Joe Thornton vs Leon Draisaitl. Better player?

[wetcoast]

There's always one in the crowd

Usually 2 or 3 but then when pointed out with the facts they just keep restating opinions like they are facts or something and disregard the facts.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Easily Draisatl

 

[Mattb124]

Drai is about as good as a playmaker as Thornton while also challenge for the Rocket each year and is a playoffs monster. I don't think it's close.

I would take Drai, but to say he is about as good a playmaker as Thornton is a flawed argument.

 

[TheBeard]

typical comment in any McDavid or Draisaitl related threads.

Fact that Thornton had only 2 30+goal seasons in over 20 he played (both with BOS) hint that he played with some decent finishers to get all his apples.

Like who, Glen Murray???

 

[luiginb]

Thornton was magic to watch, in a way Draisatl never has been. Drai is a better overall player though, and will probably end his career with a SC or two.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

Thornton was magic to watch, in a way Draisatl never has been. Drai is a better overall player though, and will probably end his career with a SC or two.

Playoff Draisaitl is way more magical than Thornton.

 

[Bizz]

Thornton AINEC

 

[Hockey2Hockey]

Thornton AINEC

I pick Joe too

 

[koyvoo]

Thornton 134 playoff points in 187 games played
Draisaitl 133 playoff points in 90 games played

 

[McFlyingV]

Thornton 134 playoff points in 187 games played
Draisaitl 133 playoff points in 90 games played

Close one.

 

[Oilking83]

Thornton was magic to watch, in a way Draisatl never has been. Drai is a better overall player though, and will probably end his career with a SC or two.

Thornton was magic similar to Houdini with his playoff disappearing act. Drai > Jumbo Joe and not even close.

 

[MikeS24]

Drai ALL EFFIN DAY

Leon Draisaitl & Connor McDavid now have 3 postseasons with 25+ points, tied for 4th-most in NHL history. Only Mark Messier (6), Wayne Gretzky (6), and Jari Kurri (5) have more.

So Edmonton holds the top 5 spots

Are people on drugs comparing Thornton to this dude?

 

[Norwegianoiler]

No disrespect to Thornton who was a monster of a player, but these two are equal only when they got the puck along the boards and their butt sticking out. Great at puck protection, biding time using their size, excellent at finding open players around the net. Draisaitl does a whole range of other stuff better, including performing at his best when everything is on the line.

 

[Kojo]

Draisatl AINEC

 

[TrKB PAM]

Draisaitl has always had that dawg in him. Could argue that for a playoff run, although well before his playing prime, 2017 Draisaitl was already a better choice than Thornton ever had been.

 

[izzy]

There literally isn’t an argument to be made for Thornton, and I’m a huge fan of Thornton. Draisaitl is like if Thornton was more physical and a perennial 50 goal scorer. and that’s not even touching on the massive difference in the playoffs

??

draisaitl is better than thornton but its ridiculous to see people saying drai is as good of a playmaker or more physical

did u guys only watch 40 year old thornton or something lol

 

[mr figgles]

Draisaitl by a mile. I didn't even need to think twice.

 

[Duder54]

I loved Joe Thorton as a player, but the answer is Draisaitl and it's not particularly close.

 

[KCC]

Not going to echo what everyone else has said over and over but yes, it's Draisaitl.

 

[Felidae]

Thornton 134 playoff points in 187 games played
Draisaitl 133 playoff points in 90 games played

Thornton played his entire prime in a lower scoring era (sometimes significantly lower scoring).

Obviously Draisatl is still the better PO performer by a wide margin.. just not quite as wide as the raw stats would indicate.

 

[Foppberg]

Lol

 

[luiginb]

Thornton played his entire prime in a lower scoring era (sometimes significantly lower scoring).

Obviously Draisatl is still the better PO performer by a wide margin.. just not quite as wide as the raw stats would indicate.

exactly, I'd like to see the era-adjusted stats

 

[Bear of Bad News]

The site rules require a certain length of tenure before new accounts are allowed to start Poll threads.

All of you folks hitting me with “angry” reactions clearly haven’t thought this through or seen the content that (some) new accounts create. I envy that.

 

[MoneyManny]

Thornton played his entire prime in a lower scoring era (sometimes significantly lower scoring).

Obviously Draisatl is still the better PO performer by a wide margin.. just not quite as wide as the raw stats would indicate.

Drai has doubled Joe's playoff ppg. That is not offset by a mere era adjustment. More so considering a lot more of these points were goals.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Oiler fan so I am bias

I love Joe Thornton but there are a few things to look at with him--he played till he was 42.

First 11 yeares

Joe 265g-577ass-842pts
Leon 399-557-956pts


the big difference is goals