Ovechkin vs Laine comparison.

[Rabid Ranger]

Laine has an amazing shot and shooting instincts. He also has some pretty slick hands that he mostly uses to put himself into better shooting position. But to me that's where it ends for him. His decision making isn't the greatest, his play making ability has shown zero potential of ever reaching high end, he doesn't play with much intensity. I'm sure he will score a lot of goals in his career but I doubt he ever puts up top of the league point totals.

I say this and I really like Laine and Jets are my favorite outside of my home team. He is a great player, just not up there with guys like Ovie. He is very raw still but I feel some of his weaknesses aren't typically areas players usually make drastic improvements. I have been wrong about him before though, I really thought he would struggle transitioning to the NHL. Just didn't think some of his **** would fly in the big league. You really couldn't ask for more than his done in his first two seasons though.

What **** is that? Laine is a top tier goal scorer with one of the very best shots on the league. He's performing as expected IMO.

 

[Psych0dad]

Laine is not really even close to Ovechkin at a similar age. More comparable to Steve Stamkos.

Alex was exponentially more dynamic and complete a player. Didn't play on loaded teams like Stamkos and Laine so he really had to drive all the offense he got.

No he had like double or more PP time and over 20 minutes of usage in his rookie year.

Laine is way more efficient with his time and shots.

 

[shtorm2005]

No he had like double or more PP time and over 20 minutes of usage in his rookie year.

Laine is way more efficient with his time and shots.

You want to say Winnipeg has a player who's better than greatest goalscorer of the league?

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

1. Laine isnt nearly as fast as a young Ovechkin
2. Laine isnt nearly as physical as Ovechkin who can lay hits like the best of them
3. Laine has never had to carry a team, wheras Ovi was THE GUY on the capitals, and for a long time the only star player, he carried the team. Laine meanwhile is sheltered behind Scheifele and Wheeler.

 

[Plural]

I'll be pleasantly surprised if Laine comes close to matching OV's rookie season next season. Ovechkin scored 106 points on a team with 2nd highest scorer being Zubruis with 59 points. I give it approximately 0 chance Laine beats that.

 

[Varan]

this needs to stop quick, fast, and in a hurry. these two are are about as far away in player similarity as it can be. one is a pure goal-scorer. the other was a machine when he was young. one has the benefit of playing behind stars where the other was handed Zubrus. you can bring up PP totals, but does all of those extra PP totals close the gap in points between the two during their rookie seasons (106 - 64)? HELL NO.

one has had the luxury of having 2 full seasons of NHL experience before the other set foot in the NHL, and people are actually trying to use this against OV, acting like it was his fault that Laine was better as an 18-19 year old. I wonder why.

people can make the case that Laine is more efficient than OV. well when you are being sheltered, not playing against the top D-pairings, it can be easier to get a good scoring chance, especially with his shot.

Take Wheeler and Scheifele away, put average first liners with Laine on the top line, he would get completely exposed. don't bring me efficiency when one player is not playing against the best players on the opposing team, whereas the other was completing dominating the best players

 

[Master P]

Its not close imo. Ovi is just on another level and is just a different player. Since Laine is still young here are their goals from both their rookie seasons.

 

[Mr Positive]

at Laine's age, Ovechkin was a monster. He was perhaps the best player ever. I watched him in awe. No player that big and physical should have been able to move that fast, and the fact that he had the best hands in the league was just unfair. He was like Peter Forsberg x2. Over the years, he retained his very high skill level, but lost a step in his skating. He might be 1/3 as effective, but still good enough to be elite, and to win playoff MVP. Laine is roughly equal to what Ovechkin is now

 

[Kuhta]

Laine´s shot is on another level to Ovechkin.

Laine 103mph as a 18 year old.

Has Ovechkin ever even reached 100 mph?

Laine more goals per 60 mins.

Laine also with the higher shoot % in his career.

 

[Varan]

Its not close imo. Ovi is just on another level and is just a different player. Since Laine is still young here are their goals from both their rookie seasons.

Ovechkin's shot at 8:31 is just......

 

[Alf the dwarf]

no matter how you try and twist it or handicap Ovechkin he is easily better than Laine at any point. Easily

I think Ovechkin is absolutely fantastic player.

 

[Alf the dwarf]

You want to say Winnipeg has a player who's better than greatest goalscorer of the league?

That might be the case, as goal scorer.

 

[93LEAFS]

Ovi's first year he led his team in points by 59 points, the next highest on his team had 57. It will be hard for Laine to do something more impressive than that this season. Can anyone find the last time their was a gap that big? Maybe Jagr in the 90's, or Gretzky over the league in the 80's.

 

[zeke]

I think the best case scenario for Laine is Brett Hull.

He's really nothing like Ovy was.

 

[Alf the dwarf]

I think the best case scenario for Laine is Brett Hull.

He's really nothing like Ovy was.

Yeah surely more similiar.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I think the best case scenario for Laine is Brett Hull.

He's really nothing like Ovy was.

Mario Lemieux maybe.

 

[Sky04]

Does Laine get the benefit of like 7+ minutes of PP time per game too? The year Crosby and Ovy came into the league the average PP's per game was the highest in league history recorded back to 1963 or something. In fact, the Caps had 490 powerplay opportunities that season compared to the 274 the Jets just had in 2017-18 (tied for 3rd most in the league). If all we're comparing is points, and Laine gets those kind of opportunities he could easily hit 50 goals next season (he had 20 PPG last year for reference). If we're comparing the actual player, then no, it's not likely Laine magically rounds out his flaws and dominates everyone in the league next year.

What does PP opportunity matter? I used his scoring placement not his raw total because obviously someone would try to be a smartass about the 05-06 season, I didn't say Laine had to match 106 points, Ovechkin finished 3rd overall in the points race which was the equivalent of 100 points last season as a rookie.

Laine with 2 years experience on him in this league likely doesn't even sniff that.

 

[Sky04]

No he had like double or more PP time and over 20 minutes of usage in his rookie year.

Laine is way more efficient with his time and shots.

Because Ovechkin was the driving force of an entire offense, Laine sits on the 3rd with the luxury having time to pick shots because the other 2 lines are doing the work.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Mario Lemieux maybe.

Did you just say Mario Lemieux is the best comparable for Laine? Lemieux was an otherwordly magician with the puck. Laine is a shooter who doesn't have near the playmaking or creativity Lemieux had. The only thing even remotely similar is they both have elite shots.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Because Ovechkin was the driving force of an entire offense, Laine sits on the 3rd with the luxury having time to pick shots because the other 2 lines are doing the work.

These posts are just about as constructive as the "Laineux" posts

 

[Esko6]

Kinda hard for Laine to win a comparison with the greatest goal scorer not named Gretzky. He might have an equal or better shot, but that is it.

 

[Daximus]

This comparison is a tough one. Ovi was 20 years old entering the NHL with some of the best skating in the league. Laine is a bad skater but he has one thing Ovi didn't hone until later on. That one timer. Ovi had to work his ass off for his goals until he figured out that one timer. Then he realized he could just getter done on the PP.
Laine has that one timer on lock. Now he just needs to figure out how to score more 5v5.

 

[Keduzin]

Just go with the facts, both sides ... Laine is currently ahead of Ovechkin in the NHL at his age, there is no doubt about that and Ovi did not even get the chance because of the lock out. But the real comparison will start from this season when Laine is at the same age as when Ovi was when he entered the league and was a beast. I do not believe Laine will be able to be as good this season as Ovi was during his 20y NHL season. But that we don’t know yet, Laine won’t be physically at the same level Ovi was as a 20 year old until maybe 2020-2021, if even then.
Laine might break all Ovechkins records or he might not. That remains to be seen. Both are the best scorers this league has had or will have and they should be getting respect instead of bashing.

My wild guess is that Laine won’t achieve Ovies 20y numbers next season but he is the one who will be concidered the best scorer in the game from this season forward.

 

[grieves]

Just go with the facts, both sides ... Laine is currently ahead of Ovechkin in the NHL at his age, there is no doubt about that and Ovi did not even get the chance because of the lock out. But the real comparison will start from this season when Laine is at the same age as when Ovi was when he entered the league and was a beast. I do not believe Laine will be able to be as good this season as Ovi was during his 20y NHL season. But that we don’t know yet, Laine won’t be physically at the same level Ovi was as a 20 year old until maybe 2020-2021, if even then.
Laine might break all Ovechkins records or he might not. That remains to be seen. Both are the best scorers this league has had or will have and they should be getting respect instead of bashing.

My wild guess is that Laine won’t achieve Ovies 20y numbers next season but he is the one who will be concidered the best scorer in the game from this season forward.

Exactly. People act like the race is finished somehow, but we are just pointing out that Laine is beating Ovi at the first two check points.

People develop at different paces anyway so the age comparison is not accurate. It's just the most accurate way we have to compare different players. In other words, there is no other serious way to do this. Unless we just revert to verbal commentary about how Ovi was so great and Laine is a ****-bag. I think that's a stupid idea so I'm gonna go with age.

 

[Psych0dad]

You want to say Winnipeg has a player who's better than greatest goalscorer of the league?

Yes that's what I have been saying for years and so far accurate. Let's see how they compare at 20. Should be good!