Player Discussion: 2019 HFBolts Current Player Rankings #4

[LightningStrikes]

What would you answer when asked by a non-hockey fan: Who's the Lightning's best player? I mean, right now because I have tickets. Who should I watch out for?

Let's do that and go down the list.
Rules: None. The definition of "best" is entirely up to you.
Leave a post to let the world know why your pick is superior to all other picks.

#1 NIKITA KUCHEROV
71.4% of votes

#2 VICTOR HEDMAN
66.7% of votes​

#3 BRAYDEN POINT
43.9% of votes

​

Click to read more...

 

[LightningStrikes]

Stammerrrrrrr

 

[JoVel]

Went with Vasi. Could go with Stamkos on another day.

 

[Todd1a]

I’m going stamkos he had a nice bounce back year last year

 

[aessi]

Vasi, just because goalie position is more important and we have Point as #1 center.

 

[DFC]

Stamkos. I think Stamkos has a pretty good argument over Point for the time being, although it's so close in my head I never did vote on #3. For #4, I don't think Vasy's quite there yet. He won a Vezina, yeah, but that was a very weak year for candidates, and Vasy crumbled as much as anyone under pressure. I think Stamkos's 45 goals, plus a suddenly legit (as opposed to faux) ability to make plays puts him over Vasy for the time-being, but I suspect that'll change as Vasy gets more and more consistent.

 

[The Macho King]

Let's point out that Stamkos is absolutely garbage come spring. I can count his good games in the playoffs on one hand.

 

[DFC]

Let's point out that Stamkos is absolutely garbage come spring. I can count his good games in the playoffs on one hand.

Good point. I went Stamkos because everybody was so garbage this past spring, Vasy included, that I considered it a wash. But Vasy does have more of a resume in the playoffs, going back a few years. He's held us into a couple of series on his own, whereas we've never seen Stamkos come close to that level in the playoffs. So I guess my vote probably has too much recency bias. But it looks like Vasy's gonna win running away anyway.

 

[These Are The Days]

When Vasy wins there needs to be a picture of a cat

 

[DFC]

I think the interesting one is where we place Cernak. Is there a case for him over guys like Gourde and Johnson? I think there is, even if I'm not sure he ultimately belongs there (yet).

 

[Rschmitz]

Vasy. An easy choice for those still a little traumatized from decades of hammered dog shit masquerading as NHL caliber goaltending in front of our net.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

I think too much of the bad aftertaste from April is being directed at Stamkos. The whole team sucked - including Point, and especially Vasilevskiy. Prior to that Stamkos had one of the best seasons of his career.

He probably should have gone 3rd. He outscored Point in both goals and assists on Point's career year, and Point was playing with Kucherov the Kingmaker. Even taking away power play points where Stamkos usually earns his money, Stamkos out-produced Point with worse linemates.

Point brings the all around game and is probably the more impressive player to watch, but we didn't rely on his defensive prowess all too often last year and he was hot garbage in April as well. I think people are still thinking about his 2018 playoffs, which is fair - I don't have a huge issue with him going 3rd, and I toyed with the idea myself.

But I think Stamkos is being undervalued here. And yes - we're all acutely aware that he always sucks in the playoffs.

 

[DFC]

I think too much of the bad aftertaste from April is being directed at Stamkos. The whole team sucked - including Point, and especially Vasilevskiy. Prior to that Stamkos had one of the best seasons of his career.

He probably should have gone 3rd. He outscored Point in both goals and assists on Point's career year, and Point was playing with Kucherov the Kingmaker. Even taking away power play points where Stamkos usually earns his money, Stamkos out-produced Point in both categories with worse linemates.

Point brings the all around game and is probably the more impressive player to watch, but we didn't rely on his defensive prowess all too often last year and he was hot garbage in April as well. I think people are still thinking about his 2018 playoffs, which is fair - I don't have a huge issue with him going 3rd, and I toyed with the idea myself.

But I think Stamkos is being undervalued here. And yes - we're all acutely aware that he always sucks in the playoffs.

I think it depends on how much you take last year into account. Like, if we're only looking at the CBJ series, then everyone sucks in the playoffs. But everybody voted above Stamkos has at least one big playoff series they can hang their hat on, where they were the clear difference between us and the team we beat. Stamkos has never been our best player for an entire series, and I think it's fair to count that against him.

 

[These Are The Days]

Vasy. An easy choice for those still a little traumatized from decades of hammered dog **** masquerading as NHL caliber goaltending in front of our net.

Puppa was just fine til he got hurt though. With the sole exception of Bulin nearly everything else between him and Bishop was no bueno

 

[God King Fudge]

It's Vasy. Zero question.

Also, if we're not posting pics of everyone shirtless, why are we even doing this?

 

[JoVel]

I think too much of the bad aftertaste from April is being directed at Stamkos. The whole team sucked - including Point, and especially Vasilevskiy. Prior to that Stamkos had one of the best seasons of his career

Vasy and Point have had good playoff runs in the past, something Stamkos has literally never been able to do.

 

[Todd1a]

Let's point out that Stamkos is absolutely garbage come spring. I can count his good games in the playoffs on one hand.

Well Vasilevskiy was absolutely garbage this past spring

 

[JoVel]

Well Vasilevskiy was absolutely garbage this past spring

He was good in 2016 and 2018. Stamkos has been garbage since he entered the league.,

 

[Stormbreaker]

Well Vasilevskiy was absolutely garbage this past spring

90% of the roster was garbage.

 

[These Are The Days]

It's Vasy. Zero question.

Also, if we're not posting pics of everyone shirtless, why are we even doing this?

"The Gang gets Macho Man's refractory period killed"

 

[VinikToWinIt]

I think it depends on how much you take last year into account. Like, if we're only looking at the CBJ series, then everyone sucks in the playoffs. But everybody voted above Stamkos has at least one big playoff series they can hang their hat on, where they were the clear difference between us and the team we beat. Stamkos has never been our best player for an entire series, and I think it's fair to count that against him.

I'm not going to say he's taken over any series, and he certainly lacks heroics on his resume. But he's had some quietly productive series, even if he never took over.

Point per game series:

2015:
Montreal - 3G, 7P in 6GP
NY - 4G, 7P in 7GP

2017:
NJ - 1G, 6P in 5GP

He had some quiet series in between (and a couple "ok" to solid ones), but even as a whole Stamkos has a higher playoff points per game average than our resident playoff hero Tyler Johnson. That +/- is quite the black mark, though.

Once again, I'm not going to argue that he's good in the playoffs - but I think the eye test may betray his production a bit, even if it's a far cry from his regular season stats. Quiet production is still production. He just needs to not disappear for 5 games at a time.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Also, if we're not posting pics of everyone shirtless, why are we even doing this?

They’re hard to find. Lemme know if you find any.

 

[God King Fudge]

They’re hard to find. Lemme know if you find any.

I think I understand what you're saying

 

[Felonious Python]

disappointed with the choice for Point picture.
https://az184419.vo.msecnd.net/hock...en/Junior/2016/point_hicketts_krouse.jpg?q=60
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos...=FB3bkwd5nmX94KbUGJlYDCBhQVQDeyZwrQIpRmx2ark=
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos...to-testing-at-the-nhl-may-picture-id495453283

 

[DFC]

I'm not going to say he's taken over any series, and he certainly lacks heroics on his resume. But he's had some quietly productive series, even if he never took over.

Point per game series:

2015:
Montreal - 3G, 7P in 6GP
NY - 4G, 7P in 7GP

2017:
NJ - 1G, 6P in 5GP

He had some quiet series in between (and a couple "ok" to solid ones), but even as a whole Stamkos has a higher playoff points per game average than our resident playoff hero Tyler Johnson. That +/- is quite the black mark, though.

Once again, I'm not going to argue that he's good in the playoffs - but I think the eye test may betray his production a bit, even if it's a far cry from his regular season stats. Quiet production is still production. He just needs to not disappear for 5 games at a time.

He's still never had a series like Point, or Vasy, and definitely not like Kucherov or Hedman have had.

His production got a boost last year (2018), and I don't think anybody would mistake that for a good post-season.

Keep in mind, I voted Stamkos for #4. I'm just saying the case against his playoff performances is legit, especially when against our best guys. He's never been our best player in a series. I don't think he's ever been better than our 3rd best player. That will win out over guys like Johnson and Gourde (in this voting), and probably even McDonagh, but it's tough to put him above these top handful of guys as a playoff performer. They've all shown things in the playoffs Stamkos never has, even if it hasn't come recently.

Personally, I struggled with the decision between Stamkos and Point. I'm just saying, the argument is legit.