You like Eichel, Matthews or Larkin

[kevsh]

he was suppose to be the next ovi.

I don't know about the "next Ovi", but he's doing okay.

 

[Leafs87]

Matthew’s is going through a period where he’s playing his worst hockey. I know injury at a point no longer are reasonable excuses and soon become part of your legacy but I feel like his recent stretch is heavily impacting this thread. Eichel vs Matthews is close but this thread would indicate Eichel is the clearly better player

 

[dirtydanglez]

I don't know about the "next Ovi", but he's doing okay.

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on pace for only 40 goals in his prime years. definitely feels like a set back likely due to a nagging injury.

 

[kevsh]

I don't know about the "next Ovi", but he's doing okay.

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As for those picking Eichel, I get the part about he's been better in the playoffs but that's it.

In every other statistical metric (including those that include salary as part of the comparison) Matthews beats him easily, unless you think Jack's +47 assists are worth more than Auston's +158 goals.

 

[Canovin]

I would take Eichel on the Oilers even tho he has the most punchable face.

Proven winner, 2-way game. A good mix of goal scorer and playmaker.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

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.

Random coincidence that Lafontaine and Larkin both grew up in Waterford, MI.

 

[Ignatius]

Honest question: why was Matthews named Captain of Team USA?

 

[koyvoo]

Honest question: why was Matthews named Captain of Team USA?

Because he’s their most competitive player and has the longest and most consistent history of elevating his production and effort level in big games, that’s why.

Nine out of ten playoff games he’s played you could easily point to him at the end of the game and say “he was the best player on the ice and competed harder than anyone else” regardless of opponent. The guy is a complete warrior with an unmatched will to win, and you ask this question?

 

[heretik27]

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.

He left a dumpster fire in Buffalo and won a cup as a key contributor. Sam Reinhart also broke out after leaving that poorly managed franchise. I don't think it's a coincidence that some of the players leaving Buffalo found success elsewhere under better managed teams. Toronto has had its share of management issues, but it still has had a considerable amount of talent and success in the regular season. You'd be hard pressed to find many teams capable of fitting Matthews cap onto the roster with a realistic roster move or two that gives him any marked advantage of winning a cup over staying in Toronto.

My opinion is that it's more a matter of time before Toronto figures it out with a lot of the old eastern juggernauts starting to age out of contention. You're right in that he likely unjustly assumes a lot of the blame for the teams lack of success, but that always gets heaped onto franchise stars. McDavid had an unbelievable run last post season coming within one game of winning the cup, but because they didn't win game 7 people still cast shade in his direction.

 

[AvroArrow]

Eichel easy

Matthews scores during the regular season, but can't find that other gear in the playoffs. Maybe one day he will, but Eichel steps up in the playoffs.

Eichel couldn't even make 10th overall in the East his entire career in Buffalo, he got traded to an absolutely stacked Vegas team that was already in the Cup Final. Where he did perform very well, not taking anything away from that, but we've seen him get dummied when he has to be "The guy" on his team.

If he was still on Buffalo, what is the narrative about Eichel ? Team success does not make an individual player better than another. I think Eichel is a stud but you could've replaced him with just about any other 1C and Vegas still wins the cup.

Everyone can perform on an insanely stacked team.

Give me this generations best goal scorer who plays elite defensively while scoring 60+ goals, damn near hit 70.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Eichel couldn't even make 10th overall in the East his entire career in Buffalo, he got traded to an absolutely stacked Vegas team that was already in the Cup Final. Where he did perform very well, not taking anything away from that, but we've seen him get dummied when he has to be "The guy" on his team.

He is "the guy" on his team, and was "the guy" on his team when they won the cup.

If he was still on Buffalo, what is the narrative about Eichel ? Team success does not make an individual player better than another. I think Eichel is a stud but you could've replaced him with just about any other 1C and Vegas still wins the cup.

This is absolutely false. Did you not watch their cup run? Eichel was a force of nature.

Everyone can perform on an insanely stacked team.

You say that, but the Leafs have been stacked for years and yet they've gotten out of the first round once

 

[authentic]

This is clearly Eichel. He's just an absolute beast in tight checking hockey.

Agreed, he really should have won the Conn Smythe.

Do you think Eichel is better than a healthy Matthews? Because there’s no doubt that Eichel is much superior in an injury plagued season like this one for Matthews, but I find it hard to believe Eichel is better than 69 goal Matthews who is also great defensively, and contrary to popular belief has had some great playoff series despite his team not advancing. Infact most of his poor ones are when his health is clearly nowhere close to 100%.

eichel. matthews fell off a cliff. he was suppose to be the next ovi.

lol. He just scored 69 goals and was ahead of Ovi for goals scored after the same number of games. He’s having another injury plagued season, he didn’t fall off a cliff. Check out how many goals Ovechkin scored in his 26 and 27 year old seasons.

 

[authentic]

He is "the guy" on his team, and was "the guy" on his team when they won the cup.

This is absolutely false. Did you not watch their cup run? Eichel was a force of nature.

You say that, but the Leafs have been stacked for years and yet they've gotten out of the first round once

To be fair that’s mostly due to a horrible mismatch in goaltending every single series except the one Vasi shit the bed. All Vezina winners vs. the crap the Leafs have had until this season.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Do you think Eichel is better than a healthy Matthews? Because there’s no doubt that Eichel is much superior in an injury plagued season like this one for Matthews, but I find it hard to believe Eichel is better than 69 goal Matthews who is also great defensively, and contrary to popular belief has had some great playoff series despite his team not advancing. Infact most of his poor ones are when his health is clearly nowhere close to 100%.

I take a healthy Eichel over a healthy Matthews all things being equal, but it really depends on what you need. It's pretty much a coin flip.

Eichel's much more of a conductor and creates a lot of offense with his zone carries, even if it doesn't result in him getting a point. I highly value a player's ability to carry it out of danger and into the offensive zone.

Matthews is a generational goal scorer and excellent defensively to boot, you really can't go wrong.

They make an awesome 1-2 punch.

To be fair that’s mostly due to a horrible mismatch in goaltending every single series except the one Vasi shit the bed. All Vezina winners vs. the crap the Leafs have had until this season.

True, but guys like Marner have definitely struggled despite being on a stacked team. It's not some automatic thing that a player can join a good team and succeed.

 

[AvroArrow]

He is "the guy" on his team, and was "the guy" on his team when they won the cup.

This is absolutely false. Did you not watch their cup run? Eichel was a force of nature.

You say that, but the Leafs have been stacked for years and yet they've gotten out of the first round once

He wasn't "The guy" on the team, he went to a team of established winners and stars. That team featured Stone, Pietroangelo, Theodore, and Marchessault was phenomenal. IMO Eichel was the runner up for the Smythe, but no it wasn't his team. Buffalo was his team.

Leafs have been good, not even close to stacked lol. The defensive personel has been below average, our best defender for years was Rielly. We've never had reliable goaltending until now.

Leafs also played some of the most difficult matchups, a lot harder to win a series against those Bergeron Boston teams, or Tampa or Florida.

Year 1 they faced the caps, who won the cup the following year. Lost to a very good Boston team twice, who went to the final, lost to Montreal who went to the final, lost to this decades best team in Tampa, who won 2 cups and made 4 finals in the last 10 years and lost to Florida. You have to pull through at some point, I get it, but they played some really solid teams and lost what like 5 game 7s ?

But yeah the Leafs haven't even been remotely close to as stacked as how Vegas was.

 

[ReimanSum1908]

At center specifically? Eichel, and it's not close.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

He wasn't "The guy" on the team, he went to a team of established winners and stars. That team featured Stone, Pietroangelo, Theodore, and Marchessault was phenomenal. IMO Eichel was the runner up for the Smythe, but no it wasn't his team. Buffalo was his team.

And he was the best, most impactful player among them.

Leafs have been good, not even close to stacked lol. The defensive personel has been below average, our best defender for years was Rielly. We've never had reliable goaltending until now.

Leafs also played some of the most difficult matchups, a lot harder to win a series against those Bergeron Boston teams, or Tampa or Florida.

Year 1 they faced the caps, who won the cup the following year. Lost to a very good Boston team twice, who went to the final, lost to Montreal who went to the final, lost to this decades best team in Tampa, who won 2 cups and made 4 finals in the last 10 years and lost to Florida. You have to pull through at some point, I get it, but they played some really solid teams and lost what like 5 game 7s ?

But yeah the Leafs haven't even been remotely close to as stacked as how Vegas was.

Matthews Marner Nylander Tavares O'Reilly Knies Rielly McCabe... Yeah what a terrible roster. All we heard for years was how loaded Toronto was and how they should be contending for cups.

And you talk about reliable goaltending being an issue for the Leafs, and then talk about how stacked Vegas was with Hill in net? LOL.

Eichel is the man in Vegas, this is indisputable.

 

[AvroArrow]

And he was the best, most impactful player among them.

Matthews Marner Nylander Tavares O'Reilly Knies Rielly McCabe... Yeah what a terrible roster. All we heard for years was how loaded Toronto was and how they should be contending for cups.

And you talk about reliable goaltending being an issue for the Leafs, and then talk about how stacked Vegas was with Hill in net? LOL.

Eichel is the man in Vegas, this is indisputable.

They lost to Florida, after beating Tampa ? There's no shame in losing to Florida, they were a great team. Again they were a good team, but that is not a stacked team.

Adin Hill was/is FAR better than Jack Campbell/Frederik Andersen, are you joking with that post LOL

Vegas was a team that already made the finals. They were a 1C away from winning it all, everyone on these boards discussed it to death that they need a 1C. They got 1 and won.


I'm not saying Eichel isn't great, he is a phenomenal player and was the 2nd best player in their cup run.

I'm arguing against this idea that he's now some clutch playoff performer who shows up when it counts. Meanwhile he couldn't show up in the regular season for a decade in Buffalo. But joins a team that went to the finals and made multiple deep runs, and they win it all, now he's better than Matthews because "he shows up in the playoffs" lol.

What happened from his time in Buffalo to being traded to Vegas, that turned him into this superstar clutch performer ? Or could it be, he was traded to an elite team that had all the necessary surrounding pieces to make a cup run ?

 

[JKG33]

Eichel is in a league of his own compared to the other two.

And when you factor in cap hit and not being a p***y, Larkin over Matthews is an easy choice

 

[CanadasTeam99]

Matthews seems like a corporate guy. Likes hi money. doesn't have the passion

Eichel is in the middle. Guy quit on his team and joined the good team aka Lebron

Larkin is in no mans land. Seems like he loves the game.

Give me Eichel still out of all 3. No contest

Eichel's playoff stats are marginally better than Matthews despite playing for a better team. Eichel also couldn't even make the playoffs until he was traded to a team that went to the Finals without him. Matthews also for some reason gets punished for making the playoffs at a young age and Eichel benefits because he never made the playoffs until he was in his prime when you compare career stats and not comparable age/experience stats.

I'd go for the 69 goalscoring Selke-finalist instead.

There's a reason Matthews was named captain even though Eichel has more experience being captain (Buffalo).

List his playoff stats. When the time matters

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

They lost to Florida, after beating Tampa ? There's no shame in losing to Florida, they were a great team. Again they were a good team, but that is not a stacked team.

Adin Hill was/is FAR better than Jack Campbell/Frederik Andersen, are you joking with that post LOL

Vegas was a team that already made the finals. They were a 1C away from winning it all, everyone on these boards discussed it to death that they need a 1C. They got 1 and won.


I'm not saying Eichel isn't great, he is a phenomenal player and was the 2nd best player in their cup run.

I'm arguing against this idea that he's now some clutch playoff performer who shows up when it counts. Meanwhile he couldn't show up in the regular season for a decade in Buffalo. But joins a team that went to the finals and made multiple deep runs, and they win it all, now he's better than Matthews because "he shows up in the playoffs" lol.

What happened from his time in Buffalo to being traded to Vegas, that turned him into this superstar clutch performer ? Or could it be, he was traded to an elite team that had all the necessary surrounding pieces to make a cup run ?

Eichel was their best player in their cup run - stat watchers awarded the Smythe to Marchessault. Eichel was the guy who steered the ship.

 

[AvroArrow]

Eichel was their best player in their cup run - stat watchers awarded the Smythe to Marchessault. Eichel was the guy who steered the ship.

Eichel was not the best player in their cup run but he did have a great playoff I'll agree with that.

Stat watchers awarded the Smythe to Eichel online, weird to say stat watchers gave it to Marchessault, when Eichel had finished with more points LOL.

Marchessault scored all the clutch goals, not sure what games you were watching, or if you watched.

Regardless, where was this "Conn smythe" Level performance from him in Buffalo ? Joins a team that was already in the finals and a favorite to win it all, and then wins.

I know you absolutely hate Toronto but get real man lol. I got no beef with anyone wanting to pick Eichel in this poll, that's totally ok with me. But citing that he's some clutch playoff performer who shows up when it matters, when he literally captained the worst team possibly in NHL history for almost a decade and couldn't even sniff a playoff spot is pretty laughable.

You talk about Toronto being stacked and not being able to win in the playoffs, meanwhile Eichel had ROR ( a guy you brought up) In Buffalo as well as Sam Reinhart, and forget playoffs, I don't think they finished higher than 11th in the East during his tenure there. But you're trying to say he's some clutch performer who shows up in big games, yet he couldn't even perform in the regular season for damn near a decade ?

Talk about his versatility being able to play a complete game on both ends and being an elite playmaker and a good shooter. That's fine. But he's now a clutch playoff performer and ignoring the previous like 8 years ? Come on lmao.

 

[CanadasTeam99]

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.

Nobody cares about the past. He looks like a elite grinder. Makes no impact

 

[Blanka]

Honest question: why was Matthews named Captain of Team USA?

His fashion sense?

 

[JKG33]

Honest question: why was Matthews named Captain of Team USA?

I never understood that. You've got some studs on that team.. Eichel, the Tkachuks, McAvoy, Miller.. yet Matthews with his resume of playoff underperformance is who they picked?