Better Passer: Joe Thornton or Adam Oates
- Thread starter ted2019
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Sentinel
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Oates by a small but significant margin. Oates by a huge margin tho, if we are to believe the very trendy HoH claim, that Oates made competitors of Bure and such unfairly better. 
ps. Soon Oates will be the best playmaker of all time. What with Gretzky being a bum and Oates being solely responsible for Brett Hull goals, etc.
ps. Soon Oates will be the best playmaker of all time. What with Gretzky being a bum and Oates being solely responsible for Brett Hull goals, etc.
Michael Farkas
Celebrate 68
The Pale King
Go easy on those Mango Giapanes brother...
Oates by a small but significant margin. Oates by a huge margin tho, if we are to believe the very trendy HoH claim, that Oates made competitors of Bure and such unfairly better.
ps. Soon Oates will be the best playmaker of all time. What with Gretzky being a bum and Oates being solely responsible for Brett Hull goals, etc.
I don't understand this post.
Interesting comparison though. I think it's quite close, but I would take Thornton if there was a gun to my head.
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
I think Oates was a slightly better passer with Thornton being slightly better at controlling the puck, with the end results being very similar
Jim MacDonald
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- Oct 7, 2017
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In the isolataed element of passing and creating a goal from a wow-assist, I think it´s Oates. If both have the puck under the control and a split second to make a pass, I think Oates more often gonna create a dangerous goal scoring chance. But as TheDevilMadeMe is pointing at, it´s probably even because Thornton is better with the puck and that his bigger frame makes him a better puck protector/controller. He can buy himself a little bit more time and a few more chances that way.
Sentinel
Registered User
I also would like to point out that Thornton for a short while had a claim for being the best forward in the world. Oates never came close to that. But when it comes to pure passing abilities, I think they are almost identical.
In the world of hyperboles, Strawman is king.Oates by a small but significant margin. Oates by a huge margin tho, if we are to believe the very trendy HoH claim, that Oates made competitors of Bure and such unfairly better.
ps. Soon Oates will be the best playmaker of all time. What with Gretzky being a bum and Oates being solely responsible for Brett Hull goals, etc.
Nick Hansen
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- Sep 28, 2017
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Dennis Bonvie
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Dennis Bonvie
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Oates by a small but significant margin. Oates by a huge margin tho, if we are to believe the very trendy HoH claim, that Oates made competitors of Bure and such unfairly better.
ps. Soon Oates will be the best playmaker of all time. What with Gretzky being a bum and Oates being solely responsible for Brett Hull goals, etc.
Why would you say Gretzky was a bum?
Never heard that before.
tony d
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67 others
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Is this post regarding specifically the skill of passing the puck tape to tape? Or greatest playmaker including using size and ability to protect the puck to translate into scoring chances? Including taking into account Thornton played in mostly a low scoring era?
It is basically unquestionable that Thornton was a much more dominant individual player and his numbers would have been higher had he played in the small goalpads offensive era, but in terms of pure passing, they are much closer. Both were able to turn great goalscorers into sensational goalscorers, mediocre goalscorers into very good ones and could probably have scored assists with a Pylon on their lines.
It is basically unquestionable that Thornton was a much more dominant individual player and his numbers would have been higher had he played in the small goalpads offensive era, but in terms of pure passing, they are much closer. Both were able to turn great goalscorers into sensational goalscorers, mediocre goalscorers into very good ones and could probably have scored assists with a Pylon on their lines.
Big Phil
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- Nov 2, 2003
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Thornton the better player, and better career. Overall at least.
As for just passing? Hmmm............tough one. When I think of Thornton I think of a guy that is as good as anyone ever was when it came to passing "down low". In other words Thornton along the boards in the offensive zone or on the power play or behind the net or beside the net.........he controlled the puck very well and seemed to be able to lure the defender in. Had soft hands for a big man.
Oates made the more jaw dropping pass. How he kept doing this I'll never know. In hindsight you have to wonder why the defender even bothered coming after Oates. He ALWAYS made a pass. Sometimes an impossible one, but he had such sweet, soft hands that he could thread it through.
There are times I watch Crosby and like Oates he looks for the pass first. But Crosby is a far more dangerous shooter than Oates ever was and I find there are times that as great as he is he is better off taking the shot at times. I never thought that with Oates. Not that he never scored, but he was always the better threat passing.
As for just passing? Hmmm............tough one. When I think of Thornton I think of a guy that is as good as anyone ever was when it came to passing "down low". In other words Thornton along the boards in the offensive zone or on the power play or behind the net or beside the net.........he controlled the puck very well and seemed to be able to lure the defender in. Had soft hands for a big man.
Oates made the more jaw dropping pass. How he kept doing this I'll never know. In hindsight you have to wonder why the defender even bothered coming after Oates. He ALWAYS made a pass. Sometimes an impossible one, but he had such sweet, soft hands that he could thread it through.
There are times I watch Crosby and like Oates he looks for the pass first. But Crosby is a far more dangerous shooter than Oates ever was and I find there are times that as great as he is he is better off taking the shot at times. I never thought that with Oates. Not that he never scored, but he was always the better threat passing.
