Post 2013 Lockout Forward Tournament Tier 1, Round 2: Aleksander Barkov Versus Auston Matthews

[GlitchMarner]

Since the players involved are at different stages of their careers, the best way to vote is probably by answering this question: If I was a General Manager and I could draft one player for my team (having the knowledge that I have about each player at this point in time), which player would I choose?

Some are more accomplished than others and some have been more injury-prone than others, but under different circumstances, how different could things have been?


Tier 1, Round 1:

Connor McDavid (52 votes to 4 - 92.9%)
Connor Bedard

Nathan MacKinnon (25 votes to 21 - 54.3%
Nikita Kucherov

Auston Matthews (62 votes to 33 - 65.3%)
Leon Draisaitl

Elias Pettersson (32 votes to 27 - 54.2%)
Jack Hughes

Jack Eichel
Aleksander Barkov (16 votes to 0 - 100%)

Kirril Kaprizov (39 votes to 27 - 59.1%)
Mikko Rantanen

David Pastrnak (23 votes to 8 - 74.2%)
Artemi Panarin

Mitch Marner
Brayden Point (19 votes to 8 - 70.4%)


Tier 1, Round 2:

Kirril Kaprizov
David Pastrnak (18 votes to 6 - 75%)

Brayden Point (15 votes to 12 - 55.6%)
Elias Pettersson

Aleksander Barkov
Auston Matthews

Connor McDavid
Nathan MacKinnon

Click to read more...

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

AM34 but the brackets are rigged!

 

[Desert Panther]

Going against the obvious Leaf herd here and going with Barkov. Give me the guy who plays the better 200 ft game and is better at shutting down the other team's top lines while making everyone around him that much better.

 

[I am not exposed]

Matthews. 69 goals in one season is hard to vote against. Even if Barkov is a terrific 2 way player.

 

[General Fanager]

AM is the better scorer but Barkov is the better overall player.

Which one I would want on my team...tough choice....Ill go with AM but I kinda feel there isn't a wrong answer on this one.

 

[authentic]

Going against the obvious Leaf herd here and going with Barkov. Give me the guy who plays the better 200 ft game and is better at shutting down the other team's top lines while making everyone around him that much better.

Best thing about this is Matthews can do the same while scoring more

AM is the better scorer but Barkov is the better overall player.

Which one I would want on my team...tough choice....Ill go with AM but I kinda feel there isn't a wrong answer on this one.

Auston Matthews is the better overall player... Lets not be ridiculous here

 

[Kerberos]

Voting Barkov because 1) he's a more complete player, 2) he's not a playoff choker like Matthews, and 3) these brackets are structured in a way to advance Matthews as far as humanly possible.

 

[General Fanager]

Best thing about this is Matthews can do the same while scoring more



Auston Matthews is the better overall player... Lets not be ridiculous here

Really?

I mean I get you are a Leafs fan so you will pump your guy but be serious. Barkov is a 2 way monster. Matthews just isn't on that level when it comes to the 200 foot game. This isn't meant a dig or to insult him but he just isn't.

 

[authentic]

Really?

I mean I get you are a Leafs fan so you will pump your guy but be serious. Barkov is a 2 way monster. Matthews just isn't on that level when it comes to the 200 foot game. This isn't meant a dig or to insult him but he just isn't.

Most people are waking up to the fact that Matthews is infact an elite two-way center himself, who just scored 69 goals... He's the better overall player and most people are aware of this

 

[lipstickjunkie]

The difference between AM's offence and Barkov's offence is far greater than the difference in their defence.

I am a huge Barkov fan but come on, this is pretty easily Matthews.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Voting Barkov because 1) he's a more complete player, 2) he's not a playoff choker like Matthews, and 3) these brackets are structured in a way to advance Matthews as far as humanly possible.

If that was the case, wouldn't he have faced Marner in round one and then Kaprizov in round two?

I'd say Draisaitl and Barkov are pretty good competition. Not sure what people want... he'll face McDavid eventually if they keep winning.