Thallis
No half measures
Two excellent often underrated centers, both locked up long term for similar deals. Which would you rather have on your team?
I think they’re similar level players. Thomas I think is a bit more noticeable offensively shift to shift, whereas Hintz is a bit more complementary or opportunistic, but I think Hintz is a bit better defensively and brings more toolsy attributes like speed and shot. With Thomas though, you’re getting more prime years and he might be the better option when starting a team from scratch.
I’d probably take Hintz on the Canucks though. The team isn’t very fast and they could use a burner like Hintz to add another dimension. He’s also a better shooter and finisher. Thomas is more pass heavy, and the Canucks already pass too much. Thomas would probably work better if he ran his own line and the team put Miller and Pettersson together consistently, but I could see Hintz being a better fit with Pettersson.
I would certainly not call Robert Thomas slow though...
Though from a Canucks perspective, i could definitely see Hintz meshing better with Pettersson, which might be a tipping point factor. But it's hard to predict what will work there.
I wouldn’t call him fast by any means either. He’s pretty average speed from my viewings, and his EDGE data from the NHL puts him right in the 50th-ish percentile. Whereas Hintz is a top 5% type skater for speed.
That's kind of weird. I'd put him well above the middling tier of NHLers in terms of speed. When he wants to, he can really giddyup and go. I'd say speed is definitely a noticeable part of his game, including his work off the rush.