Connor vs Zibanejad vs Barzal

[amnesiac]

whos the best right now?

Click to read more...

 

[Fugazy]

Zibby’s been playing on a ridiculous pace this season when he’s been healthy.

 

[Llamamoto]

Zibby's probably the best right now, but I'd take Barzal going forward.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Zibby's probably the best right now, but I'd take Barzal going forward.

Because Barzal well improve or because you think this is an outlier season for both?

 

[Llamamoto]

Because Barzal well improve or because you think this is an outlier season for both?

Because Matt Barzal is 4 years younger, and should improve. This is by far Zibanejad's best year at age 26, so I doubt he'll be able to top a season like this. Barzal's only 22 and should continue to improve.

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Zibanejad
Barzal

Connor

 

[LuckyBoeser]

IMO the order is: Mathew Barzal, Mika Zibanejad, Kyle Connor.

 

[Blue Blooded]

Zibanejad is currently in a completely different tier than the other two.

 

[Kaner9]

It's Barzal, come on.

 

[jetsforever]

Right now, probably Mika

 

[Sasso09]

As someone who has been kinda rough on Zibanejad multiple times and thought he was somewhat overrated... he looked downright elite today and could have scored 5 goals... looked like a young Jagr out there.

Rangers fans I'm sorry for my past sins.

 

[Machinehead]

As someone who has been kinda rough on Zibanejad multiple times and thought he was somewhat overrated... he looked downright elite today and could have scored 5 goals... looked like a young Jagr out there.

Rangers fans I'm sorry for my past sins.

We're still wrong about almost everything

 

[Machinehead]

It's Barzal, come on.

"Come on" what?

Zibanejad has 65 in 52, Barzal has 56 in 64. And although neither are anything to write home about defensively, Zibanejad is clearly better.

 

[Regal]

After the last two seasons, I don't know how anyone doesn't pick Zibanejad here. He's putting up the best numbers, and is the most complete player. Barzal's totals might be a little deflated from the Isles system, but the gap is too big to write off based on just that.

 

[valet]

Barzal

 

[PatrikBerglund]

"Come on" what?

Zibanejad has 65 in 52, Barzal has 56 in 64. And although neither are anything to write home about defensively, Zibanejad is clearly better.

What are you talking about, Zibanejad is VERY good defensively.

 

[bert]

Because Barzal well improve or because you think this is an outlier season for both?

Barzal is 4 years younger. Zibanejad at the same age wasnt remotely close. Also i think we all know that scoring in NYI's system is not ideal. Flip spots between the two players and the production is likely very similar. Lastly the eye test for Barzal shows how good he is and what his upside can look like the more consistent he gets.

Zibanejad is playing the best right now but Barzal is who you take going forward. The poll asks right now so the answer is Zibby.

 

[McJesusSaves97]

It's not the popular choice here, but I love Connor's game every time we play him...went with him

 

[Pi]

I am going with Connor



McDavid.

 

[Machinehead]

What are you talking about, Zibanejad is VERY good defensively.

This is largely a narrative created by Rangers fans. He's passable defensively.

It's perfectly fine. There's like four #1 centers in the NHL who are actually great defensively. The whole thing is a narrative.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Zibanejad is the best of the three by a clear margin, in my opinion. Barzal might be as good at his peak, but not yet. Connor is not that much worse than Barzal, but center over the wing.

 

[doomscroll]

This is largely a narrative created by Rangers fans. He's passable defensively.

It's perfectly fine. There's like four #1 centers in the NHL who are actually great defensively. The whole thing is a narrative.

Yeah Zib kills lots of penalties but he can be a little passive in the D-zone at even strength. Not a rarity among forwards, and the defensive structure probably doesn’t help.

 

[Love]

This is largely a narrative created by Rangers fans. He's passable defensively.

It's perfectly fine. There's like four #1 centers in the NHL who are actually great defensively. The whole thing is a narrative.

Who would you say those handful of players are?

 

[Machinehead]

Who would you say those handful of players are?

Couturier, Bergeron, ROR, and Crosby when he feels like it.

Everyone else off the top of my head -could be overlooking guys- ranges from bang average to terrible.

There's always a lot of posturing and memeing on HF about two-way center play and I don't think we grasp the extent to which 1C is an offensive position.

It's not a criticism of them, it just is what it is. You can get effective team defense by teaching a system. You can't teach 85-100 points.

 

[Foppberg]

Zibanejad is in a tier above these guys.