an effing all star

The one who scored 50 in 07

No love for 2006?

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Gaborik was elite in his peak, but Heatley was 'nervous every time he had the puck' elite, so I voted for him. I guess the difference was his goal scoring ability.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I think Gaborik was better he was just made of glass.. so Heatley

 

[DanyHeatley]

50in06 and 50in07
Allstar MVP
Olympic Gold Medal
Enough said

 

[buffalowing88]

50in06 and 50in07
Allstar MVP
Olympic Gold Medal
Enough said

I'm not sure that's a resume-padder.

I'd agree in picking Heatley, though. I think the pre-accident version of him was future MVP material. Ottawa was an easier fit for him, though, and although I always thought Spezza and Alfredsson were the straws that stirred the drink, there's something to be said for his elite production there.

It just would have been interesting to see his career play out differently had the wreck not happened.

 

[DanyHeatley]

I'm not sure that's a resume-padder.

I'd agree in picking Heatley, though. I think the pre-accident version of him was future MVP material. Ottawa was an easier fit for him, though, and although I always thought Spezza and Alfredsson were the straws that stirred the drink, there's something to be said for his elite production there.

It just would have been interesting to see his career play out differently had the wreck not happened.

I served Spezzas wife clapbombs while he fed me for 50 in 06 and 07

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Heatley was one of the best players in the game from 2003-2010. He didn’t make Team Canada by accident.

He burned hot, bright and short.

Gaborik… if he was your best player, you were in trouble.

Heatley was never the best player on his team tho

 

[Regal]

Heatley was never the best player on his team tho

He was in his first two years in Atlanta. Though, they were a bad team anyway, so apparently you’re in trouble if he’s your best player too.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

I served Spezzas wife clapbombs while he fed me for 50 in 06 and 07

And people say there’s nothing to do in Ottawa…

 

[Jumptheshark]

this is a lot tougher than some may think.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Gaborik played on a true trap team and was the only offensive player. Heater had prime Spezza and Alfie. Do people really think Gaborik would have done that much worse? He clearly had more skill. Atlanta Heater had Kovy on his line.. they placed 1st and 2nd in Calder that year

Yep, this is Gaborik to me and pretty clearly so. Gaborik has the exact same ppg as Heatley from 05-06 to 09-10, and Gaborik had very little offensive support on the Wild and Rangers, compared to Heatley playing with Alfredsson and Spezza (and probably the worst player on the line) and then with Thornton the final year of that span. I'm not going to punish Gaborik because doctors misdiagnosed his hip injury, he was clearly the more impactful player when healthy and a HOF player if he hadn't missed so many games.

 

[TaLoN]

Yeah. Now show Heatley's 100 goals in 2 seasons. Or his 22 points in 20 games in the playoffs in 06.

I hate the guy, but....there's plenty of highlights to choose from.

Gaborik did have a playoff run withy 19 points in 18 games as well in '03.

 

[blundluntman]

The F'n All Star.

Even if you wanna discount his years in Ottawa, he still outproduced Gaborik's best seasons in his prime on a pretty mediocre/bad Thrashers team in 03.

 

[Bileur]

Peak Heatley pretty clearly.

Sucks Gaborik dealt with all the injuries but it is what it is.

I think some people are forgetting what Gaborik was capable of. In the same years Heatley scored 50, Gaborik had 68 goals and 123 points in 113 games (49 G, 89 P pace), on a team that was 24th and 18th in GF, and with only one teammate cracking 65 points in either year. He also had a 48 goal, 91 point pace over almost 300 games from 05-06 to 09-10. I do think he was capable of producing similarly to Heatley and was better at creating his own chances at least when he was younger in Minnesota than Ottawa Heatley, though I think Heatley was better at using/working with his teammates. And while Heatley had a good playoffs in 2007, Gaborik’s ‘03 and ‘14 playoffs were at least as strong.

Heatley’s big advantage is health though, as he was fairly healthy for his peak years before struggling with injuries later, while Gaborik was pretty consistently a bandaid. I think that’s the big thing that puts Heatley ahead.

That said, I might take 22 year old Heatley pre-car accident over either Ottawa Heatley or any version of Gaborik.

Heatley definitely played with better line mates but…

In the first year Heatley scored 50, Brian Rolston scored 79 points in 82 games for the Wild.

 

[goonybird]

We'll never know because Gaborik is made of shit. He's like if someone took Bure at the end of his career and stuck his joints back together with tape and paper clips.

 

[Regal]

Peak Heatley pretty clearly.

Sucks Gaborik dealt with all the injuries but it is what it is.



Heatley definitely played with better line mates but…

View attachment 735431

In the first year Heatley scored 50, Brian Rolston scored 79 points in 82 games for the Wild.

Yes that would be the one teammate I mentioned

 

[TaLoN]

In the first year Heatley scored 50, Brian Rolston scored 79 points in 82 games for the Wild.

And yet, 5v5, Gaborik and Rolston almost never played together.

 

[Bileur]

Yes that would be the one teammate I mentioned

Fair enough, I misread that part. Mea culpa.

 

[jcs0218]

Heatley was a better offensive force that dealt with injuries and conditioning problems in his skating.

 

[biturbo19]

Peak Gaborik getting to play with a playmaker of Spezza's caliber, and a HoF caliber winger like Alfredsson would've been a treat to watch.

Gaborik did almost a much with a lot less around him to work with. Heatley was basically just a pure finisher who benefitted massively from falling into an absolutely perfect situation.

 

[Elvs]

Heatley was one of the best players in the game from 2003-2010. He didn’t make Team Canada by accident.

He burned hot, bright and short.

Gaborik… if he was your best player, you were in trouble.

The same is true for Heatley, imo. I'm not hesitating calling him the worst player on the pizza line, and Ottawa was nowhere close beating Anaheim in the finals, who on paper had a much more mediocre first line.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Heatley ever so slightly. Would have loved to see what his career looked like if the crash never happened.

 

[banks]

Health is the only reason to pick Heatley. But I picked Gaborik.

 

[Foppberg]

Easily Gaborik. Heatley was surrounded by talent his whole career.

 

[ITM]

I think the question furnishes the answer that the better peak was Heatley's. But Marion Gaborik was never surrounded with the support Heatley was.

Let me caveat by saying and echo, that Heatley was potentially something special, moreover when we look at his Atlanta Thrashers club, young and relatively shallow as they were, he emerged every bit the pro player his junior (and international) trajectory projected.

His Ottawa numbers I think are best interpreted in light of his +/- versus the rest of his career; That was a very special Senators club that made the wrong moves at the wrong time, but nonetheless, provided an exceptional support system to thrive in.

Gaborik's +/- sway less. Gaborik's games missed also point to totals that would have been truly impressive, as in, 500-600 goals impressive.

So, I think Heatley (with his career interrupted by scandal and injury, physical and psychological) and Gaborik's (interrupted by injury) points to the Op's choice as a very interesting one and perhaps, perhaps, misses the mark to yield a truly accurate answer.

Maybe that was the intention?