Lightning Core vs Avs Core

[The Macho King]

70 point defenseman are not better than a guy who put up almost 130 last year and was gonna get 100+ again. Kucherov when ever I watch the lightning is their best player. His offensive IQ is insane. Hedman is the best defenseman right now but I dont see him as a top 10 player.

I've watched almost every game of both of their careers.

Hedman is a better player. The fact that OMG POINTZ is all people can look at is their failing, but if I have to choose one person to be on the ice, it's Hedman 100 times out of 100.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

Hedman is a better player than Kucherov and should be in the discussion for a top 5 player in the league if people actually valued defensemen.

70 point defenseman are not better than a guy who put up almost 130 last year and was gonna get 100+ again. Kucherov when ever I watch the lightning is their best player. His offensive IQ is insane. Hedman is the best defenseman right now but I dont see him as a top 10 player.

This sort of sums it up.

 

[missionAvs]

Bolts now and Avs later (maybe).

 

[Regal]

Quite easily Tampa now. Hedman is better than Makar and Rantanen and Landeskog are the two worst forwards. I'm not as confident in it changing in a couple years either. Even as Stamkos ages, he's unlikely to drop much, if any below Landeskog and Hedman is only 29 and could maintain his play for another 5-6 years.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Tampa is so deep with under 30 talent that Cirelli and Sergachev didn't even make OP's list of core players.

 

[The Macho King]

Tampa is so deep with under 30 talent that Cirelli and Sergachev didn't even make OP's list of core players.

Or Vasilevskiy for that matter - 25 year olds with a Vezina, another top 3 finish, and a probable top 3 finish this season is insanely rare.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Expanding this debate to the whole roster it’s easily Tampa.

Colorado can add Girard as a really good young player, but Tampa adds Cirelli, Sergachev, and Vasilevskiy.

Colorado has higher end prospects, but i don’t think it’s enough to put them over Tampa. It would depend on how good Byram and Newhook become.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Mackinnon is better than Kucherov and Point is better than Rantanen. Pretty good summary though.

MacKinnon is not better than Kucherov. Point and Rantanen are about equal

 

[CatchyTune]

MacKinnon is not better than Kucherov. Point and Rantanen are about equal

Well to each their own... But im not sure how many people would take Kuch over Mack. I take Point but that could go either way.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Gonna homer vote the Avs. But this is Tampa.

 

[CanadienShark]

I'm surprised it's not close. Tampa should clearly have it now. In a few years, it could well change, but I'm starting to think Tampa could hang on.

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Well to each their own... But im not sure how many people would take Kuch over Mack. I take Point but that could go either way.

I am a Tampa fan and I would take Mack over Kuch. But I would take Hedman over both Mack and Kuch. Point over Rantanen easily also. Point's shut down game plus his ability to put up goals puts him above Rants.

That's not really how cores work

Tampa's Core players right now barring contracts and resigning would be considered:

Hedman, Stamkos, Kucherov, Point, Sergachev, Cirelli, Vasy, and McDonagh.

There aren't many teams in the league that has that. Which equally makes it frustrating that they haven't won anything.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I am a Tampa fan and I would take Mack over Kuch. But I would take Hedman over both Mack and Kuch. Point over Rantanen easily also. Point's shut down game plus his ability to put up goals puts him above Rants.

Tampa's Core players right now barring contracts and resigning would be considered:

Hedman, Stamkos, Kucherov, Point, Sergachev, Cirelli, Vasy, and McDonagh.

There aren't many teams in the league that has that. Which equally makes it frustrating that they haven't won anything.

Agree that Hedman is right up there with MacKinnon. He gets underrated in the discussion for best players in the world.

 

[Just Linda]

I am a Tampa fan and I would take Mack over Kuch. But I would take Hedman over both Mack and Kuch. Point over Rantanen easily also. Point's shut down game plus his ability to put up goals puts him above Rants.

Tampa's Core players right now barring contracts and resigning would be considered:

Hedman, Stamkos, Kucherov, Point, Sergachev, Cirelli, Vasy, and McDonagh.

There aren't many teams in the league that has that. Which equally makes it frustrating that they haven't won anything.

I'd argue that Sergachev and McDonagh aren't core players. Great players in their own rights (I'm not just saying that because they are former habs) but the team isn't really built around them. Core players doesn't speak to the skill of the players, it speaks to how the team is built. You could move those guys without disrupting the Bolts a ton, they'd lose a lot of skill but it wouldn't fundamentally change the team's on ice identity nearly as much as losing point or Kucherov would. On other teams, those guys may be 1ds (or future) but they aren't core players in Tampa.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

I'd argue that Sergachev and McDonagh aren't core players. Great players in their own rights (I'm not just saying that because they are former habs) but the team isn't really built around them. Core players doesn't speak to the skill of the players, it speaks to how the team is built. You could move those guys without disrupting the Bolts a ton, they'd lose a lot of skill but it wouldn't fundamentally change the team's on ice identity nearly as much as losing point or Kucherov would. On other teams, those guys may be 1ds (or future) but they aren't core players in Tampa.

Sergachev has been an absolute force this year. I'd probably agree on Mac, though.

 

[KevSkillz4]

MacKinnon and Makar are the best player of that group. I'd take Colorado with without hesitation!

 

[Merrrlin]

MacKinnon and Makar are the best player of that group. I'd take Colorado with without hesitation!

I see you've taken some pointers from ol' Marky Marc...

 

[KevSkillz4]

I see you've taken some pointers from ol' Marky Marc...

I'd just from the future. Makar is going to have a better career than Hedman.

 

[Krewe]

I'd just from the future. Makar is going to have a better career than Hedman.

Makar isn't qualified to even hold Hedman's jockstrap yet

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Makar isn't qualified to even hold Hedman's jockstrap yet

 

[VinikToWinIt]

I’ll save this one.

View attachment 350488

Makar is phenomenal and will have a great career, but he's got a long way to go to be in the same career conversation as Hedman.

Hedman's a Norris winner, 2x Norris runner up (may be 3 after this season), Guldpucken winner, back to back player poll voted best defenseman. The lone hill that I'll die on in hockey is that he's the best defenseman in the NHL. He's elite at every facet of the game.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Makar is phenomenal and will have a great career, but he's got a long way to go to be in the same career conversation as Hedman.

Hedman's a Norris winner, 2x Norris runner up (may be 3 after this season), Guldpucken winner, back to back player poll voted best defenseman. The lone hill that I'll die on in hockey is that he's the best defenseman in the NHL. He's elite at every facet of the game.

I agree that he’s the best defenceman in the game, I just don’t agree with the notion that Makar, “can’t even hold his jockstrap.”

 

[DistantThunderRep]

Sergachev has been an absolute force this year. I'd probably agree on Mac, though.

People tend to forget how a lot of offense is generated from our zone. It's easy to forget. We couldn't just slot in any defenseman to our play style. McDonagh is our workhorse. We need to shut someone down, we send out McDonagh. Sergachev this year reached a level that none of us thought he would. We aren't talking about points here, I mean defensively. The strides he took this year in his game is just way above the normal growth curve that was expected. He's 21 and we are already considering him one of our Anchors.

 

[Krewe]

I agree that he’s the best defenceman in the game, I just don’t agree with the notion that Makar, “can’t even hold his jockstrap.”

I see you missed the “yet”.

because makar certainly has potential to be amazing. But as of now he isn’t even CLOSE to hedman and I think you know that

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I see you missed the “yet”.

because makar certainly has potential to be amazing. But as of now he isn’t even CLOSE to hedman and I think you know that

Hedman’s better than Makar right now. But, I definitely wouldn’t say it’s not even CLOSE.