SEL vs. SM-Liiga vs. RSL

[Samsonites]

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[Redwingsfan]

I think Malkin is better, but the gap isn't as big as many people thought going into the season. As impressive as Kopitar's start is, though, I think Malkin's would have been moreso.

Last year in the RSL, Malkin had 21g, 26a for 47 pts in 46 games.

Last year in the SEL, Kopitar had 8g, 12a for 20 pts in 47 games.

Malkin is one year, three weeks older than Kopitar. Both were playing in a pro league. I leave it to the Swedes and Russians to argue which is a tougher league, but I would give the edge to the SEL. Regardless, scoring is low in both leagues as assists are tougher to come by.

I've seen highlights of Malkin and his skating is very impressive for a big man. Kopitar moves well, too, but he doesn't have the breakaway speed that Malkin does. Some of the highlights I've seen, he looks like a runaway freight train. That's my two cents. Next?

have you actually seen a whole sel game?? the RSL is better.

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

have you actually seen a whole sel game?? the RSL is better.

No, redwingsfan, I have not seen a SEL or RSL game. I live in Nova Scotia have not been across the pond. Have only seen a few video clips, but this is not enough to form an opinion. If you have seen games in both leagues and can shed some light on this subject, it would be much appreciated. That's why I said I'd leave it to the Russian and Swedish fans to debate.

I was basing my tentative judgement on the fact that more Russian players have left for the NHL, while I think more Swedish players tend to stay home, thus keeping the calibre of play higher relative to the RSL.

Any personal insights would be more than welcome, though.

Cheers.

 

[Redwingsfan]

No, redwingsfan, I have not seen a SEL or RSL game. I live in Nova Scotia have not been across the pond. Have only seen a few video clips, but this is not enough to form an opinion. If you have seen games in both leagues and can shed some light on this subject, it would be much appreciated. That's why I said I'd leave it to the Russian and Swedish fans to debate.

I was basing my tentative judgement on the fact that more Russian players have left for the NHL, while I think more Swedish players tend to stay home, thus keeping the calibre of play higher relative to the RSL.

Any personal insights would be more than welcome, though.

Cheers.

there is actually a lot of swedes who have left to play in the nhl this season. and a lot of the stars have left. i have seen like a million sel games and a feaw rsl games and imo the russian league is better. its a lot faster. and in the european cup or whatever its called. the russain teams are allways better then the swedish teams.

 

[Reaper45]

there is actually a lot of swedes who have left to play in the nhl this season. and a lot of the stars have left. i have seen like a million sel games and a feaw rsl games and imo the russian league is better. its a lot faster. and in the european cup or whatever its called. the russain teams are allways better then the swedish teams.

SO you've seen a million SEL games and only a few RSL games, and those few games were a large enough sample size for you to determine that it's a better league?

 

[Redwingsfan]

SO you've seen a million SEL games and only a few RSL games, and those few games were a large enough sample size for you to determine that it's a better league?

yes it was. the level os play is much higher in russia. and there is a reason why sweden allmost allways loose against russia in the tournaments during the regualr season with players from the SEL and RSL only. if you said you have seen a million UHL games and a feaw CHL games and said the chl was better i wouldnt have argued with you because i wouldnt know because i havent seen a singel game from any of the leagues wich im pretty sure you havent with RSL and SEL.

 

[SChan*]

yes it was. the level os play is much higher in russia. and there is a reason why sweden allmost allways loose against russia in the tournaments during the regualr season with players from the SEL and RSL only. if you said you have seen a million UHL games and a feaw CHL games and said the chl was better i wouldnt have argued with you because i wouldnt know because i havent seen a singel game from any of the leagues wich im pretty sure you havent with RSL and SEL.

it's harder to produce in SEL than RSL since SEL is more defensive minded. Just look at the kopitar vs malkin stats ffs. Now look at Kopitars start in NHL.

RSL might be a more skilled league, but SEL is a smarter league with more players playing in a system.

 

[Jacob]

it's harder to produce in SEL than RSL since SEL is more defensive minded. Just look at the kopitar vs malkin stats ffs. Now look at Kopitars start in NHL.

RSL might be a more skilled league, but SEL is a smarter league with more players playing in a system.

RSL is a better league than the SEL and is notorious for low-scoring games and hard-to-come-by second assists.

And Malkin was the 2nd best player in it as a 19 Y/O.


That said, Kopitar does look damn good.

 

[Garl]

I watched many RSL games and i would say that SEL and RSL are equal.
Though SEL is more defensive league.
Best RSL teams are stronger than best SEL teams, but in RSL there are also some teams that would play in Alvenskan(Amur, Krilya Sovetov, Traktor, Novokuznetsk).
And in Russia there is lack of good foreigners, all the best players except Marek, Noronen amd maybe Prusek and Rosa are Russians.

 

[SChan*]

RSL is a better league than the SEL

based on what? I am sure they don't broadcast RSL games in america. I stand by my claim that RSL is a more skilled league, while in SEL you learn to play in a system and for your teammates. Which one is more important to get ready for NHL? Well, I 'd say they're equal.

 

[Jacob]

Based on all reports I've ever heard.

Is the SEL even the best league in Scandinavia?

 

[SChan*]

Based on all reports I've ever heard.

Is the SEL even the best league in Scandinavia?

SEL is wideley known as the best leuage outside of NHL. I can agree that RSL is equal, but other than that your reports are off.

So it goes like this.

RSL > SEL in Skill and offense
SEL > RSL in strategy, teamwork, defense

Plus that SEL has many even teams this year. Anyone can virtually win, and not 2-3 teams that are superior the others. The finnish league is also good, but it doesn't have the money to compete with SEL. More talented europeans prefer SEL to the finnish league for that sole reason. Look at the lockout season. Many high profile players from NHL played in SEL that year.

 

[Jacob]

Plus that SEL has many even teams this year. Anyone can virtually win, and not 2-3 teams that are superior the others. The finnish league is also good, but it doesn't have the money to compete with SEL. More talented europeans prefer SEL to the finnish league for that sole reason. Look at the lockout season. Many high profile players from NHL played in SEL that year.

More played in the RSL and CEL.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

SEL is wideley known as the best leuage outside of NHL. I can agree that RSL is equal, but other than that your reports are off.

RSL is known to be the best league outside the NHL.

 

[Garl]

RSL is known to be the best league outside the NHL.

I doubt that RSL could be called the second league in the world. It is a one-nation league with foreign goalkepeers.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

I doubt that RSL could be called the second league in the world. It is a one-nation league with foreign goalkepeers.

Well, you can have your doubts but it is commonly known that RSL is the best league in the world after the NHL.

 

[Garl]

Well, you can have your doubts but it is commonly known that RSL is the best league in the world after the NHL.

Based on what?

 

[SChan*]

More played in the RSL and CEL.

So now is CEL better than SEL also? Yeah why don't you pull out every freaking country as better than SEL because you know nothing. Stats clearly shows how hard it is to produce in SEL. In the lockout season zetterberg was the one who produced the most with 50p/50 games.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Based on what?

If you demand a piece of evidence, the best evidence we can get is the fact that an RSL team has won the European Champions Cup twice in the last two years. I know one team can't represent the whole league, but as I said that's the best evidence we can get.

And as someone already said, reports support RSL too.

 

[Garl]

If you demand a piece of evidence, the best evidence we can get is the fact that an RSL team has won the European Champions Cup twice in the last two years. I know one team can't represent the whole league, but as I said that's the best evidence we can get.

And as someone already said, reports support RSL too.

OK
the first European Championship Cup was during the lockout year, then it doesn't indicate league power.
Then in second Dynamo won in the SHOOTOUTS on the HOME ice, and Frolunda has not played with optimal squad.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

the first European Championship Cup was during the lockout year, then it doesn't indicate league power.

The SEL team had NHL talent as well and didn't even make it to the final.

Then in second Dynamo won in the SHOOTOUTS on the HOME ice, and Frolunda has not played with optimal squad.

Who cares if it was won in the shootouts? The RSL team won and the SEL team didn't make it to the final.

 

[Garl]

The SEL team had NHL talent as well and didn't even make it to the final.

Who cares if it was won in the shootouts? The RSL team won and the SEL team didn't make it to the final.

That is simple. You can not use lockout year to compare SEL and RSL.

And in second Cup Dynamo won ON THE HOME ICE and IN THE SHOOTOUTS.

Does it indicate RSL as the best European league? No.

EC is not a big tournament for now. SEL teams don't send their best squads because they don't pay much attention to EC.

 

[Joe MacMillan]

And in second Cup Dynamo won ON THE HOME ICE and IN THE SHOOTOUTS.

It was a Finnish team that was beaten in the shootout not a SEL team, so that's complitely irrelevant with this topic at hand. The RSL team finished ahead of the Swedish team nonetheless.

Does it indicate RSL as the best European league? No.

Didn't say that alone indicates RSL as the best Europen league. But you cant ignore it complitely.

EC is not a big tournament for now. SEL teams don't send their best squads because they don't pay much attention to EC.

Seems like a weak excuse. The winning team gets a certain amount of money as the prize, so I think the players and teams do really want to take that money. Otherwise they wouldn't have participated in the tournament in the first place.

...

Anyway, I couldn't care less which league is the best in Europe. I'm just saying it is a common belief all over in Europe (well obviously not in Sweden) that RSL is the best European league.

 

[Zine]

Based on what?

Generally speaking, talent follows where the $$$ is. Other than the NHL, there's no other league in the world that can match the amount many RSL teams dish out.

Although its extremely top-heavy, it IS generally accepted by the hockey community that the RSL is the 2nd best league in the world.

 

[Garl]

I watched hundreds RSL games and I would not say that it is the best league in Europe.
I think that it is like comparing Spanish, English and Italian soccer leagues.
Which of them is better? You can say that Barcelona won LC and Seville won UEFA so Spanish league is the best. But it's very arguable. And Italian league is harder for scoring than Spanish
So you can name RSL best European league, but SEL is on the same level like Spanish and Italian soccer leagues.