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You like Eichel, Matthews or Larkin

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You taking Eichel, Matthews or Larkin At Center

  • Eichel

  • Matthews

  • Larkin

Results are only viewable after voting.
Matthews
Eichel
















Larkin

And that’s not a slight to Larkin. He’s a very good player. He’s just clearly a tier or two below the other guys being discussed.
 
Voted for Eichel and Matthews because the poll didn't restrict voting to one player. Even if you consider Larkin a solid two way center, Eichel is just a far better version. Matthews has the argument as a bonafide goal scoring machine, but he's yet to take that next step in the playoffs. Yzerman was criticized for many years until Detroit finally took that next step, I wouldn't be surprised if Toronto eventually figures it out and Matthews would likely play an important role in that.

Best overall player I'd lean towards Eichel. Matthews could regain his title if he can lead Toronto deeper into the playoffs. It's tough to argue against Eichel's proven success.
 
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Ignatius said:
Eichel makes the biggest difference with the puck and Matthews without the puck. Larkin is a high-end 2C (1C if there are no better options) or an elite 3C on a stacked team like Team USA
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Nah. I gotta go with Eichel without the puck. Matthews is a good two-way player, but Eichel is a beast. His size and skating gives him a big advantage. Two-way play and transition play are both in favor of Eichel, but Matthew's is obviously way better of a goal scorer.
 
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centipede2233 said:
Eichel most points in a season is 82….he might be having a superstar season, but does that mean he is now a superstar when the previous 9 seasons yielded a best 82 pt season…
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That's a lot of emphasis on his career high point total while glossing over the fact that he's nearly PPG over his career and has been well over PPG in 4 different seasons now.
 
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HabsCode said:
Best 3 centers in US Hockey history? Either I didn’t understand the OP, or you forgot names like Modano or Roenick?
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Came here to say that while Larkin is not on Eichel's or Mathews' tier, he is not as far away as most people think.

But to your point, another name to mention who has been all but forgotten is Pat LaFontaine. Between the injuries and marginal teams he played on, he doesn't get his due.
 
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dirtydanglez said:
eichel. matthews fell off a cliff. he was suppose to be the next ovi.
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Nah. Odds are he was never going to be that good. Ovi in his prime was a piss missile out there. He impacted the game physically, with speed, and, obviously, with goal scoring. Matthews is a great player, but if people were expecting Ovi-level of dominance, then I think expectations were just too high.
 
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centipede2233 said:
Eichel most points in a season is 82….he might be having a superstar season, but does that mean he is now a superstar when the previous 9 seasons yielded a best 82 pt season…
Click to expand...
He's had several seasons pacing well over that number. The COVID shortened season he was a hart contender until the last 10 games of the season. He was pacing for 44 goals 94 points on a really weak Buffalo team in a lower scoring era before COVID ended the season for everyone.

Whenever he's been healthy, he's been an absolute beast despite relatively marginal linemates. Give him a Marner of Nylander on his wing and he'd be a consistent threat for 100-110+ points.
 
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Wild watching people say things like two way game put players over Matthews haha. Matthews was literally the Selke finalist last year...

Dubi Doo said:
Nah. Odds are he was never going to be that good. Ovi in his prime was a piss missile out there. He impacted the game physically, with speed, and, obviously, with goal scoring. Matthews is a great player, but if people were expecting Ovi-level of dominance, then I think expectations were just too high.
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And yet, Matthews played exactly that way for many years. Not this year, where he is clearly injured and has missed stretches of games now 3 times.
 
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Matthews goal scoring edge takes the cake.

Eichel is an improving player but look up his secondary assists to his total point scoring and his numbers are not as impressive as they seem.

He leads the NHL in secondary assists and ainec.
 
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FriendlyGhost92 said:
Yeah we took that one about as seriously as we took Marner's finalist run the year before. :sarcasm:
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I'm not really going to argue with people about it. It just shows a lot of people talk confidently but don't know the players. Matthews defensive ability has been known for 4 seasons now.
 
HockeyVirus said:
I'm not really going to argue with people about it. It just shows a lot of people talk confidently but don't know the players. Matthews defensive ability has been known for 4 seasons now.
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It's just crazy to me how one team can have two 100+ point players that also happen to supposedly be Top 3 defensive players in the league, and can still get bounced early. Every. Single. Year.
 
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Come playoff time there are very few guys I'd take over Eichel. Neither of these other 2 are one of them
 
FriendlyGhost92 said:
It's just crazy to me how one team can have two 100+ point players that also happen to supposedly be Top 3 defensive players in the league, and can still get bounced early. Every. Single. Year.
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And thus, why it is such a big story when it happens every year. Mentally they don't bring it in those big moments. Anyways, have a good one.
 
Right now to me it's clearly:
1. Eichel
2. Matthews

3. Larkin

I'm a Sens fan so can't say I'm hating on Larkin cause Matthews is also in the conversation. Larkin is a great player but in my opinion, isn't a Top 15 centre in the league, Eichel and Matthews are locks as Top 10, if not in the Top 5.
 
heretik27 said:
Best overall player I'd lean towards Eichel. Matthews could regain his title if he can lead Toronto deeper into the playoffs. It's tough to argue against Eichel's proven success.
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Proven success is a bit of an overstatement. He didn't have success until he joined an already successful team. It's similar to Durant joining Golden State in the NBA.

The team made the Finals before he got there, and then added not only him but a bonafide #1D in Pietrangelo (who had previously won a Cup) on top of the team that already made the finals.
 
One "down" year where he's clearly been playing hurt and all of the sudden people are putting Matthews in conversations he's 100% above ...

All three are great players. They're also pretty clearly in different tiers
 
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f***, I hate to say this but it's Matthews pretty easily. I hate him because he is a leaf, which is why he is criminally under rated. Guy scored 69 goals and plays a great 2 way game.

Also, why is Larkin on this list? If you need a third just use Jack Hughes. JT Miller is also better.
 
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