Tage Thompson or Mitch Marner

[ER89]

Honestly not sure it does lmfao.


And if your tears are this salty regarding the Sabres now, you'll have a couple of genuine salt shakers on your face in a year or two.

Cheers

So you’d rather suck all the time instead of just the playoffs? What a weird way of thinking about it

 

[GOALOFSSON]

So you’d rather suck all the time instead of just the playoffs? What a weird way of thinking about it

Losing that many 1st round series in a row has a different kind of suck to it, yet probably just about equal overall is what I was trying to say. Both things suck.

At least the Sabres are looking set up nicely for a long while with the youth/talent (but actually this time, inb4 any lazy comparisons to the last tank), which is what the rest of the post was referring to.

Cheers x2

 

[Zach716]

Losing that many 1st round series in a row has a different kind of suck to it, yet probably just about equal overall is what I was trying to say. Both things suck.

At least the Sabres are looking set up nicely for a long while with the youth/talent (but actually this time, inb4 any lazy comparisons to the last tank), which is what the rest of the post was referring to.

Cheers x2

My lord I know all leafs fans seem to get generalized because of the kids in their fanbase unfortunately, but could you imagine the entitlement on this website if they ever win a single playoff series with this core before it gets too expensive/ineffective soon.

 

[HockeyWooot]

Marner much more proven, Thompson is a unicorn.

Small track record but I think this is a sign of the player he’ll be long term, not a finished product either.

I pick Thompson.

 

[deVolt]

For every game Tage plays this comparison becomes more ridiculous and i'm here for it.

 

[stokes84]

I get why this poll would’ve went Marner a month ago, but that clearly done now. Thompson is the 2nd best hockey player on the planet.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Tage the Rage > Mitch the Bitch

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

He doesn't use his size at all so not really sure why that matters

You’re doing that thing again. You know the bad take with no substance

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Tage is already "proven". A 38 goal season last year and now a superstar season immediately after. Zero chance he isn't at minimum a 40+ goal scorer the next 7 seasons with the best shot in the game. Best shot since prime Ovy. It is nearly unstoppable once he is set and shoots it.

 

[pcruz]

Marner much more proven, Thompson is a unicorn.

Small track record but I think this is a sign of the player he’ll be long term, not a finished product either.

I pick Thompson.

Remember when Elias Pettersen was a better player and was going to continue being a better player than Auston Matthews.

Those were simpler days.

 

[BKarchitect]

Did somebody literally say with a straight face that Tage doesn’t use his size? Has that person ever tried to take the puck away from a 6-6 giraffe with the wingspan of a condor who can stick handle in a phone booth and beat a goalie from almost anywhere on the ice?

 

[BKarchitect]

Remember when Elias Pettersen was a better player and was going to continue being a better player than Auston Matthews.

Those were simpler days.

I mean I’d have always taken AM but this isn’t the greatest moment to be mocking this comp. I’d argue EP has been the better player this season.

 

[NVious]

Im fine with Sabers fans or even others saying Tage, he is a beast, just less proven. I get you can do the playoff thing vs Mitch though, but Tage's u[pside is higher, I donno that Mitch has progressed that much since coming into the league tbh.

 

[MrOT]

Thompson

 

[1specter]

I think I'm about ready to flip flop on this. Nothing against Marner, but what Thompson is doing is beginning to look increasingly sustainable. If he's even able to keep up 80% of what he's shown this year I think it'll be him moving forward.

Better goal scorer, plays the more important position, and has a more varied offensive toolset.

He's got 24g 46p in his last 24gp. Leads the league in ES scoring and goals (by 4) during that timeframe, and McDavid only has 1 more point. He's shooting at 19.8% in that span, which is probably a bit high but not too unexpected considering the way he shoots the puck.

I don't think Marner has ever put up a stretch like that. TT is threatening to become a perennial 60+ goal 120+ point center.

Actually, last season Marner had a stretch of 35 games from January 15th to April 5th where he scored 67 points, which is about the pace Tage is on in his 24 game heater. He also led the league in total and 5v5 scoring from January 15th until the end of the season, while being third in total and 5v5 goals as well. He also did that while managing to be a top defensive player and elite penalty killer for us.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Actually, last season Marner had a stretch of 35 games from January 15th to April 5th where he scored 67 points, which is about the pace Tage is on in his 24 game heater. He also led the league in total and 5v5 scoring from January 15th until the end of the season, while being third in total and 5v5 goals as well. He also did that while managing to be a top defensive player and elite penalty killer for us.

How many goals did he have?

 

[DomBarr]

Marner is better but Thompson is more valuable now that he is showing his talent.

Thompson is on a better contract for longer and is a HUGE center that can score.

 

[1specter]

How many goals did he have?

He scored 25 goals in that 35 game stretch. Marner is a pass first player though and was also setting up Auston Matthews on his line who was scoring a goal a game at the time.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

He scored 25 goals in that 35 game stretch. Marner is a pass first player though and was also setting up Auston Matthews on his line who was scoring a goal a game at the time.

That's a strong stretch but considering he Thompson has been scoring a goal a game and he doesn't have a guy on his line putting up 51 goals in 50 games, I think Thompson's is more impressive

 

[The Abusement Park]

He doesn't use his size at all so not really sure why that matters

Maybe not in a bruising sense. But the reason he’s so good is because of how tall and rangy he is. The things he can do with his skill and length are special. Kind of Mario like.

 

[1specter]

That's a strong stretch but considering he Thompson has been scoring a goal a game and he doesn't have a guy on his line putting up 51 goals in 50 games, I think Thompson's is more impressive

Sure, but even if you extend the games until the end of the season, Marner Jan 15 onwards had 76 pts in 46 games, first in the league in total points and 5v5 points, and also played less games than all the other top guys except Matthews. First is first, to do that for more than half a season in the McDavid era is no small feat. And again, his defensive impact cannot be discounted, he's routinely the team's best or second best defensive forward and spends 2+ min/game on the PK as well.

As good as Tage is, he has some of the worst defensive numbers on Buffalo. He's still a net positive because of how good he's been offensively, but that strikes me as someone who is cheating defense to create more offense. Having an xGA/60 of 3+ is pretty damn bad.

 

[Beerz]

Sure, but even if you extend the games until the end of the season, Marner Jan 15 onwards had 76 pts in 46 games, first in the league in total points and 5v5 points, and also played less games than all the other top guys except Matthews. First is first, to do that for more than half a season in the McDavid era is no small feat. And again, his defensive impact cannot be discounted, he's routinely the team's best or second best defensive forward and spends 2+ min/game on the PK as well.

As good as Tage is, he has some of the worst defensive numbers on Buffalo. He's still a net positive because of how good he's been offensively, but that strikes me as someone who is cheating defense to create more offense. Having an xGA/60 of 3+ is pretty damn bad.

This is why looking at dumb fancy stats instead of watching the games is the most frustratingly stupid thing on this site.

Fancy stats are good for measuring teams.. not individuals.

 

[1specter]

This is why looking at dumb fancy stats instead of watching the games is the most frustratingly stupid thing on this site.

Fancy stats are good for measuring teams.. not individuals.

I've watched Sabres games, Tage is a great player but please don't try to convince me that he is some defensive stalwart. The numbers are what they are, the Sabres give up more chances and shots when Tage is on the ice, and he plays a high event style in general. Nothing to be upset about, he will hopefully learn over time.

 

[Beerz]

I've watched Sabres games, Tage is a great player but please don't try to convince me that he is some defensive stalwart. The numbers are what they are, the Sabres give up more chances and shots when Tage is on the ice, and he plays a high event style in general. Nothing to be upset about, he will hopefully learn over time.

Nobody said he was a defensive stalwart. But he also isn't "cheating defensively". Nothing I have seen in his game suggests that he's even "bad" defensively

 

[WhereAreTheCookies]

I've watched Sabres games, Tage is a great player but please don't try to convince me that he is some defensive stalwart. The numbers are what they are, the Sabres give up more chances and shots when Tage is on the ice, and he plays a high event style in general. Nothing to be upset about, he will hopefully learn over time.

Tage's defensive play isn't amazing, but it's also being undersold. The team as a whole plays with less defensive structure than Toronto and with how they've been playing thus far with much worse goaltending. Even with worse goaltending Tage's numbers aren't that far off from Marner's.

Additionally Tage's CF% Rel is 2nd on the team at 5v5, which tells me as a percentage they are not giving up more chances with Tage on the ice. In total perhaps because he logs more minutes, but by that same token so does Marner.

Tage's GA/60 stats

5v5 - 3.2 (5 forwards worse without counting Sheahan because he only played 2 games)
PK - 6.7 (8 forwards worse) Tage get's a little over a minute a game on the PK

Marner's GA/60 stats

5v5 - 2.7 (2 forwards worse on the team)
PK - 7.9 (2 forwards worse on the team) He gets a bit over 2 minutes a game on the PK

Tage's GF/60

5v5 - 4.8 (2nd among Sabres forwards)
PP - 14.8 (1st among Sabres forwards)

Marner's GF/60

5v5 - 3.0 (5th among Toronto forwards)
PP - 11.2 (2nd among Toronto forwards)

Now I'm not saying Tage has as good of a track record as Marner, or that he is as good defensively. What I will say however is that Tage right now offensively is playing better than Marner currently, and probably as well as Marner ever has. Going forward If he continues to play this well the gap between them is not as big as it's being made out to be. And just to point out I voted for Marner when this poll was made.