I wasn't listing players that played together. I was listing examples of the second tier forwards we've had during that time. The group of second tier forwards this year doesn't really surpass any of those individual years unless we see meaningful advancement in our youth. And Reaves pretty much single-handedly sinks our third tier.
Even with injuries, Muzzin's impact in 2021-2022 was in a whole other universe from Benoit. But I don't know why you're talking about injuries in the first place. It's not really apples to apples to assume perfect health this year, and then compare it against hindsight injury impacts. For all we know, Tanev is going to get a career-ending injury in the first game.
It might end up better than those years, because goaltending is very unpredictable, but our approach and choices themselves aren't any better heading into the season.
Depends what's being looked at. 2021-2022 was our best record, but all three years probably surpass our team quality this year, barring unexpected surprises.
My initial comment to you was that I didn't agree with your "nowhere close" response to someone saying this upcoming season is the best team of the Matthews era. I don't see how anyone can say "nowhere close".
I could totally accept that maybe we have had a better team in one or more of the years but it's close...and certainly not "nowhere close"
I asked with team was better and you gave me a three year window and when I tried to respond to that less than precise answer by assembling an all-star team of players across those three years as a comparison to what we have this single year.
If you take the 2020-2021 team as the best and I probably would pick that one then I think we can see they are close and cases could be made for either team being the stronger one.
Both teams have the core four. I would argue that Matthews, Nylander and Marner are better than they were four years ago and that Tavares is less of a player. The rest of the forwards on that team (in order of TOI) were Hyman (the 20 goals version, not the 50+ goal version), Kerfoot, Mikheyev, Thornton, Spezza, Engvall (12 points in 42 game version), Simmonds, Galchenyuk, Vesey, and Boyd. My quick compare would be:
Hyman over Knies (not by much)
Kerfoot behind Domi
Mikheyev equal to Jarnkrok
Thornton equal to McMann
Spezza equal to Kampf
Engvall equal to Holmberg
Simmonds equal to Reaves (whatever)
Galchenyuk behind Robertson
Vesey behind Lorentz
Boyd behind Cowan
I didn't spend a lot of time on this but I think however you slice it these teams are close in forward depth and I would argue better constructed as a team now not trying to fit Thornton, Spezza, Simmonds and Vesey in every night.
As for D (in order of TOI)
Reilly equal to Reilly
Brodie equal to Tanev
Holl behind OEL
Muzzin ahead of McCabe
Dermott behind Benoit
Bogosian equal to Hakanpaa
Sandin equal to Liljegren
That feels pretty close too. In goal Andersen was not good and Campbell took the starting job. Along with Hutcheson and Rittich they put up a .908 save percentage (when league averages were higher). I would put money on Woll, Stolarz, Murray and Hildeby doing better than that this year.
So, my quick analysis is that F are a wash, perhaps better due to construction of the lines, D could arguably be better this year, and G should be better.
I might be wrong and I welcome the discussion but it's close and that's really my point.
