Better pair to build around: Matthews/Marner or Petterson/Hughes?

[Northern Avs Fan]

Which pair would you rather build your team around? Matthews/Marner, or Petterson/Hughes?

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[DomBarr]

A top line C and potential 1 d > than a top line center and rw

 

[Addison Rae]

Matthews and Marner in a vacuum are better players but Canucks duo has the positional advantage.

This is what this thread ultimately boils down to, but we’re going to see a 7 page flame war anyway.

 

[bukwas]

I'll take the pair with the best player.

 

[IPS]

Matthews/Marner even with D being a more valuable position. Hughes doesn't provide good defense anyway, makes it an easier choice.

 

[DatSnipeMatthews]

Leafs fan here. Love Matthews, can't stand Marner. I'd take the Canucks duo easily so I'd never have to watch Marner on my team ever again.

 

[nowhereman]

Matthews is the best player here, at the moment, but I could see that change as soon as next season. Petterson's potential is next-level and he still has so much growing to do. Hughes, on the other hand, is the kind of elite talent you rarely see in a young defenseman and I have a feeling he'll be a perennial Norris contender (along with other elite young defensemen like Dahlin, Makar, etc.).

I'll take my chances with the Canucks pair. That said, if you were a GM, you'd be ecstatic with either duo.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Matthews and Marner AINEC.

They're two top-10 players in the NHL, as opposed to two guys are NOT in the top-10. Easy choice.

 

[JoVel]

Leafs fan here. Love Matthews, can't stand Marner. I'd take the Canucks duo easily so I'd never have to watch Marner on my team ever again.

What's that all about?

 

[McRpro]

What's that all about?

There's a sizeable segment of Leafs fans who have soured on Marner since the whole contract fiasco. And honestly, I can't blame them.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

The one that hopefully wont be paying their guys $22.5M combined.

 

[Holymakinaw]

What's that all about?

Some Fools can't appreciate having a 22 year old who scored 94 points last year, and was on pace for another 90+ points THIS year.

Those guys don't deserve a good team.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I’ll take the franchise D/ franchise C combo.
Marner is a great winger but just not as critical to building a team as the Center and D positions.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I'll take the pair with the best player.

Still too soon who ends up as the best player imo.

 

[rent free]

in the playoffs i'd take matthews & marner since they actually make it there

 

[nowhereman]

Matthews and Marner AINEC.

They're two top-10 players in the NHL, as opposed to two guys are NOT in the top-10. Easy choice.

Marner is nowhere close to being a top 10 player in the NHL and Matthews is arguable.

Leaving your Leafs bias aside, would you honestly take Marner over:

McDavid
MacKinnon
Crosby
Kucherov
Malkin
Draisaitl
Hedman
Matthews
Kane
Panarin
Marchand
Pastrnak
Eichel
Barkov

And that's just 15 players off the top of my head, without listing names like Carlsson, Josi, Stamkos, Stone, Couturier, Bergeron, etc.

 

[Knight53]

Pettersson will be the best talent out of these 4 players and then you take the importance of positional value and its the Canucks duo you build around.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Marner is nowhere close to being a top 10 player in the NHL and Matthews is arguable.

Leaving your Leafs bias aside, would you honestly take Marner over:

McDavid
MacKinnon
Crosby
Kucherov
Malkin
Draisaitl
Hedman
Matthews
Kane
Panarin
Marchand
Pastrnak
Eichel
Barkov

And that's just 15 players off the top of my head, without listing names like Carlsson, Josi, Stamkos, Stone, Couturier, Bergeron, etc.

Yup. I'd take 90+ point, 22 year old Marner over old man Crosby at this point, and Malkin, Kane, Panarin, Marchand, and Eichel.

Marner's already had one 94 point season, and paced for 93 points this year. The sky is the limit with this kid. You listed some great players obviously, but I take the kid with the unbelievably high ceiling over all the old geriatrics you(and I) mentioned(and Eichel too)!!

 

[Addison Rae]

in the playoffs i'd take matthews & marner since they actually make it there

Quinn Hughes has never missed the playoffs in his career

 

[nowhereman]

Yup. I'd take 90+ point, 22 year old Marner over old man Crosby at this point, and Malkin, Kane, Panarin, Marchand, and Eichel.

Marner's already had one 94 point season, and paced for 93 points this year. The sky is the limit with this kid. You listed some great players obviously, but I take the kid with the unbelievably high ceiling over all the old geriatrics I mentioned(and Eichel too)!!

But potential doesn't make you one of the 10 best players in the NHL, at least not yet. Old man Crosby had 100 points last season and finished 4th in Selke voting. If I'm going into a playoff series, there's no way I'm picking Marner over Crosby. The same goes for Malkin, Panarin or any of them.

Marner may get there but he's not there yet.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

Matthews and Marner AINEC.

They're two top-10 players in the NHL, as opposed to two guys are NOT in the top-10. Easy choice.

Matthews yeah.
Marners definitely not a top 10 player.
Maybe pushing top 25

 

[Holymakinaw]

But potential doesn't make you one of the 10 best players in the NHL, at least not yet. Old man Crosby had 100 points last season and finished 4th in Selke voting. If I'm going into a playoff series, there's no way I'm picking Marner over Crosby. The same goes for Malkin, Panarin or any of them.

Marner may get there but he's not there yet.

....and Marner had 94 points last year and paced for that again this year.

If I'm building a team, there's no way on earth I take those great but OLDER players over Marner at this point. This thread is kind of all about "who do you build around" isn't it?

Anyway......it's okay Buddy. You're just wrong. It happens.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Well that didn’t take long. Two fanbases of teams that haven’t had a lot of success recently each dissing the other.
I don’t think either group should be puffing out their chests just yet. Both have some nice pieces but still have a long way to go before they are true contenders. I’d say the Leafs are slightly ahead as they’ve been rebuilding longer but the gap has closed a lot this past year as the standings show.
I think either choice is defensible but prefer the franchise D/Center combo over the franchise wing/Center combo.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

I think positional advantage gives the edge to the Canucks, but it's close. I mean, you can't really go wrong with either.

 

[BlueBaron]

Hard one. Matthews is the best player but Hughes is coming off an impressive sophomore season. Hard to say if he will eclipse Marner but I could see reason for taking either group. I'll stick with the Leaf guys because I think Matthews will be the best player by a decent margin.