Are you seriously going to do the stat thing? Bozak's 2 prior seasons where he played a full season were 49 and 47 points. he had a 59 game season that he had 49 points. He had 35 points in 57 games, which was a 50 point pace. That isn't statistically significant. Marner had 2 goals and 21 points in 35 games with them.
The Leafs dropped to 19th from the top 10 in PK. They were top 5 before they put Marner on it last year full time.
Kadri had 32 goals and 61 points with Komarov and Brown, and they 32 goals and 55 points with Marner and Marleau. It could definitely be argued that Kadri had as much or more impact on their point totals after being put on that line. Why is is Marner who gets the credit, for that? Marner was brutal with Bozak and JVR, who ended up being better with Connor Brown.
So please point out to me the Tavares level players that Giroux and Kane played with??
I love Marner. But he is being given credit for things he shouldn't be. That's an issue.
Bozak and JVR here were regarded as the support players. During their time with 16 marner was the one everyone was pointing as who drove the line. Jvr was the finisher, and bozak the in between guy who could complete chances and set up looks. Marner was the player who generated the scoring chances, he was the one with the task of zone entries and finding the crafty passes to jvr/bozak. Its revisionist history to suggest that those two were the main guys on the line when for nearly 1 and a half years everyone was pointing that marner was the driver of that line.
Tavares played with Okopso who was a 65 point skilled player before concussions got to him.
He played with Josh bailey who was a 70 point player last year when JT got 86 points.
JT was used differently as an islander. His production at 5v5 wasnt as great and he was the player who had the pp run through him(thus he got more points off the pp). At 5v5 no one would deny that JT was tasked with driving the offense on that line. Go through an JT high light package(not the best way but you can see the types of plays that were being made when he was in the offensive zone). He would be digging for the puck along the boards and coming away with the puck before looking to find his wingers. He was the primary source of offense generation.
This year marner took the role of being the offensive catlyst for that line. JT still had his moments where he took things over. However the play usually started on 16s stick and ended in the back off the net off of 91s. It was actually odd to watch the series against the Bruins as JT tried to be more assertive and generate self offense passing off touches to marner which lead to offensive confusion for that line. I'm not trying to say marner is the only reason JT had the year that he did. Or that without marner that line wod fail. However the make up off that line is such that marner is going to he utilized as the source of offense generation initially and JT cleaning up pucks long the boards and the front of the net. If you reverse roles both marner and JT would see hits to their totals as JT's slow skating style is easier to defender for better mobile defensive teams and marners lower goal scoring potential would result in fewer chances created by 91 being capitalized. Both of them benefited equally from playing with eachother and both are elite players. Marner from my viewing of the 82 games was better and will be better moving forward. I dont really care if people think JT is better. Both are leaf players and are stars. As long as 16 signs a fair deal I will cheer him as my favourite player. If he tries to penny pinch every dollar out of the leafs and gives no damns about loyalty to the organization than I hope Dubas treats him like any other asset.
