Dark Metamorphosis said:
Jagr is hugely talented, very big, and makes the plays that matter, ie putting the puck in the net. He is a bit like Mario in that regard. I've seen Mario make dead-angle shots into the net because he noticed there was a little opening there. Jagr comes to play with a similar mindset.
Jagr takes -alot- of shots during a game. In that respect he is a support player. He needs people to grind and muck the puck to him. Still, has modern hockey seen a better goalscorer? I don't think so.
Forsberg is also very talented, his stickwork is rather underappreciated. As Jagr, he is very fast. That is the strength of both Jagr and Forsberg, they are fast in traffic with excellent puck control. Jagr is hard to knock the puck off of because he has such a huge reach, and is a big man, whereas Forsberg is just very steady on his skates.
Both players has excellent ice-vision. Jagrs on-ice vision is quite underrated; because he is a winger and a shooter, he doesn't get the opportunity to use it much. Forsbergs on ice vision is amplified by the fact that he seeks the pass first.
Jagr need grinders and a playmaker to excel, while Forsberg needs a sniper and a grinder. Obviously, they are difficult to compare. It is often said Forsberg makes the players around him better, but again we are comparing different types of players; Jagr doesn't need to make others better, since he will score by himself from any half-opportunity. Forsberg doesn't seek to do it by himself.
Point production:
Forsbergs points were hurt due to the fact that for the most of his carreer he has had to share center ice-time with Joe Sakic. In Philly he is the premier centerman.
Jagr has always been the go-to winger, and after Mario left, the go-to man. He has always taken a huge amount of shots and gotten points out of it, due to his teammates has often looked to set him up.
Come playoffs, I think Forsberg can choose to be the better player because he is a center. He will have more impact on the game-flow than a winger because his talent is always used.
The things Jagr does alone becomes more difficult to perform come playoffs. Jagr is stuck on one wing and waiting for the puck for most of the time, whereas Forsberg can play a simple game and still be very effective only because he is a centerman.
I consider a talented centermen more valuable than a talented winger because he gets more involved with the play. That is why I'd choose Forsberg. Who can say what carreer Jagr would have had if he played center.
It is indeed a "pick your poison" poll. Both are fantastic awe-inspiring hockey players.
