TSN Top-50 Players

[armani]

I hate how this message board is making me despise Auston Matthews. Seems like a good kid and a great hockey player, but you guys are seriously insufferable.

That's a shame, because Matthews has nothing to do with what fans make him out to be. Best Leaf since Sundin, and I have no issues with him ranked top-10.

 

[neXis]

Toews is still highly overrated. #27, for goodness sake what has he done in the past three seasons? He's been a mediocre 50 point player since that time. The fact he is rated above most those players is baffling.

 

[Blue Shakehead]

Its only taken TSN eight years to figure out Toews isn't a top 3 player.

Wheeler has been the same top 10 possession driving 70+ point forward he's been since 2012 and he didn't make the list at all until last year. He's #32.

Meanwhile, Draisaitl is #23? Umm, no.

 

[Discoverer]

The rankings don't have them close, though. Matthews is basically in the "top tier" in those rankings (top ten), while Laine and Eichel aren't even in "tier two" (11-20).

IMO, they should have all been in the same tier. If TSN thinks Matthews is good enough to be 10th, then Laine and Eichel should have been ranked somewhere in the 11-16 range. There's just not enough separation, IMO, between them that Matthews is considered better than all those guys in the 11-20 range, yet TSN doesn't think Eichel or Laine are.

"Tiers" of players of similar calibre aren't just conveniently cut off at the 10/20/30 mark like that.

They could very well have had a list of ~20 players who they considered to be in the second "tier" and then ordered them from there based on relatively small differences. So, while they're separated by quite a few spots, it's not that big of a difference.

That's how it works with any ranking. Pacioretty finished 8th in the league in goals, Forsberg finished 21st. Does that mean they were on separate tiers as goal scorers? Of course not; they were only separated by four goals. There just happen to be a whole bunch of other guys who also fell in that range as well.

 

[goldenbladz1]

My boy johnny toews finally getting the rating he should have been getting in his prime

He may have been ranked too high in previous years but is hardly over-ranked here. Last year he played with Richard Panik and Rookie of the week, arguably the worst linemates of any 1C in the league.. Lets see what kind of year he has this year along side Saad before passing judgment. It's not like Backstrom who has Ovie and Oshie playing with him. If he struggles this year (without injury) then have at it.

 

[bobholly39]

Very good list. I love the top 20-25. After that it gets so hard to differentiate players, that it's less critical for me.

But top 20-25 is fantastic.

It's not the exact ranking I would have - i would make all kinds of minor changes (Crosby over McDavid, Malkin slightly higher, etc) - but overall it's a very very good list.

Only real shocking ranking (yet at the same time - shockingly *not* surprising) is Matthews at 10. He's not done enough in 1 rookie season to warrant being the 10th best player in the world. Laine at 26 seems more sensible - i'd have Matthews around there. If either/both player repeat/improve in year 2, fine, rank them higher, but after 1 year it's kinda dumb.

 

[34]

Crosby is still #1

 

[Regal]

Toews is still highly overrated. #27, for goodness sake what has he done in the past three seasons? He's been a mediocre 50 point player since that time. The fact he is rated above most those players is baffling.

Why do people always round down when it comes to point totals on here? He had 58 points in 72 games (66 point pace). How is that a 50 point player? It's also only been 2 down seasons. They won the cup with an excellent playoff performance from Toews in 2015

 

[bobholly39]

"Tiers" of players of similar calibre aren't just conveniently cut off at the 10/20/30 mark like that.

They could very well have had a list of ~20 players who they considered to be in the second "tier" and then ordered them from there based on relatively small differences. So, while they're separated by quite a few spots, it's not that big of a difference.

That's how it works with any ranking. Pacioretty finished 8th in the league in goals, Forsberg finished 21st. Does that mean they were on separate tiers as goal scorers? Of course not; they were only separated by four goals. There just happen to be a whole bunch of other guys who also fell in that range as well.

I agree that tiers aren't done in 10/20/30

Doesn't change that Matthews is grouped next to players who are on a higher tier than he should be (and than Eichel/Laine are).

Matthews isn't equal to a Hedman/Benn/Tavares after 1 rookie year.

If he can repeat/improve in year 2? Sure, maybe. But after year 1 it's just wrong to rank him so high. He should be closer to the ~25 position, give or take a few.

 

[Jared Dunn]

Matthews is a bit too high but by 3 or 4 places at most. Still Benn, Doughty and Tavares over him for now, plus the separation between he and Eichel isn't THAT big

 

[ManofSteel55]

I'm sure every Calder voter was biased as well

Well, some always are, but the fact that more had Laine in 4th than 1st should help put the Laine-Matthews discussion to bed.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I agree that tiers aren't done in 10/20/30

Doesn't change that Matthews is grouped next to players who are on a higher tier than he should be (and than Eichel/Laine are).

Matthews isn't equal to a Hedman/Benn/Tavares after 1 rookie year.

If he can repeat/improve in year 2? Sure, maybe. But after year 1 it's just wrong to rank him so high. He should be closer to the ~25 position, give or take a few.

But this isn't a ranking for last season, it's a ranking for the coming year. Is it so hard to believe Matthews takes another big step?

 

[Ace of Hades]

Top 5 should be

1)Crosby
2)McDavid
3)Karlsson
4)Malkin
5)Kane

 

[Regal]

Well, some always are, but the fact that more had Laine in 4th than 1st should help put the Laine-Matthews discussion to bed.

Everyone seems to ignore that Laine's missed games likely affected his Calder voting, and that the number of votes for one player over another doesn't reflect how much better someone is considered.

 

[Menzinger]

But this isn't a ranking for last season, it's a ranking for the coming year. Is it so hard to believe Matthews takes another big step?

Exactly, honestly the smart bet would be Matthews is able to be a better player than Tavares or Benn this season. Why guys did 4-5 seasons ago is quite frankly is not all that relevant for how they'll fair in 17/18

 

[darcyRegier]

Much better than NHL Networks list, who ranked Brad Marchand a better player than Tarasenko, Doughty, and Hedman LOL

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Everyone seems to ignore that Laine's missed games likely affected his Calder voting, and that the number of votes for one player over another doesn't reflect how much better someone is considered.

McDavid in 45 games was closer to 1st place than Laine was in 73 games. Not that a rookie year is a be all and end all, but I don't see a point in pretending Matthews isn't currently ahead as a player by an obvious margin

 

[Regal]

McDavid in 45 games was closer to 1st place than Laine was in 73 games. Not that a rookie year is a be all and end all, but I don't see a point in pretending Matthews isn't currently ahead as a player by an obvious margin

Difference was McDavid was the clear best per game player, a better player than any rookie last year and against worse competition. And he still lost. I like Matthews' game more and would put him decently ahead of Laine, and I don't like the idea that they should be close simply because they're associated with each other being in the same draft class with similar rookie paces, but I don't think the Calder voting is much of an argument

 

[Aceboogie]

Has anyone watched the video, they literally say, its a projection for this upcoming season. Matthews at 10 is completely appropriate as hell likely he top 3 in goals scored and top 10 in points

 

[Blue Shakehead]

McDavid in 45 games was closer to 1st place than Laine was in 73 games. Not that a rookie year is a be all and end all, but I don't see a point in pretending Matthews isn't currently ahead as a player by an obvious margin

Matthews beat Laine by 5 points in 9 more games and finished 2nd in points per game and 2nd in goals per game. He was also a year older.

Calder votes are not the basis for measuring the separation between two players, unless you want to make the case than Panarin projected to score more than McDavid?

 

[Regal]

Exactly, honestly the smart bet would be Matthews is able to be a better player than Tavares or Benn this season. Why guys did 4-5 seasons ago is quite frankly is not all that relevant for how they'll fair in 17/18

They finished 1-2 in scoring 3 seasons ago and Benn finished 2nd 2 seasons ago. I wouldn't be surprised if Matthews was better but I'm not sure there's a smart bet either way

 

[cupcrazyman]

This list is just their opinion keep your panties on !

Or better yet post your own list

 

[I am not exposed]

I'm going to be honest here, I had to Google who Sasha Barkov is...

If healthy, he hits 70+points with selke caliber play. Health is the big factor for him atm.

 

[93gilmour93]

Matthews 10th, Laine 26th.

This is the most biased listing I have seen in a long time. Absolutely terrible. Not reliable.

Ya the Canadian sports channel picking the American player over the Finnish player. Craziness....

Or Matthews is just that much better......

 

[BayStreetBully]

Ya the Canadian sports channel picking the American player over the Finnish player. Craziness....

Or Matthews is just that much better......

Yep. Looks like a good list to me.