Joe Thornton vs Leon Draisaitl. Better player?

[Coffey]

shit how could i forget 50 in 07? so one legit 100 point player, though past his 100 point days.

that was a great line, good enough to get a name but unfortunately neither thornton at 31 nor heatley were 100 point players when they played together. too bad that line didn't last, heatley got too injured to be very effective ever again.

Didn’t you just call RNH a 100 pt player?

 

[MessierII]

shit how could i forget 50 in 07? so one legit 100 point player, though past his 100 point days.

that was a great line, good enough to get a name but unfortunately neither thornton at 31 nor heatley were 100 point players when they played together. too bad that line didn't last, heatley got too injured to be very effective ever again.

Heatley and Marleau were closer to real 100 point players than Nugent Hopkins.

 

[Hockey2Hockey]

FWIW, Thornton didn't seem as moody in his post game press conferences.

 

[ref19]

Thornton is an all time great

 

[Coffey]

FWIW, Thornton didn't seem as moody in his post game press conferences.

That’s just normal German demeanour.

 

[Hockey2Hockey]

That’s just normal German demeanour.

Good point.

 

[PistolPete]

Such as?

Jari Kurri

Greatest Finn of all time

 

[PistolPete]

That’s just normal German demeanour.

I've heard the joke that if a German remarks a meal was edible that it is in fact a major compliment lol

 

[winnipegger]

I don't want to be mean so I won't say what I think about this question. Every coach and GM would take Draisatl and sleep like a baby that night. Joe was a great player but he's not anywhere close to generational like Drai.

 

[PistolPete]

I don't want to be mean so I won't say what I think about this question. Every coach and GM would take Draisatl and sleep like a baby that night. Joe was a great player but he's not anywhere close to generational like Drai.

To ke it's an unfair comparison.

It's akin to who is better, Tom Brady or Rroy Polamalu? Thornton was a passer, Draisaitl is a finisher. There is a reason one was a centre and one is a winger

 

[Frank Drebin]

[/QUOTE]

Jari Kurri

Greatest Finn of all time

Was he the greatest Finn of all time because he played with gretz?

 

[PistolPete]

Was he the greatest Finn of all time because he played with gretz?
[/QUOTE]

Nope. He was the greatest regardless of where and who he played with. Dude shot over 20% quite a few times- at 240+ shots.

 

[Steven Toast]

Something sort of notable is that Thornton at a certain point in his career actively evolved his game to be more defensive and saw a significant amount of defensive usage.

Draisaitl did that this year and won the Rocket and is a Hart finalist.

 

[slapKing]

Thornton is great, future 1st ballet hall of famer.

Draisaitl is better. He's a legit dual offensive threat that can pass and score with the best of them. Not to mention when you add the playoffs, Drai is an absolute assassin. You take him everytime. He wants to win.

 

[Frank Drebin]

Nope. He was the greatest regardless of where and who he played with. Dude shot over 20% quite a few times- at 240+ shots.

so kinda like Drai then. Was fortunate to play with a great but was a hall of famer due to his abilities

 

[Frank Drebin]

That’s just normal German demeanour.

they have very drai humor

 

[Regal]

Heatley and Marleau were closer to real 100 point players than Nugent Hopkins.

Even in that season, RNH was 9th in league scoring. Joe played with Pavelski when he was 6th and 8th in scoring and Cheechoo when he was 10th in scoring. And Marleau and Heatley were 14th and 15th in league scoring when they were both Joe’s linemates. None might have been 100 point players, but they all scored at elite rates.

 

[Greatzsky 99]

to early for me

 

[Fourier]

To ke it's an unfair comparison.

It's akin to who is better, Tom Brady or Rroy Polamalu? Thornton was a passer, Draisaitl is a finisher. There is a reason one was a centre and one is a winger

This is a strange assessment. You do realize that the players voted Draisaitl the best passer in the League in the 2022-23 Players poll.

NHLPA Player Poll 2022-23 | NHLPA.com

nhlpa.com

I think most Oiler fans would say that as a pure passer Draisaitl is on par with McDavid. Off the backhand he is absolutely sublime.

 

[Pass the Saitl Sauce]

Draisaitl is a better passer on his back hand than his forehand, it’s why he’s so hard to defend

 

[Regal]

He was routinely asked to carry lesser players to spread offense through his prime & early career. He was 29 when Marleau came to his line, 30 when Heatley came to town, 32 when Pavelski ended up on his wing, and 34 when Hertl arrived. Draisaitl has been playing with the Oilers' best since the day he started in the league and McDavid since age 21.

Draisaitl and McDavid on the same team is what it would have been like with Thornton and Jagr on the same team, or Thornton and Crosby, or Thornton and Lindros.

Draisaitl’s balance at 5v5 between McDavid and scrubs likely balances out to what he’d have with Thornton’s usual linemates. Thornton might have done better with an elite talent on his team due to PP time together, but I’d say the only seasons he didn’t have good linemate support were probably 07-08 and 08-09. ‘08 in particular, he probably beats Malkin in scoring if he has the support of some of this other seasons and might even have won a second Art Ross.

 

[PistolPete]

This is a strange assessment. You do realize that the players voted Draisaitl the best passer in the League in the 2022-23 Players poll.

NHLPA Player Poll 2022-23 | NHLPA.com

nhlpa.com

I think most Oiler fans would say that as a pure passer Draisaitl is on par with McDavid. Off the backhand he is absolutely sublime.

Then why is the OP even comparing tgr two? Thornton didn't score for shit.

 

[Fourier]

Then why is the OP even comparing tgr two? Thornton didn't score for shit.

You'll have to ask the OP. Draisaitl came into the League as a pass first, pass second, pass third kind of player. He actually reinvented his game to complement McDavid. I remember watching the two in warm-ups practicing one-timers from that extreme angle with McDavid feeding Leon and the net empty thinking this is something very interesting. Over the next few years it became a key to the pp. But it was not something he came to the team with in his tool chest. At least if he did he never showed it in his first two years nor do I remember anything like this from his junior days.

Leon is absolutely capable of playing center at the highest level. He has been one of the league's best faceoff guys for years now. Right now we are seeing how good he is defensively with him been asked to play a shutdown role vs the opposition's best players. He did a great job vs Eichel for example. But as his game has grown he remains a fantastic playmaker. It is more obvious when he centers his own line but even with McDavid where he focuses more on finishing he still makes great passes all the time.

Draisaitl's ability to reinvent his game to complement McDavid is something he does not get nearly enough credit for. In the comparison with Thornton, who I think was a fabulous player, I do wonder if he had had the opportunity to play with a McDavid, could he have done the same. My guess is no.

 

[PistolPete]

You'll have to ask the OP. Draisaitl came into the League as a pass first, pass second, pass third kind of player. He actually reinvented his game to complement McDavid. I remember watching the two in warm-ups practicing one-timers from that extreme angle with McDavid feeding Leon and the net empty thinking this is something very interesting. Over the next few years it became a key to the pp. But it was not something he came to the team with in his tool chest. At least if he did he never showed it in his first two years nor do I remember anything like this from his junior days.

Leon is absolutely capable of playing center at the highest level. He has been one of the league's best faceoff guys for years now. Right now we are seeing how good he is defensively with him been asked to play a shutdown role vs the opposition's best players. He did a great job vs Eichel for example. But as his game has grown he remains a fantastic playmaker. It is more obvious when he centers his own line but even with McDavid where he focuses more on finishing he still makes great passes all the time.

Draisaitl's ability to reinvent his game to complement McDavid is something he does not get nearly enough credit for. In the comparison with Thornton, who I think was a fabulous player, I do wonder if he had had the opportunity to play with a McDavid, could he have done the same. My guess is no.

Well.

I only remember ever seeing Draisaitl as the Kurri to McDavid's Gretzky.

Interesting tidbit, apparently Kurri was a great passer as well and equally capable of playing C but never had to because of Grerzky and Messier

 

[Jwads]

Draisaitl's ability to reinvent his game to complement McDavid is something he does not get nearly enough credit for. In the comparison with Thornton, who I think was a fabulous player, I do wonder if he had had the opportunity to play with a McDavid, could he have done the same. My guess is no.

Thornton drastically changed his game multiple times through his career