Nona Di Giuseppe
Registered User
I could dispute a lot of that.
But heres a few interesting ones. Logan Couture may look better at the moment but largely on the basis of the dominating team he's playing for and the linemates he gets. Its always easier to look damned good on a better club. Will Couture look like this as key elite vets on the Sharks retire? What would Gagner look like in SJ? Don't get me wrong I'm impressed with what Logan has done with the situation but nothing is totally in isolation.
Which leads me to Kyle Turris. On what basis in reality is Kyle Turris established as a clear better option than Gagner. At no point in Turris career has he looked better than Gagner. This seems simply a type of "grass is always greener on the other side". If Turris was here people would be on him in an instant.
Fillipula? Seriously? Gagner is half a dozen years younger and has as many career pts. Outside of one outlier year people would be screaming Belanger if Fillupula was plodding on here. Plus he's 29 in a month. This is a guy that wasn't even on NHL radar and he's better than Gagner? No, not at all, he's played his career on a much better club and done little with it.
Roy, Briere, Lecavalier, Ribiero are twilight of careers. Wouldn't really trade for them at this point. How much clock would you really be getting on these players. One should always consider that Gagner is this good, and he's 23. A lot of people on the list are way beyond that in age or way below Gagner's accomplishments and established skillset.
ps I do respect that you stated "today" and understand the basis of your post. I'm responding to the thread as much as your post.
Correcting for age how many NHL centers are demonstrably better than Gagner? How many would be available and at what cost? How much addition by subtraction would go on?
Gagner has never been one of the problems with this club.
If you put Logan Couture on the Oilers, he would do better than Gagner.
Roy, Briere, Lecavalier, Ribiero are twilight of careers..... and better than Gagner.