Draisaitl Vs Gaudreau

[sparxx87]

I'm well aware of the weakness Edmonton has. But the problem is, you have ZERO effective scoring lines when McDavid and Draisaitl steps off the ice. Don't you think it's worth trying to correct that?

If you read the Oilers board, some of the more qualified posters seem to agree... Most of the ones you’ll engage with on the main boards don’t have much of a pulse on this game beyond the stats sheet.

 

[KlefDown]

Okay, so let’s objectively discuss this?

Explain why you think Draisaitl is better? I hope you’ve got more than just a stat line for the guy who plays with a 100pt, Hart, Art Ross, Lindsay winning centreman?

the year before, people's argument was that he played with "elite" winger Hall.

arguing without stats usage
Draisaitl is a big body C who is an elite passer, has a great shot, and has top end speed with the drive of a champion.
He's playoff proven and is very versatile in this game (ability to play C or W)

Johhny is a smaller sized W who is an elite passer, great hands, elite vision, top end speed and a PP specialist.
He is also playoff proven

who is it so absurd to pick Drai?

 

[KlefDown]

I'm well aware of the weakness Edmonton has. But the problem is, you have ZERO effective scoring lines when McDavid and Draisaitl steps off the ice. Don't you think it's worth trying to correct that?

I agree, it should be corrected. It will be too.
But thats no the argument here. Just because Drai plays with McDavid doesn't make him any less of a player. Drai is his own player.
Confuses me how people have yet to realize this.

 

[McFlyingV]

I'm very confused. You talk about being objective but then complain about the stat sheets. You do know any argument based around yours or anyone else's opinion on a player is a subjective measure not an objective one right?

 

[KlefDown]

If you read the Oilers board, some of the more qualified posters seem to agree... Most of the ones you’ll engage with on the main boards don’t have much of a pulse on this game beyond the stats sheet.

same can be said for Leafs fans and "our defence doesn't need fixing, we're fine" crew. but go on, keep taking your shots

 

[McFlyingV]

same can be said for Leafs fans and "our defence doesn't need fixing, we're fine" crew. but go on, keep taking your shots

Objectively speaking, my objective opinion is objective so therefore, it is correct.

 

[KlefDown]

Objectively speaking, my objective opinion is objective so therefore, it is correct.

but are you sure it's objectively, objectifiable?

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I agree, it should be corrected. It will be too.
But thats no the argument here. Just because Drai plays with McDavid doesn't make him any less of a player. Drai is his own player.
Confuses me how people have yet to realize this.

i think it's fair to say his responsibilities offensively are lowered and his points are inflated due to playing with McDavid

 

[NarcoPolo]

Gaudreau quite comfortably for me at this point in time.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

same can be said for Leafs fans and "our defence doesn't need fixing, we're fine" crew. but go on, keep taking your shots

why are Oilers fans trying to make this thread about the Leafs? First Nylander was brought up and now the Leafs defense. The deflections are getting odd

 

[McFlyingV]

why are Oilers fans trying to make this thread about the Leafs? First Nylander was brought up and now the Leafs defense. The deflections are getting odd

You have trouble orienting a computer screen? His response was to a post making this thread about Oilers fans. Does it surprise you when shots are fired back?

 

[KlefDown]

why are Oilers fans trying to make this thread about the Leafs? First Nylander was brought up and now the Leafs defense. The deflections are getting odd

That was directed at the other guy trying to take a shot at oilers fans.

 

[KlefDown]

i think it's fair to say his responsibilities offensively are lowered and his points are inflated due to playing with McDavid

It’s not a mutually exclusive partnership. If Drais totals go down, then so do McDavids. There is a 0% chance McDavid hit 100 or won his trophy’s if it weren’t for Drai last season.

 

[Zenos]

I'm a big oilers homer, but I have to go with Gaudreau at this time. His offensive instincts and creativity are on another level.

Still have to laugh at all those people writing off Draisaitl or saying he can't play centre though. He looked good in the middle with Hall two years ago and looked even better in the playoffs last spring centring his own line.
He's a versatile player who takes the majority of his line's draws (even when he's suiting up at RW) and wins more than he loses.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

It’s not a mutually exclusive partnership. If Drais totals go down, then so do McDavids. There is a 0% chance McDavid hit 100 or won his trophy’s if it weren’t for Drai last season.

completely true, but at the end of the day I don't feel comfortable voting for Draisaitl over Gaudreau until he can prove he can drive his own line and produce at a similar level. I think he can get there, but he does still have to get there first

 

[sparxx87]

same can be said for Leafs fans and "our defence doesn't need fixing, we're fine" crew. but go on, keep taking your shots

Go take it up with them.. I call Leaf fans out for being dumb all the time and I’m ‘a Leaf hater’ or ‘policing’ Leaf fans... Can’t win.

Now, I’m an individual who asked a reasonable question to a poster who makes several ‘matter of fact’ statements that are verrrry subjective.. My intent is to discourage these types of posts from users who won’t support their opinions. As you see, this poster suddenly went quiet.

So, if you want to point to the ridiculous pissing match that’s gone on between the two fan bases - don’t come at me until you’re clear on my contributions. Am I part of the problem, or am I at least trying to be part of the solution?


Now, sell me on Leon Draisaitl. I’m on the fence here.

 

[sparxx87]

I'm a big oilers homer, but I have to go with Gaudreau at this time. His offensive instincts and creativity are on another level.

Still have to laugh at all those people writing off Draisaitl or saying he can't play centre though. He looked good in the middle with Hall two years ago and looked even better in the playoffs last spring centring his own line.
He's a versatile player who takes the majority of his line's draws (even when he's suiting up at RW) and wins more than he loses.

I like him better as a centreman. I like the team better with the 1,2,3 punch up the middle.

I understand the lack of depth at RW, what I don’t understand is taking an elite centreman and putting him on the wing when your team needs scoring depth. I think you’d find a lot of coaches who question this tactic..

 

[McFlyingV]

Go take it up with them.. I call Leaf fans out for being dumb all the time and I’m ‘a Leaf hater’ or ‘policing’ Leaf fans... Can’t win.

Now, I’m an individual who asked a reasonable question to a poster who makes several ‘matter of fact’ statements that are verrrry subjective.. My intent is to discourage these types of posts from users who won’t support their opinions. As you see, this poster suddenly went quiet.

So, if you want to point to the ridiculous pissing match that’s gone on between the two fan bases - don’t come at me until you’re clear on my contributions. Am I part of the problem, or am I at least trying to be part of the solution?


Now, sell me on Leon Draisaitl. I’m on the fence here.

I'll give it a go, but you'll have to realize it will always be subjective discuss given that opinions are not objective in any way.

Here's where I think advantages sit for each player:

Gaudreau

• Better hands
• Shiftier skater and more elusive
• More creative
• Stylistically he has a more dynamic looking game
• Makes less money
• Better beating defenders 1 on 1

Draisaitl

• Rare combination of size, speed and strength
• Better puck protection
• Younger
• Better shot, although neither have elite shots, but Johnny will rarely score from far out while Drai is capable, albeit not proficient at it.
• Better defensive player imo (both read the game very well, but Gaudreau's size limits him in a lot of situations)
• More versatile - can play fast, slow, physical, and can fit any role on a line (puck carrier, board work, playmaker, shooter, centre, wing)

Both are elite playmakers with elite vision and IQ, but stylistically they could not be anymore different. Maybe I prefer Drai because he fits Edmonton better given that McDavid plays a style much more like Gaudreau, but I prefer Drai's overall skill set better given that their production is quite similar. You can argument line mates to death, and McDavid is obviously a vastly superior player to Monahan, but at the same time Calgary's Dmen as a whole are much better offensively than Edmonton's Dmen.

With that said, if Gaudreau was Draisaitl's size with his skill set he'd be a top 5 player in the league without question.

 

[Karsa Orlong]

I like him better as a centreman. I like the team better with the 1,2,3 punch up the middle.

I understand the lack of depth at RW, what I don’t understand is taking an elite centreman and putting him on the wing when your team needs scoring depth. I think you’d find a lot of coaches who question this tactic..

I agree with this, that he should be a center most nights. But that's not his choice, and I definitely don't think it has anything to do with the coaches trust to put him there (which is a really dumb spin people seem to like to use). TM just hasn't been able to find a way to get scoring elsewhere, and he goes back to that well every time.

To be fair McDavid and Drai score a lot together so I can see why its a tough call, especially with RNH in the lineup. I personally love all of the sweet plays that Drai and McDavid make so as a fan I don't hate it. I just wish the rest of the line-up could contribute more, like they did last season. RHN is doing much better so hopefully they can make it happen.

I also don't see how that is a negative that he plays two positions. Shouldn't that be a positive for Drai? I think at this point to say he hasn't proven to be a good center is false. He has been great every time he takes up the task. With Hall the year before, and in the playoffs he was unreal. Even the game where he did get split up this year I am pretty sure he scored. Heck you could argue that half the time he is the center and McDavid is the winger when they play together, based on how they play and move around. It just seems asinine to think that this is a negative that he can also play an elite winger game, and that happens to be where the coach uses him.

If I had to start a franchise right now with either it would be Drai over Johnny, no doubt, although I think they are pretty much equal in how good they are at this moment.

 

[sparxx87]

I'm very confused. You talk about being objective but then complain about the stat sheets. You do know any argument based around yours or anyone else's opinion on a player is a subjective measure not an objective one right?

Absolutely, but isn’t that the only interesting discussion to be had? Stats too, are subjective in the game of hockey... We can all just google numbers... Maybe I’m crazy, but it’d be cool if we could have these sort of discussions as if we’re scouts. Maybe as if we’re two coaches, trying to make the last cut.

Don’t show me you can google, tell me what you see in a player. Tell me why he can help a hockey team, like this;

I'll give it a go, but you'll have to realize it will always be subjective discuss given that opinions are not objective in any way.

Here's where I think advantages sit for each player:

Gaudreau

• Better hands
• Shiftier skater and more elusive
• More creative
• Stylistically he has a more dynamic looking game
• Makes less money
• Better beating defenders 1 on 1

Draisaitl

• Rare combination of size, speed and strength
• Better puck protection
• Younger
• Better shot, although neither have elite shots, but Johnny will rarely score from far out while Drai is capable, albeit not proficient at it.
• Better defensive player imo (both read the game very well, but Gaudreau's size limits him in a lot of situations)
• More versatile - can play fast, slow, physical, and can fit any role on a line (puck carrier, board work, playmaker, shooter, centre, wing)

Both are elite playmakers with elite vision and IQ, but stylistically they could not be anymore different. Maybe I prefer Drai because he fits Edmonton better given that McDavid plays a style much more like Gaudreau, but I prefer Drai's overall skill set better given that their production is quite similar. You can argument line mates to death, and McDavid is obviously a vastly superior player to Monahan, but at the same time Calgary's Dmen as a whole are much better offensively than Edmonton's Dmen.

Great post. The word I’d use to describe Draisaitl’s shot is heavy.

For me, the only debate is what position Leon plays. As a centreman, I take him. As a wing, a lot of his advantages aren’t as important. Some of what Gaudreau does as a winger could be argued as more impactful... If we’re not making the distinction, I’ll take Draisaitl and play him at C.

I wasn’t calling you out, look who I was quoting. We don’t agree on everything, but surely we can agree a handful of posters from both sides need to go away?

 

[McFlyingV]

Absolutely, but isn’t that the only interesting discussion to be had? Stats too, are subjective in the game of hockey... We can all just google numbers... Maybe I’m crazy, but it’d be cool if we could have these sort of discussions as if we’re scouts. Maybe as if we’re two coaches, trying to make the last cut.

Don’t show me you can google, tell me what you see in a player. Tell me why he can help a hockey team, like this;
Great post. The word I’d use to describe Draisaitl’s shot is heavy.

For me, the only debate is what position Leon plays. As a centreman, I take him. As a wing, a lot of his advantages aren’t as important. Some of what Gaudreau does as a winger could be argued as more impactful... If we’re not making the distinction, I’ll take Draisaitl and play him at C.

I wasn’t calling you out, look who I was quoting. We don’t agree on everything, but surely we can agree a handful of posters from both sides need to go away?

I was just confused on your comment about looking at it objectively because nothing we ever post from personal opinion or opinion of others will ever be objective, but lets move on from that.

I think a lot of what it comes down to is what else you have in your lineup or even what else you have to play on a line with each player. Gaudreau needs finishers, but he is able to create a ton on his own, and certainly would benefit most on a team with good puck moving D (which he has) and some players who can win puck battles and protect the puck down low (which he doesn't really have, Monahan and Ferland are passable). Meanwhile I think Draisaitl's game is very versatile, but he probably looks the best on a line with speed and ideally a finisher which he doesn't really have currently in Edmonton. I'm not sure Draisaitl can create as much on his own as Gaudreau can, but he can do a lot of things in the O-zone like protect pucks with ease. Draisaitl is also a great transition player, but he's certainly not as good off the rush as Gaudreau, which again relates to my point that maybe I take Draisaitl because Connor is the best off-the-rush player in the league.

At the end of the day I like Draisaitl's versatility and adaptability. There's not a lot of players in the league that can assume any role on a line and play the game is so many different ways. It won't always look as flashy, but having that guy who just seems to be able to play multiple different ways makes me value him more.

 

[Volica]

Who is the more impactful player at the moment?

At. This. Moment.

How is this even a question folks. One guy is the only offensive piece on a +.500 team. The other is a passenger to one of the 3-5 best players in the game.

 

[sparxx87]

I agree with this, that he should be a center most nights. But that's not his choice, and I definitely don't think it has anything to do with the coaches trust to put him there (which is a really dumb spin people seem to like to use). TM just hasn't been able to find a way to get scoring elsewhere, and he goes back to that well every time.

To be fair McDavid and Drai score a lot together so I can see why its a tough call, especially with RNH in the lineup. I personally love all of the sweet plays that Drai and McDavid make so as a fan I don't hate it. I just wish the rest of the line-up could contribute more, like they did last season. RHN is doing much better so hopefully they can make it happen.

I also don't see how that is a negative that he plays two positions. Shouldn't that be a positive for Drai? I think at this point to say he hasn't proven to be a good center is false. He has been great every time he takes up the task. With Hall the year before, and in the playoffs he was unreal. Even the game where he did get split up this year I am pretty sure he scored. Heck you could argue that half the time he is the center and McDavid is the winger when they play together, based on how they play and move around. It just seems asinine to think that this is a negative that he can also play an elite winger game, and that happens to be where the coach uses him.

If I had to start a franchise right now with either it would be Drai over Johnny, no doubt, although I think they are pretty much equal in how good they are at this moment.

I agree, and that’s why I’m so confused with TM. I don’t think you even need to see him at centre to see he possesses the qualities. He does everything well.

I’d use them like Crosby and Malkin - PP, desperate times, maybe some OT. I think the team is better when you’ve got two elite centres anchoring their own line.

The real solution to this would be Chiarelli trading for a top 6 winger.

 

[FlameChampion]

What I find funny about this post is that when Draitsaitl is compared to Barkov, people claim Barkov is better because hes better defensively.

Draitsaitl is much more versatile player than Gaudreau is or ever will be. Gaudreau is a great offensive talent.

I am not saying that Draitsaitl is better than Gaudreau, but the inconsistency on this board is something.

 

[McFlyingV]

At. This. Moment.

How is this even a question folks. One guy is the only offensive piece on a +.500 team. The other is a passenger to one of the 3-5 best players in the game.

Right, he sure looked like a passenger with that pass in OT last night. You can make a fair case for Gaudreau in this comparison, there's no need to throw out a false narrative. If you can't see how good Leon is and by no means a passenger, then you're either blinded by bias or you're really not paying attention.