Pettersson or Hughes; who would you pick?

[Fraser28]

I still take Pettersson by a hair under gunpoint even though Hughes has gamebreaking ability and the potential to be a future Norris finalist. Hughes is perhaps more valuable to the team given positional need but Pettersson has been the Canucks' best overall player for the past two seasons and clearly would go 1OA in a redraft in his year, while Hughes, I think, still arguably would not be taken before Dahlin (and maybe Svechnikov).

But that's more of a testament to the quality of the year than the individual player. Both jumped up at least four positions in their respective draft so Canucks are exceedingly fortuitous to have both.

What difference does the position they would go in their draft year make in who is the better player?

Also, Hughes was better than Pettersson in their only joint year so far...

 

[BB06]

Any Pettersson voters ready to admit that Hughes was the correct answer all along? I think it was clear all year, but I understand that it isn't easy to vote against Petey.

Hello

 

[nihlify]

I disagree. Hughes has been the more important player all along. It has just taken people longer to realize that because of how important Pettersson also is (and because he came first).

I personally don't think Pettersson will ever be viewed as more valuable than Hughes anymore. Obviously each player will go though hot and cold stretches, but Hughes will be considered our more valuable player.

How important/valued someone is not just something that's decided by how good the player is. If you have plenty of high tier forwards, EP would be less important and vice versa. While obviously skill has some relevance if the gap is large enough, it's impossible to say whom will be more important to the team in the long run imo.

Someone brought up Lidström, but you can most certainly argue he wasn't their most important players for a bunch of their best year. Overall sure, but that's a long ass career to base it on.

 

[Slapshot_11]

Hughes has been a bit of a adventure in his own zone this series from physical play while ep is fighting through it and still producing

 

[EP40 AKA Lil Wayne]

Petey, only reason I say this is cause I believe he was born with ice in his vains.

Otherwise I think they are equal value even though they bring different things.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

How important/valued someone is not just something that's decided by how good the player is. If you have plenty of high tier forwards, EP would be less important and vice versa. While obviously skill has some relevance if the gap is large enough, it's impossible to say whom will be more important to the team in the long run imo.

Someone brought up Lidström, but you can most certainly argue he wasn't their most important players for a bunch of their best year. Overall sure, but that's a long ass career to base it on.

Yzerman said during Lidstrom's second season, something like: "You want to know who our best player is, look at that guy" - nodding at Nick Lidstrom.

It took the rest of the league several years to see how great he was, but in Detroit they knew from the start.

 

[Canucks1096]

It's hard comparing a forward to a D but I will say Petey is better but Hughes is more valuable if that make sense. I think both players get the exact same contract

 

[iloovRMB]

Last week I would've said Hughes. Today I have to go with Petey. Let's hope they keep trying to one up each other until they're the two best players of all time.

 

[lawrence]

the Vegas Knights have drawn up a plan and informed the Knights on how to play , shut down, ware out and ultimately render those 2 players useless. They are aware of how good and capable they are.

Hughes has the luxury because he is a dman the first player to bring the play up because he is the dman. He also will have the burden of being the one that will have to retrieve the pucks if the Knights do dump ins and he will have no choice but to engage in physical contacts to fight and win possession of the puck. Vegas knights will do what they can to lay the body on him. This is not going to be a easy series for him and it's expected. I personally think in this series Myers will be his ideal partner to make up for the physical play to balance it with his size, and even protect and stand up for his linemate and other players.

 

[PettersonHughes]

Why you gotta split my username in half?

That being said, I think impact-wise I would go Hughes by a hair. His back-tracking puck retrieval and awareness as the PP QB as he walks the line and finds guys has been vital. Without his threading the needle and keeping the puck in while keeping PKers on their toes, the PP would be nowhere as dangerous, and we know the PP has been the bread and butter and lifeline keeping the team in games.

 

[F A N]

Still going with Petey. I think it's much harder to win a Cup without a #1 C than it is without a #1 D. You do need one offensive producing Dman but it doesn't need to be the calibre of Hughes.

 

[BrockBoester]

Both

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Last week I would've said Hughes. Today I have to go with Petey. Let's hope they keep trying to one up each other until they're the two best players of all time.

Same, I’ve changed my answer to the poll question like 4 times, changes from week to week, no wrong answer here, both are incredibly valuable.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I can’t answer this question

 

[Flik]

 

[kanuck87]

I'm taking Pettersson. As good as Hughes is, there are a lot of super-talented offensive defensemen that doesn't move the needle far enough for their teams (Karlsson, Rielly, Barrie, Burns, etc) that I wouldn't be comfortable in taking Hughes over a complete centre like Pettersson.

 

[M2Beezy]

I think Ive changed my vote like 6 times here so Im just gonna remove my vote

Man I love these players

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Drive by post to say - isn’t it f***ing incredible we don’t have to pick? That we have them both?

Outstanding.

 

[clammy]

Pete obviously atm. There have been times when I've thought Hughes. I expect it may happen again.

 

[crazychimp]

Hmmm... I think I’ll go with both

 

[elitepete]

EP is significantly better.

Despite the fact that our d is ass without Hughes, EP is still significantly more valuable to our team as well.

 

[2011 still hurts]

no reason to compare them atm really cause we'll 100% be keeping both long term

EP gets my vote tho

 

[GiveYourHeadaShake]

It's like building a house. What is more valuable, nails (Hughes) or the hammer Petey). Now Gretzky, Lemieux & Orr were all nail guns, so the question is, which one gets to that level?