Speculation: McDavid or Matthews/Marner

[TorMapleJays]

This was brought up in a previous post -

One drop of the ball would have led to McDavid but no Marner or Matthews. We would have had McDavid and a good compliment player. I personally, would not trade Matthews and Marner for McDavid. Would you??

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[biotk]

This was brought up in a previous post -

One drop of the ball would have led to McDavid but no Marner or Matthews. We would have had McDavid and a good compliment player. I personally, would not trade Matthews and Marner for McDavid. Would you??

If the Leafs had drafted McDavid, they would have still likely drafted a high first round pick in 2016. So the 2-for-1 seems a bit inappropriate.

What if it was McDavid/Tkachuck vs Marner/Matthews?

Or Keller? Sergachev? McAvoy? Laine?

 

[Nineteen67]

Would McDavid have gotten the Leafs into the playoffs in his rookie season? Let’s say he didn’t and the Leafs were picking in the top 8 in 2016 and picked Matthew Tkachuk?

 

[TorMapleJays]

Both really good points guys, I changed the poll to reflect that.

 

[PuckMagi]

Matthews/Marner easily.

 

[Buds17]

If the Leafs draft McDavid instead of Marner, I imagine other things potentially change with it. I don't know who we might've been able to acquire from outside of the organization (as done with Andersen and Zaitsev), but I certainly doubt the plan was to bottom out as they did for the Matthews draft. We might still have been in the draft lottery with McDavid, but it would've been a game changer in terms of how that season would've been approached (like drafting Matthews was).

For the poll, I'm good with Marner and Matthews.

 

[kk87]

McDavid is on another planet, so I probably go with that option... but even still, it's hard to look back on the acquisitions we've made in the past three years with anything except pure, unbridled joy

 

[Pi]

I'd take McDavid and the pick provided everything else stays the same (we get Tavares etc).

I love Matthews and Marner but we would still have McDavid, Nylander, Tavares, Kadri. I don't think McDavid would miss the playoffs with the Leafs so we probably don't get a top 10 pick but even then I'd do that.

In the end, it doesn't matter, our roster is freaking stacked and we'll make the playoffs and the Oilers likely won't for 3/4 years with the best player in the league.

 

[Nineteen67]

I'd take McDavid and the pick provided everything else stays the same (we get Tavares etc).

I love Matthews and Marner but we would still have McDavid, Nylander, Tavares, Kadri. I don't think McDavid would miss the playoffs with the Leafs so we probably don't get a top 10 pick but even then I'd do that.

In the end, it doesn't matter, our roster is freaking stacked and we'll make the playoffs and the Oilers likely won't for 3/4 years with the best player in the league.

If McDavid can’t make the playoffs in Edmonton what makes you think he would have done it in his rookie season with the Leafs? They were pretty bad.

 

[Pi]

If McDavid can’t make the playoffs in Edmonton what makes you think he would have done it in his rookie season with the Leafs? They were pretty bad.

You're right, I forget that we would be talking about the 15-16 Leafs not the 16-17 Leafs.

Yeah that roster is terrible even with McDavid on the team.

 

[Nineteen67]

I sometimes wonder if making the playoffs in 16/17 was the best thing for the franchise?
Would they have a better pick than Lilegren? The D weren’t taken until later in the first round.

 

[PuckMagi]

I would take Matthews over McDavid straight up... I know that most people would disagree, but I think Matthews will ultimately be better. I think that Matthews's size, goal scoring ability, and 2 way play will ultimately make him a better player at some point. I would still give McDavid the edge right now... but I expect Matthews to pass him at some point.

I currently rank the centers as

1. McDavid
2. Crosby
3. Matthews
4. Tavares

But I think Matthews will move to number 1 on that list at some point.

 

[egd27]

If McDavid can’t make the playoffs in Edmonton what makes you think he would have done it in his rookie season with the Leafs? They were pretty bad.

IIRC, McDavid missed a fair bit of time in his rookie season and the Leafs were clearly tanking. So in the world of "what if" the Leafs would have likely had another top 10 pick

 

[A1LeafNation]

Maybe we get Mcdavid Mcavoy and Stamkos decides to sign, and no Marleau.

 

[Buds17]

If McDavid can’t make the playoffs in Edmonton what makes you think he would have done it in his rookie season with the Leafs? They were pretty bad.

Probably a stretch that he would've helped make the Leafs a playoff team, but remember McDavid missed just under 1/2 that season due to injury. As I previously mentioned, don't know either if we could've landed Andersen and Zaitsev equivalent players, but I'd guess the intention would've been there. I also imagine Nylander and Brown would've made that team from the start.

 

[tom leafers]

I take Marner and Matthews. This duo moving into the future is going to be amazing. Marner showed glimpses that he will be a 90 point player and we all know Matthews can score goals.

 

[Havoc]

I sometimes wonder if making the playoffs in 16/17 was the best thing for the franchise?
Would they have a better pick than Lilegren? The D weren’t taken until later in the first round.

Leafs made the playoffs because one of the factors was the emergence of Marner and Nylander (Matthews was a guarantee so excluding him, but I suppose you can add him in as well).

If we don't make the playoffs that implies Nylander and Marner are a tier below what we have today.

So yes, making the playoffs was best thing for the franchise.

 

[Nineteen67]

Leafs made the playoffs because one of the factors was the emergence of Marner and Nylander (Matthews was a guarantee so excluding him, but I suppose you can add him in as well).

If we don't make the playoffs that implies Nylander and Marner are a tier below what we have today.

So yes, making the playoffs was best thing for the franchise.

You’re probably right but they were just one or two more blown lead from missing. If I recall holding Leafs was on of the biggest accomplishments in the second half of the year.

 

[Stephen]

It just comes down to Marner vs McDavid, and you take McDavid.

The 2016 alternate universe could have easily yielded Matthews or Laine anyway.

 

[Stephen]

I sometimes wonder if making the playoffs in 16/17 was the best thing for the franchise?
Would they have a better pick than Lilegren? The D weren’t taken until later in the first round.

The overall health of the franchise is more important than a tank to resolve one potential position though.

 

[IPS]

When Tavares and Marner are destroying the league you'll be glad you took Matthews and Marner.

2 elite top lines > 1 elite top line.

 

[nsleaf]

If the Leafs had been able to draft McD, they certainly would have and they would just have a different looking Shanaplan in place at the moment. Perhaps they still sign JT or maybe SS may have chosen differently, or McD doesn't get injured. One can only speculate now. I am very cool with how things in reality worked out though.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

The impact McDavid has on the game is ridiculous, it's on a completely different tier than Matthews.

That being said if it was ONLY McDavid vs Matthews/Marner combo, I would take the Matthews/Marner combo. BUT if we're assuming that we get McDavid over Marner in 2015, we're likely looking at the 8th - 16th pick. That's A.Nylander, Sergachev, McAvoy, Jost, Chychurn, Fabbro, McLeod potentially. I would take McDavid + Sergachev/McAvoy/Jost/Chychurn over Matthews + Marner right now.

 

[34]

McDavid so overrated. He is not better than Matthews.

 

[AllDay28]

McDavid and its not even close