Check out his playoff stats. In a weak FA class he stands out because he is a very solid player. For a team like looking to get bigger and score more goals he fits. I would say he is basically Mule but younger and plays more to his size. Not overly physical but more than Mule.
Birko19
Registered User
Consistent top-6 numbers, plays physical, and performs in the playoffs. He's the closest thing to a powerforward in the market available (That is assuming he does not resign with the Bruins which I have a feeling he will somehow).
Dats Y
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He plays nothing like a power forward - Horton is more of a scoring winger with some size and little to no physicality. Clowe, Bickell and Penner more closely resemble power forwards.
Birko19
Registered User
From what I've seen, he plays more physical then Mule, and I think Mule is somewhat of a lite-PF.
Dats Y
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Horton's never been more physical than Mule. Where is everyone getting their information from? Horton's never once gone at a pace of a hit per game in his career and he's never played to his size.
It's incredible how easy people's opinions of players change just because they see a player's physical attributes and they're the new and shiny toys available. His playoff numbers are good, so what. Look at his regular season numbers...
Dats Y
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Birko19
Registered User
Heaton
Moderator
Hits and the eye test. Horton is a very good player, but it's not like he lives in the dirty areas.
Brick Top
LANA!!!!!
Horton typically puts up Franzen type numbers, and he's been really good in his 2 playoff runs with Boston. He didn't have a great regular season this year but neither did Franzen. And he's much younger. And RH. I'll take him.
Birko19
Registered User
Heaton
Moderator
Two, I don't think fighting really counts since it doesn't really help the team when it counts.
Birko19
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Dats Y
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This. Horton is likely more skilled than Franzen, but in no way is he a physical player.
Heaton
Moderator
I've never been for your important players fighting, they're useless if they're in the box for 5 minutes or more. Leave those to the guys who can't contribute offensively. The last thing we need is for one of our best players to use their 'balls' and then break their hand and be out for months.
Brick Top
LANA!!!!!
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that Chiarelli and Julien have both told him to leave the fighting to Thornton, McQuaid and Lucic. No sense asking for headshots by getting into fights for a guy coming off a concussion.
I wouldn't expect him to do much/any fighting for the Wings if we got him. I've pretty much given up hope of ever getting a guy who can score and can/will stand up for guys like D & Z, so at this point I'll take a big righty who can score and has done so in the PO's.
Dats Y
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Horton is not a good fighter either and has had two concussions in the last three years. Not exactly the guy you want fighting...Clowe, Clarkson, Bickell would all be more capable and willing fighters. However, of course you'd be sacrificing some skill and scoring for what they bring in physicality, toughness and grit.
Vladdy84
L-O-Y-A-L-T-Y
He's just a desirable player in a weak FA class that's playing on a great line. I would love to have him on the Wings but not at 6+M a year. I watched Penner play last night and he was incredible. But his stats outside the playoffs are weak and inconsistent.
My opinion of Horton has nothing to do with shiny new toys. I simply watch hockey games, and not just wings games. To say Horton is a power forward is wrong but to say he less physical than Franzen is a joke.
Birko19
Registered User
The problem is, it's very hard to find guys who can actually play and drop the gloves. We probably have like two guys that can handle themselves and are decent enough to play (Ericsson and Tootoo).
Anyways, I would assume that Horton will at least be as effective as Franzen, and at this point, we really do need some skill to be on that top line with Datsyuk. I would rather have Horton by his side than Gator.
Dats Y
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Because you're the only one who watches hockey games outside of the Wings?Nathan Horton:
2012/13 - 43 GP, 41 hits
2011/12 - 46 GP, 32 hits
2010/11 - 80 GP, 74 hits
2009/10 - 65 GP, 34 hits
Johan Franzen:
2012/13 - 41 GP, 43 hits
2011/12 - 77 GP, 60 hits
2010/11 - 76 GP, 143 hits
2009/10 - 27 GP, 46 hits
So Horton's more physical than Franzen?
In the past four years alone, Franzen's been producing at a rate of over a hit per game, where Horton has never accomplished that in the past four years. So, please enlighten me.
Cbdudek
Registered User
If people demonize Franzen for scoring 25-30 goals a season and getting paid $4 million a season, how are they going to react to Horton putting up the same numbers at $5.5-$6 million per season?
Not saying we don't need him. I think he would look great wearing the Winged wheel. I just don't know if he is worth the price he is going to command in the offseason.
Not saying we don't need him. I think he would look great wearing the Winged wheel. I just don't know if he is worth the price he is going to command in the offseason.
Vladdy84
L-O-Y-A-L-T-Y
Agree with what you're saying. We may hate Mule and a player like Flip. But the alternatives may be great disappointments at a higher costs.
Kronwalled55
Detroit vs. Everybody
I just go by what I see. In the old Hossa/Franzen debates, people (including myself) argued that Hossa brings more to the table when he's not scoring, and helps the team in other areas.
That's what I see in Horton. Puts up Franzen-esque numbers, but is great at many aspects of the game. He fits the hockey cliche' of "having a running motor."
Fights? Hit numbers? Who cares? Abdelkader has those too, and isn't near the level of the 3 I mentioned above.
That's what I see in Horton. Puts up Franzen-esque numbers, but is great at many aspects of the game. He fits the hockey cliche' of "having a running motor."
Fights? Hit numbers? Who cares? Abdelkader has those too, and isn't near the level of the 3 I mentioned above.
Dats Y
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It's fine to say Horton is a more skilled or better player than Franzen. However, it is extremely misguided to claim that he's more physical than him or to suggest that Franzen lacks physicality or plays "small", especially if Horton is the measuring stick.
As mentioned several times in this thread, Horton at 5.5-6 mil/year will be a poor investment relative to Franzen at below 4 mil/year (if we're comparing the two only).
