HFBoards Top 31 NHL Wingers - #6

[biturbo19]

Definitely not because of point output, Stone is just a much better all around winger. His defensive work-rate and positioning is at an elite level and he is a beast on offense as well. He might not have the shot Tarasenko has but he has him beat nearly everywhere else.

Tarasenko is not a defensive slouch either though. You don't survive and thrive under Hitchcock by being a defensive flake. And i like Tanks ability to carry weaker linemates better. He's made chicken salad out of chicken shit more so than Stone imo.

Just feels like Stone's "takeaway" numbers really lead to an overrating of his defensive prowess.

 

[canuckinfuts]

Tarasenko is not a defensive slouch either though. You don't survive and thrive under Hitchcock by being a defensive flake. And i like Tanks ability to carry weaker linemates better. He's made chicken salad out of chicken **** more so than Stone imo.

Just feels like Stone's "takeaway" numbers really lead to an overrating of his defensive prowess.

Stone is a more impactful winger in my eyes and the analytics confirm it, I don't know what else to tell ya.

 

[Huck Cheever]

I'll go with a Hart trophy winner here. Hall is way underrated on this board.

 

[Huck Cheever]

But he wasn't even a top 10 winger the 3 years before that and once again couldn't stay healthy last year. It wasn't like it was a Kucherov Hart either. It wasn't much different than what several others on this list have done.

What's staying healthy have to do with being a better player? This poll doesn't say vote for whos had the better seasons.

 

[izzy]

Tarasenko is not a defensive slouch either though. You don't survive and thrive under Hitchcock by being a defensive flake. And i like Tanks ability to carry weaker linemates better. He's made chicken salad out of chicken **** more so than Stone imo.

Just feels like Stone's "takeaway" numbers really lead to an overrating of his defensive prowess.

id trade tank for stone without a second thought.

and tarasenko is terrible defensively, he looked ok a few years ago due solely to effort but has become the laziest player on the team.

also note that pietrangelo and ror are better than tarasenko in general and in the playoff run. schwartz and parayko were also better in the playoffs.

 

[Regal]

What's staying healthy have to do with being a better player? This poll doesn't say vote for whos had the better seasons.

Hall was healthy the two years before his Hart season and still wasn't a top 10 winger, putting up 65 points in 82 games and 53 in 72. The season before that he also had only 38 points in 53 games. Those three years he had a combined 156 points in 207 games for a pace of 62 points per 82 games.

No, health isn't a part of who is better, but Hall didn't even play a half season last year, so it's hard to say which version of him is going to continue going forward. The player from his Hart season, or the player from '15-'17? I'm betting it's somewhere in between.

 

[Regal]

Tarasenko is not a defensive slouch either though. You don't survive and thrive under Hitchcock by being a defensive flake. And i like Tanks ability to carry weaker linemates better. He's made chicken salad out of chicken **** more so than Stone imo.

Just feels like Stone's "takeaway" numbers really lead to an overrating of his defensive prowess.

Stone dominates possession and GF% compared to Tarasenko, has played with even weaker linemates and significantly outproduced him in PPG the past two seasons. I just don't see how anyone can think Tarasenko is better.

 

[biturbo19]

id trade tank for stone without a second thought.

and tarasenko is terrible defensively, he looked ok a few years ago due solely to effort but has become the laziest player on the team.

also note that pietrangelo and ror are better than tarasenko in general and in the playoff run. schwartz and parayko were also better in the playoffs.

I can see the argument for Pietrangelo, and kinda regretted my comment just after i posted it for that reason. But Tarasenko is the engine. The Blues score as Tarasenko scores.

 

[biturbo19]

Stone dominates possession and GF% compared to Tarasenko, has played with even weaker linemates and significantly outproduced him in PPG the past two seasons. I just don't see how anyone can think Tarasenko is better.

Possession and GF% are not truly individual statistics though. They rely heavily on deployment and quality of linemates and competition. Which is the whole rabbit whole of "fancystats" when you start using those numbers to justify who is "better", by using other numbers that are based on those same numbers.

 

[bobholly39]

I dont get why people like Stone so much

 

[Taluss]

I dont get why people like Stone so much

His all around game is incredible. Amazing 2 way player and he wreaked it in playoffs. If this guy had a better offensive game he'd be top3 in the NHL imo.

Watch him if u ever have a chance, it's worth it.

 

[Zamuz]

Lol at Stone winning over Giroux, Marner, Panarin, Rantanen and Gaudreau

Are you People high or what? What is Stones point record, not even 80? Who cares about defensive play from a winger, Seriously?

 

[LT]

Lol at Stone winning over Giroux, Marner, Panarin, Rantanen and Gaudreau

Are you People high or what? What is Stones point record, not even 80? Who cares about defensive play from a winger, Seriously?

Defensive play generally seems to be weighted quite highly by many HFers, justifably or not.

I personally subscribe to the notion that defense is relatively easy to be good at (when you're an NHLer), but offense is not. I've always thought the toughest defensive minutes should go to specialists on the 3rd/4th line. If your premiere offensive forwards are having to devote time to focus on defense and play PK minutes, that's a problem with the team IMO.

I suspect many of the players on this list could be strong defensively, but simply don't need to be and therefore focus on their offensive game instead.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Not everyone thinks he deserved it though

6th in league scoring while being 41pts above your next closest teammate seems like a pretty good reason to win...

 

[CupofOil]

I'll go with a Hart trophy winner here. Hall is way underrated on this board.

He's more inconsistent than the elite wingers.
At his best, he's as good as anyone but he's had some clunker seasons (relative to his talent) and injuries.
However, I can see an argument for him being top 5 despite all that.