Thomas Vanek vs Patrik Laine

[SHANNYPLAN]

Who will go down as the better player (peak & career)?

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[Albatros]

One can debate about the absolute peak season, but other than that Laine should be able to have both.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Vanek all day

 

[biturbo19]

Vanek was such a flake, but he was an elite scorer of goals. He did it over a prolonged period too.

Laine is a very different sort of goal-scorer and player than Vanek though. Laine when he's healthy and dialed in, can be a difference-maker. And actual impact player. Vanek was always more...just there. Compiling goals.

 

[ijuka]

Let's just say that if Vanek's career is better than Laine's after Laine is done, then Laine's career will have been quite disappointing, even looking from this moment onwards.

 

[Coffee]

Thomas “v-neck” Vanek

 

[Leafshater67]

Laine has a way higher peak and potential but he hasn’t reached it. Laine has the talent to be a bonafide superstar in this league while Vanek was a first line scorer at his best and somewhat of an inconsistent player.

You could say the same about Laine but he’s too young to write off yet. I think he’s massively underrated on here now tbh.

 

[zenthusiast]

I’d argue that Vanek’s highest level of performance was probably in the 09-10 playoffs before he had his leg cut in half by Boychuk. It’s far from his statistical best year but that’s the most presence I recall him ever having as a Sabre

 

[Lambo]

Unfortunately, Laine is injured too often. Without injury he would clearly be superior to Vanek.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Laine and Vanek have almost identical paces through their age 26 seasons:

-Vanek: 172 goals and 313 points in 389 games, pace of 36 goals and 66 points per 82 games
-Laine: 204 goals and 388 points in 480 games, pace of 35 goals and 66 points per 82 games

I think career has to go to Vanek since he played well into his mid 30s while Laine seems to be a question mark going forward. Vanek maintained that same 35 goal, 65 point level through his age 30 season while also staying very healthy. Laine would need to bounce back to his old form and play another 3-4 seasons at that level and another 3-4 seasons at a solid 50 point level for him to match Vanek's career.

For peak, I think the two had such indistinguishable production that you can't go wrong either way. I think Vanek's 2006-2007 (43 goals and 84 points) was the best season, but Laine could have matched that in both 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 had COVID not existed and he stayed healthy.

 

[dirtydanglez]

vanek for both