Top Forward Groups in the league #2

[Mitch nylander]

1. Tampa | Ranking Forward Groups across the league.

Palat - Stamkos - Kucherov
Gourde- Point - Johnson
Killorn - Cirelli - Joseph
Martel - Paquette - Erne
Conacher/Volkov


--------------------

On the Docket

Boston

Marchand - Bergeron - Pastrnak
Debrusk - Krejci - Kuhlman
Heinen - Coyle - Backes
Wagner - Kuraly - Ritchie
Nordstrom/Lindholm

Calgary

Gaudreau - Monahan - Lindholm
Tkachuk - Backlund - Frolik
Bennett - Jankowski - Dube
Mangiapane - Ryan - Neal
Czarnik/Quine/Lomberg

Colorado

Landeskog - Mackinnon - Rantanen
Donskoi - Kadri - Burakovsky
Compher - Jost - Wilson
Calvert - Bellemare - Nieto
Greer/Kamenev


Dallas
Benn - Seguin - Radulov
Dickinson - Hintz - Pavelski
Janmark- Faksa - Perry
Cogliano - Dowling- Comeau
Hanzal/Gurianov/ Kiviranta

Florida

Huberdeau - Barkov - Dadonov
Hoffman - Trocheck - Tippett
Vatrano - Borgstrom - Connolly
Sceviour - Acciari - Malgin
Greco/Toninato/Hawryluk


Philadelphia

Giroux - Couturier - Konecny
JVR - Hayes - Voracek
Lindblom - Patrick - Frost
Raffl - Laughton - Pitlick
Vorobyev/Kase

Pittsburgh
Guentzel - Crosby - Hornqvist
Galchenyuk - Malkin - Kahun
Bjugstad - Mccann - Rust
Simon - Blueger - Tanev
Lafferty/ZAR/Johnson

ST Louis

Schwartz- Schenn- Tarasenko
Blais - O'reilly - Perron
Fabbri - Bozak -Thomas
Steen - Barbashev - Sundqvist
Kyrou/Sanford/Nolan

Toronto

Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Kapanen
Moore - Spezza - Shore
Gauthier/Agostino/Petan

Vegas

Pacioretty - Stastny -Stone
Marchessault - Karlsson - Smith
Gusev- Glass - Tuch
Carrier - Eakin - Reaves
Nosek/Pirri/Mackenzie/Zykov

Washington

Ovechkin - Kuznetsov - Wilson
Vrana - Backstrom -Oshie
Hagelin - Eller - Panik
Stephenson - Dowd - Hathaway
Leipsic/Boyd/Gersich

Winnipeg

Connor - Scheifele - Wheeler
Ehlers - Little - Laine
Perreault - Roslovic - Vesalainen
Copp - Lowry - Appleton
Griffith/Shaw/Lipon

Who should be added next.

My vote goes to Toronto, I vote Nashville to be added.

Click to read more...

 

[leafsfan5]

Toronto takes this one

 

[snipes]

Colorado then Toronto

 

[Outl4w]

1. Tampa | Ranking Forward Groups across the league.

Palat - Stamkos - Kucherov
Gourde- Point - Johnson
Killorn - Cirelli - Joseph
Martel - Paquette - Erne
Conacher/Volkov
Is this playoffs or regular season?

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Colorado then Toronto

I don't even think more Avs fans would take their forwards over Toronto.

 

[snipes]

I don't even think more Avs fans would take their forwards over Toronto.

It’s close for me, I’m good with either the Leafs or Avs at number 2.

For me, MacKinnon is what pushes Colorado over the top. But I do like the Leafs depth with Kerfoot, Kapanen, and Johnsson.

Like I said it’s close but I think MacKinnon is the one the one that pushes them over the top. It’s close enough that I could be swayed with a good argument though.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

It’s close for me, I’m good with either the Leafs or Avs at number 2.

For me, MacKinnon is what pushes Colorado over the top. But I do like the Leafs depth with Kerfoot, Kapanen, and Johnsson.

Like I said it’s close but I think MacKinnon is the one the one that pushes them over the top. It’s close enough that I could be swayed with a good argument though.

I honestly don't think they're that close. 30 point Burakovsky and 35-40 point Donskoi on their 2nd line. Depth gets even worse after that. Kadri has to go from playing with 30 points Brown to 30 points Burakovsky. Kadri was a very big pickup looking at their lineup.

 

[snipes]

I honestly don't think they're that close. 30 point Burakovsky and 35-40 point Donskoi on their 2nd line. Depth gets even worse after that. Kadri has to go from playing with 30 points Brown to 30 points Burakovsky. Kadri was a very big pickup looking at their lineup.

Yeah, maybe.

Both have their own “big 3” with MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landy vs. Matthews, Marner, and Tavares. MacKinnon is the best of the group but the Leafs big 3 overall are probably better collectively.

If they Leafs still had Kadri they’d be my number 2. Like I said it’s super close and those two clearly round out the top 3.

It’s so close, I could see reasonable people having the Leafs ahead as well. There’s definitely no AINEC here.

 

[Taak19]

Toronto then Colorado.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Yeah, maybe.

Both have their own “big 3” with MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landy vs. Matthews, Marner, and Tavares. MacKinnon is the best of the group but the Leafs big 3 overall are probably better collectively.

If they Leafs still had Kadri they’d be my number 2. Like I said it’s super close and those two clearly round out the top 3.

It’s so close, I could see reasonable people having the Leafs ahead as well. There’s definitely no AINEC here.

But then you look at the next 3 - Nylander, Kapanen, Johnsson vs. Kadri, Donskoi, Burakovsky and it's easily the Leafs. You can do this again, and it's the Leafs. We don't even have room for someone like Bracco who was 2nd in AHL scoring as a 22 year old. I don't see any arguments for Colorado except MacKinnon being the best of either teams. Tampa and Toronto are fairly easily 1 and 2.

 

[Kamiccolo]

It’s close for me, I’m good with either the Leafs or Avs at number 2.

For me, MacKinnon is what pushes Colorado over the top. But I do like the Leafs depth with Kerfoot, Kapanen, and Johnsson.

Like I said it’s close but I think MacKinnon is the one the one that pushes them over the top. It’s close enough that I could be swayed with a good argument though.

MacKinnon went from under rated to over rated. He didn't have a breakout season until he was 23. Before that he was talked about as a disappointing 1st OA. Matthews turns 23 next season. And if we assume Rantanen = Marner, Avs still have no answer for Tavares or Nylander up front, nevermind Kapenen and Johnsson.

 

[Merrrlin]

Dallas might sneak it's way into the top 3 convo with Tampa, Winnipeg and Toronto/Colorado. Nashville is a lot more interesting with Duchene too.

 

[snipes]

MacKinnon went from under rated to over rated. He didn't have a breakout season until he was 23. Before that he was talked about as a disappointing 1st OA. Matthews turns 23 next season. And if we assume Rantanen = Marner, Avs still have no answer for Tavares or Nylander up front, nevermind Kapenen and Johnsson.

We don’t normally agree but thinking about it, Nylander (assuming he’s the old Nylander not the one last year off a holdout) could be a huge difference maker.

MacKinnon
Marner
Matthews
Tavares
Rantanen
Landeskog
Nylander

4 of the top 7 for the Leafs and probably a bit deeper for the remainder of forwards on my list.

I guess it comes down to, is the gap between MacKinnon over Matthews and Marner enough to offset the remainder of the forwards? Kadri helps the Avs, but the Leafs remaining forwards are deeper.

It’s a good debate for sure.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

I love Colorado, but their forward group is being overrated. They have 4 bonafide top-6 forwards and one of them played 3rd line minutes and failed to crush the competition.

 

[Kamiccolo]

We don’t normally agree but thinking about it, Nylander (assuming he’s the old Nylander not the one last year off a holdout) could be a huge difference maker.

MacKinnon
Marner
Matthews
Tavares
Rantanen
Landeskog
Nylander

4 of the top 7 for the Leafs and probably a bit deeper for the remainder of forwards on my list.

I guess it comes down to, is the gap between MacKinnon over Matthews and Marner enough to offset the remainder of the forwards? Kadri helps the Avs, but the Leafs remaining forwards are deeper.

It’s a good debate for sure.

Eh, MacKinnon didn't break out until he got Rantanen on his wing. If Marner and Matthews played together you'd see them both being the same caliber of forwards, except Matthews would have more goals (likely approaching 60).

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Eh, MacKinnon didn't break out until he got Rantanen on his wing. If Marner and Matthews played together you'd see them both being the same caliber of forwards, except Matthews would have more goals (likely approaching 60).

You think Matthews reach (or approaches) 60 with Marner? Sounds a bit like the wishful thinking of those select Jets fans who figured Laine would be a lock to hit 60 by now.

 

[Kamiccolo]

You think Matthews reach (or approaches) 60 with Marner? Sounds a bit like the wishful thinking of those select Jets fans who figured Laine would be a lock to hit 60 by now.

Matthews goal scoring is at a generational rate. Very confident he hits 60 in his career assuming he overcomes his injuries.

 

[Machinehead]

Docket

That's a funny word.

 

[Spilot23]

Eh, MacKinnon didn't break out until he got Rantanen on his wing. If Marner and Matthews played together you'd see them both being the same caliber of forwards, except Matthews would have more goals (likely approaching 60).

That is some crazy hot takes here. Chemistry is something. I remember when I thought Mackinnon-Duchene-Landeskog would be the best trio out there but man they were terrible together they had no chemistry at all. You can't just assume that people will get crazy numbers because they're glued with better players.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Every time I hone in on a roster I see weaknesses. No overly elite teams aside from Tampa really puts it into perspective.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

That is some crazy hot takes here. Chemistry is something. I remember when I thought Mackinnon-Duchene-Landeskog would be the best trio out there but man they were terrible together they had no chemistry at all. You can't just assume that people will get crazy numbers because they're glued with better players.

Yeah, this is what I see as well. Matthews and Marner are lousy together in the sample of minutes they've played. Not a massive sample, but enough to make me think it's not a slam dunk

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Matthews goal scoring is at a generational rate. Very confident he hits 60 in his career assuming he overcomes his injuries.

Is it out of the question? No. But you seem to be sure a guy who has never paced for more than around 45 goals in a season and never scored more than an actual 40 goals will be a lock to hit 60 at some point. He'd literally have to beat his current career high by 20 goals.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Yeah, this is what I see as well. Matthews and Marner are lousy together in the sample of minutes they've played. Not a massive sample, but enough to make me think it's not a slam dunk

Matthews and Marner have only been put together when either one is on a massive slump or returning from injury and not 100%. They usually don’t even last a full game together because Babcock has already decided on the napkins by his campfire in Saskatchewan that they will not succeed/play together. It takes time to adjust to linemates, and they are never given a real chance.

 

[Taak19]

MacKinnon went from under rated to over rated. He didn't have a breakout season until he was 23. Before that he was talked about as a disappointing 1st OA. Matthews turns 23 next season. And if we assume Rantanen = Marner, Avs still have no answer for Tavares or Nylander up front, nevermind Kapenen and Johnsson.

MacKinnon is 23 and Matthews is 21..

 

[Kamiccolo]

MacKinnon is 23 and Matthews is 21..

...Semantics. They both age up before the season starts. MacK was turning 23 the year he broke out, and will be turning 24 (22-24) this season.