You would think after decades of ineptitude at best on best tournaments, posters from a certain country would have some humility about how "good" (for lack of a better term) their players actually are
Auston Matthews vs Patrik Laine - Round III
- Thread starter JawandaPuck
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Laine could be the top scorer in WHC and the Leafs would still draft Matthews and deservedly so. Remember Laine is playing with a world class centerman in Barkov and Joikenen is no slouch. Matthews doesn't have the likes of a Patrick Kane on his wing.
If teams like Edmonton, Winnipeg and Calgary held the first pick they would have to look long and hard at Laine because they do have some strength down the middle. Teams like Toronto, Columbus & Vancouver would be singularly focussed on Matthews.
If teams like Edmonton, Winnipeg and Calgary held the first pick they would have to look long and hard at Laine because they do have some strength down the middle. Teams like Toronto, Columbus & Vancouver would be singularly focussed on Matthews.
The Leafs are in an envious position from my perspective. Either way, they are going to draft a superior talent. I watched both Matthews and Laine closely yesterday in their respective games and was very impressed with both. I thought Matthews was poised with the puck and made quick effective decisions. He seemed to be so defensively responsible and often started the USA offensive transitions from deeper in the defensive zones than usually seen in a young player but quickly caught up to the play thanks to his great skating ability. He was very strong on faceoffs and won several battles for the puck thanks to his size and heaviness on the puck. Clearly, He showed glimpses of the wonderful player he is and will become. Laine was dynamic to say the least. He reminded me of Jagr and an in-his-prime Rick Nash. Going to be a great, difference-maker goal scorer who will be lethal in the offensive zone. I have faith that the current Leaf management team will make the right decision. What a super draft position to be in! Choosing which type of poison to unleash on NHL opposition: Matthews feeding Marner or Nylander setting up Laine. The future is looking bright.
Nithoniniel
Registered User
If Matthews has an okay to good tournament (let's say 6-7 points in 10 games) and Laine is lights out (15 points in 10 games) then just don't see how the Leafs don't draft Laine 1st overall. There'd be lots of backtracking to do by Leafs fans in this thread who have spent the last week pumping Matthews' tires and bashing Laine.
If Leafs drafted Laine because of the results of this tournament I'd be hugely disappointed. Not because Laine would be a bad pick, he's awesome and deserves all but the most extreme hype, but because making decisions based on small sample sizes heavily influenced by outside factors would be incompetent.
I'm pretty sure Matthews is the best choice at this moment though, but Laine for sure deserves a thorough discussion. However, from what I've read here I don't agree with the general gist of your post. If there's a side that goes to the extreme, it's the other one.
Overall I don't understand the side picking people do. They are two absolutely exceptional talents, and Puljujärvi is not far behind. I can understand leaning towards either one, but the way people go out to portray one as clearly superior and the other as an awful pick is beyond me. It's just flaunting ignorance.
Did someone offend you or something?
I think you have no idea what Finns are really like. Finns are pretty honest people but hype can get to them the same way hype can affect anyone else... So yes I think a lot of Finns would come here admitting Matthews is better. I personally would admit it and say it publicly here, but it's never going to happen that Laine will have 6 points and Matthews 15 points in this WHC now will it? Laine already has 3 points so what are the odds for that to happen, though 10-0 wins over Hungary by either team I see as a possibility so you never know.
Warden of the North
Ned Stark's head
If Matthews has an okay to good tournament (let's say 6-7 points in 10 games) and Laine is lights out (15 points in 10 games) then just don't see how the Leafs don't draft Laine 1st overall. There'd be lots of backtracking to do by Leafs fans in this thread who have spent the last week pumping Matthews' tires and bashing Laine.
Careers are not made in one tournament.
But if it does happen, I'll be quite upset initially. For how long who knows.
Do you not realize that 99% of scouts put 0 stock in putting up 3 points versus Belarus.
Matthews was the best player on the ice against an all-star Team Canada team. Not to mention his line-mates were absolute garbage.
Leafs just went through life with an offensive winger. His name was Phil Kessel and how did that turn out. Not to mention Laine wasn't half the prospect Phil was.
No brainer at Matthews first.
Yes and NLA Matthews have best players his side not very good "men's" league, when Laine have just regular players in his side which they wasn't even close good playmakers so much more compete league. People have try to say this half season in 10000 post, but you don't understand that, so now you see how that influence to players game who is his linemates.
TSN coverage is a god damn sham is all I have to say. Laine should go first overall and at this point I don't think it's even a question anymore. Nothing against Matthews, Laine is just phenomenal.
Is, maybe Penguins and Crosby-Malkin wins finally that second SC because they get Phil Kessel in the team?
I think you missed the point of what I wrote. Forget that I said 3 points then if it makes you happier and read it again. Let's imagine Laine has 0 points now and Matthews has 0 points which is true about the latter.
SanDogBrewin
Righteous bucks!
Look Kessel numbers in playoffs now and before, he is actually pretty good and not only points i have seen him lot and he is always very good in playoffs. I think 2 maybe world best centers need a more good and star players, wingers, D's, goalie before they can win the cup. Chicago have Kane and Hossa and Kane is just as important in those SC wins than Toews.
JustaFinnishGuy
Joonas Donskoi avi but not a SEA fan ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The Olympic and World Cup records tell that Finland isn't inept. (If you want to count recent juniors achievements, be my guest) It's beyond me how Finland is still viewed as inept
The one time we get a pure goal scorer like Teemu was (And at points in best vs best tourneys he wasn't) we can't tout him.
But back to the topic.
Matthews 1OA because of Toronto's needs - shock if Laine goes first.
Laine 2OA because of Winnipeg takes the BPA.
As long as Laine comes trough for Finland in the future and now I'm totally okay with the overall ratings.
Yeah, I don't understand what these noobs are thinking. Auston Matthews is better than Gretzky and Lemieux combined. Matthews will win 11 cups in a row in Leafs.
If you don't believe Matthews was best player im whc day 1 check tsn.ca!
Relax, both are fantastic players and regardless of who ends up where. The jets and leafs are getting an elite talent either way. You're coming off like a 5 year old.
I understand that Laine is in an impossible situation to be number one in the draft, if the deciding people always try to find in this same way an explanation to put down the wonderful achievements Laine has done this season. He outscored Matthews in WJC and was the key clutch guy for a total underdog gold medal winning team.
People who like to always defend Matthews like to always point out: "Oh, but Laine had so much better linemates, and poor Matthews had to play with just scrubs. " Well, boohoo. Laine had to play with scrubs almost his whole season in FEL, and still he achieved great numbers in regular season. Especially taken his age into account. And for crying out loud, Laine's WJC linemates were underagers like himself. In fact if you look at the matureness and the physical readiness, Matthews played with superior linemates at the WJC in those aspects. It was just that Laine, Aho and Pulju are so talented, that they could still outscore older and more mature opponents. And that's what those three are capable to do against men too. And in the toughest games also. (that we saw already in the FEL playoffs, while Matthews was having a well deserved rest)
This is still to be seen from Matthews. If he will not be able to do it even in this tournament, and Laine will, it should be a sure sign of Laine surpassing Matthews as a player. I mean there will not be any recent evidence of Matthews outplaying Laine, as all the evidence would point out that Laine has been better than him.
Of course the WHC tournament is still very young, and anything can still happen. It will definitely be interesting to see how Matthews does against Belarus. If USA skates like they skated against Finland in the practice match right before the tournament, they might after all be able to wipe the floor with Belarus, and that would probably mean some nice points for Matthews. Still, Belarus can often be a surprisingly tough team to play against, especially if you don't manage to play your A-game against them.
USA has a young and talented team, and to say that Matthews is playing there with scrubs is not even really the truth. Yesterday their biggest weakness was their goalie. With better goaltending in the rest of the tournament they will be still a force to reckon. But if Matthews is really so much head above Laine, or even Laine's class, he should be able to get a clearly bigger role in team USA than he has had so far. But ok, lets watch the tournament to the end. Then we will have more basis to comment on how they compare to each others when playing against top level men.
The Winter Soldier
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- Apr 4, 2011
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Certainly Laine has put himself into the conversation for 1st overall. And it is not one game or one tournament as seems to be the refrain. Scouts can see the progression from WJC>Liiga Playoffs> and if he continues to impress at the WHC.
He may just put himself at the top of the draft class. Matthews has not done anything wrong this year. But you picked a perfect word. Laine has shown he is phenomenal.
All things equal. You pick Center over Winger. If this is the main reason to pick Matthews. Then so be it. But if one is completely unbiased this year. Laine has been better than Matthews in their draft years. And now at just turned 18, it looks like he is even becoming better. Which is a scary thought if a team passes on him.
teravaineSAROS
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- Jul 29, 2015
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*Laine outperforms Matthews in the WJC:
"eh it's just one tournament let's see when X"
*Laine outperforms Matthews euro-league playoff performance by far:
"eh it's just one tournament let's see when X"
*people bring out hypothetical scenarios of Laine clearly outperforming Matthews:
"eh it's just one tournament let's see when X"
"eh it's just one tournament
let's see when X"*Laine outperforms Matthews euro-league playoff performance by far:
"eh it's just one tournament
let's see when X"*people bring out hypothetical scenarios of Laine clearly outperforming Matthews:
"eh it's just one tournament
let's see when X"That's your opinion that Matthews is better. My opinion has been for a while that Laine is the better player of the two.
You are a Leafs fan right?
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