Rantanen vs Nylander

[tomi2]

Both are high picks in the draft. Both have shown elite skills in the NHL. Who do you think is going to be better player?

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[ijuka]

I prefer Rantanen. He just has a stronger track record despite playing on awful teams. Absolutely carried a dumpster tier San Antonio Rampage and had a very respectable showing last season on a disaster of a team. This season he's a PPGer and a large reason for the team doing as well as it is.

 

[SotasicA]

Nylander. And I'm disappointed there's no actual poll to vote on.

 

[tomi2]

Yeah this should be a poll...Can a mod change this?

 

[Skip2myBordyloo]

Avs fan saying Nylander, but it's somewhat close.

 

[cgf]

Not again...

 

[Phil McKraken]

I prefer Rantanen. He just has a stronger track record despite playing on awful teams. Absolutely carried a dumpster tier San Antonio Rampage and had a very respectable showing last season on a disaster of a team. This season he's a PPGer and a large reason for the team doing as well as it is.

I hope you mean you think he has a stronger track record considering his teams, because Nylander has 0.7 points per game while Rantanen has 0.5. If the point situation was reverse you could say "despite".

That's so far though. I really like what I've seen from Rantanen, and he might have evened out the ppg difference by the end of the season.

 

[PeterForsberg]

Homer in me takes Rantanen, he's a 6'4 21 year old monster

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Honestly, it's very close between these two and you cant really go wrong with either of them. I remember 2 years ago a poll between these two used to come up seemingly every other week when they were both tearing up the AHL. I said back then you couldn't really go wrong with either one.


2 years later and it's still the same story. Two different players that play the game in different ways but both are exceptional at what they do.


For the Avs, I wouldn't even think of trading Rantanen for Nylander, Rants and Mack are like gold together and Rants is really starting to find himself and what kind of a player he is in the NHL and it's showing.


I'm sure the Leafs would happily prefer to keep Nylander as well for the same reasons only with Matthews.

 

[ijuka]

I hope you mean you think he has a stronger track record considering his teams, because Nylander has 0.7 points per game while Rantanen has 0.5. If the point situation was reverse you could say "despite".

That's so far though. I really like what I've seen from Rantanen, and he might have evened out the ppg difference by the end of the season.

Using career PPGs in that manner is faulty and misleading. Rantanen's first season was roughly equivalent to Nylander's first season, and Rantanen's this season is thus far better than any Nylander's had. Rantanen also was more effective in AHL right off the bat.

I think Rantanen brings more without the puck also. I doubt this is something you'd argue?

 

[IPS]

Nylander AINEC he's easily got PPG+ potential whereas Rantanen will be a 50-55ish point player IMO.

 

[BKarchitect]

Nylander AINEC he's easily got PPG+ potential whereas Rantanen will be a 50-55ish point player IMO.

For the record, nothing wrong with choosing Nylander. Everything wrong about this particular "hot take".

 

[93LEAFS]

I find Nylander more dynamic and I feel he's better at creating his own offence. Rantanen is very smart though and has great size and strength which compliments MacKinnon well. Nylander is still more proven on the basis of last year.

 

[Spender]

Nylander is the better player offensively, but taking the whole package into consideration, I'd rate Rantanen just a step below in terms of who I'd rather have on my team.

 

[IPS]

For the record, nothing wrong with choosing Nylander. Everything wrong about this particular "hot take".

Sorry but 17 game sample sizes don't convince me of anything. Nylander is very clearly the better player on both sides o the ice over the big picture. It's up to Rantanen to close the gap, which I don't think he's capable of.

 

[BKarchitect]

One look at your post history tells me all I need to know. You are the type of Leafs homer that makes reasonable Leafs fans cringe. If you think Rantanen's upside is a 50-55 point player you need a freaking lobotomy.

 

[Phil McKraken]

Using career PPGs in that manner is faulty and misleading

How? They're both 21, it's not like one of them has had time to have a couple of down years before returning to shape. We're discussing the brief and similar samples we have from them, and what they mean going forward.

Rantanen's first season was roughly equivalent to Nylander's first season

You mean last season? Nylander had 61 points to Rantanen's 38.

Rantanen's this season is thus far better than any Nylander's had

61 points in a full season is better than 17 points in 17 games. Nylander had 18 points in 17 games in february/march, so it's not even a better 17 game stretch.

As far as play without the puck, I would give that to Rantanen, yes. I also don't think it's unfair to compare Rantanen and Nylander. Feels like you automatically turn everything pro-Rantanen just because he's Finnish though.

 

[IPS]

One look at your post history tells me all I need to know. You are the type of Leafs homer that makes reasonable Leafs fans cringe. If you think Rantanen's upside is a 50-55 point player you need a freaking lobotomy.

This thread is about Nylander and Rantanen, not me personally. Please stay on topic.

 

[Mr Hockey]

Willie ... I would take Rantanen over Marner now

 

[DitchMarner]

I'll say Nylander.

It's pretty obvious by now that he's a good possession player.

In 2016, his possession numbers were quite good, but people said his sample size of games played in the NHL was too small for the numbers to be considered indicative of anything.

His career CF% is 53.6% in 100+ games. That number was previously aided by favorable zone starts.

However, this season, he has a CF% of 53.1 despite the fact that Matthews has missed some games and Nylander has only had 47.6% of offensive zone starts. He has not been sheltered at all this season.

His CF% rel is 3.5% and Fenwick For% rel is 2.4% on the season.

 

[34]

Willy.

 

[Apotheosis]

Both great players and as a Leafs fan, I'm a huge fan of Rantanen. But I find that Nylander has the potential to drive his own line. Rantanen is that super great complimentary piece that could transform an elite talent in to a franchise talent by playing beside them (Like how he and Mackinnon are playing right now). So for that, I choose Nylander as a stand-alone talent.

 

[Foppberg]

Nylander AINEC he's easily got PPG+ potential whereas Rantanen will be a 50-55ish point player IMO.

Sorry but 17 game sample sizes don't convince me of anything. Nylander is very clearly the better player on both sides o the ice over the big picture. It's up to Rantanen to close the gap, which I don't think he's capable of.

Perfect example of how and why Leafs fans have a bad rep on this site.

As for the actual poll, flip a coin. Each team would probably keep their own guy, as would I. Nylander's great but I think Mikko is equally as good, while having a significant size advantage + proven chemistry with MacKinnon and Landeskog.

 

[DitchMarner]

Perfect example of how and why Leafs fans have a bad rep on this site.

As for the actual poll, flip a coin. Each team would probably keep their own guy, as would I. Nylander's great but I think Mikko is equally as good, while having a significant size advantage + proven chemistry with MacKinnon and Landeskog.

Is the size advantage really something that puts him over the top, though?

It's not as if Rantanen has the exact same skill set and has a size advantage on top of everything else.

I'm sure Nylander is the better skater and I don't know if Rantanen is quite as adept at zone entries.

 

[Foppberg]

Is the size advantage really something that puts him over the top, though?

It's not as if Rantanen has the exact same skill set and has a size advantage on top of everything else.

I'm sure Nylander is the better skater and I don't know if Rantanen is quite as adept at zone entries.

I'd say Nylander is the better skater yes, but he's by no means a bad skater. But like I said flip a coin, both have things they're better at than the other, just a matter of what you prefer. Nylander's quicker and more agile, but Rantanen has the size advantage and is good at shielding the puck in a Jagr esque way, massive ass. I think they're close enough in puck skills and IQ where it's pretty much a wash.