So Heatley is a "top goalscorer" because one season, he got the 6th most goals - the 110th highest goal total this century.
But Marner is not a "top playmaker" despite one season, getting the 3rd most primary assists - the 10th highest primary assist total this century?
And thus, because you just randomly decided against all evidence that goals are uniquely special, it is impossible to compare Marner to the player who is closest to him in P/GP and has a really comparable contract that breaks down your whole argument? Wow, how convenient for you! Oh, we can't look at any of those other players that hurt your argument either? Because... you randomly decided so? Convenient again! Oh, we can only look at specifically Rantanen? That seems kind of odd, but at least we can dig deep and really analyze them and surrounding context to understand their quality and value, right? Oh, we're only allowed to look at the specific stat that you say we can? Hmm...
Sounds a bit like you're starting to realize how easily the house of cards you're selling falls apart.
But at least you're consistent, right? Only real stats! Real stats only! Never ever account for the impact of any opportunity discrepancies! Never!
Oh, what's that? #4 on your list? "Clearly pro rating counts".
Ah, clearly! Clearly! Clearly we should account for differences in opportunity differences outside of a player's control, right?
If McDavid doesn't have an opportunity to play those games, his raw point total isn't going to properly represent his impact when he's there, compared to those who get to play 82.
That's important because the correlation because games and raw production is really high. So clearly, if there were a different player - let's call them Marner - that had a opportunity discrepancy outside of his control, that also had an insanely high correlation with raw production, then clearly we should account for it, right? To be consistent.
You can't dismiss one and use the other. They're the same thing.
You didn't give a direct comparable. You gave a lesser comparable, and are now trying to argue that we should ignore all critical information and pretend that the frequentness of a team's special teams time somehow makes him equal, not how they actually perform. Marner started putting up more points during his second season when he stopped being jerked around, and put up one of the best pre-signing seasons in post-ELC history when he started being treated like the star he'd always been, and put in situations more similar to his peers. That doesn't help your argument. And it's pretty ridiculous that you're attempting to put Marner down for his linemates in one season, when he drove and was the best player on every line he was on, while the likes of Rantanen always played second fiddle and fed off superior players throughout their entire ELC.
Marner was one of the best young players of this century. He absolutely earned what he got. It was consistent with the history of post-ELC contracts, and he continues to earn it.
