borro said:
Semin outscored Horton. He has proven he put up less points than Semin in the NHL. Horton had trouble scoring in San Antonio. Your point would only be valid if Semin had not scored at the NHL level. Could Horton come back? Yes. I'm gonna dub him "Nathan Hurtin." Horton hears a Who? 2 years, 2 year long injuries. Not promising.
They put up the same number of points in an extremely comparable number of games. Semin did not outscore Horton. While it is arguable that given three games he may have put up more points than Horton, that is merely projection. I'm talking about proven.
Horton's proven more at this level by putting up the same points and bringing a better all around game. Assuming he continues to improve his offense, he has the potential to be a great top line player. And with his physical game, his offense should continue to improve. Even if it doesn't, Horton's size and his play without the puck make his downside a decent third liner. Also worth pointing out, historically, power forwards take longer to develop -- look at Bertuzzi, for example.
Semin on the other hand, if he doesn't continue to improve his offensive game, ends up back in the RSL. Yes, injuries will play a factor into Horton's game, and it is a concern. But the fact remains that to many, what Horton has proven makes him more likely to translate into a star in the NHL. And a good powerforward is harder to find than a good finesse scorer with defensive concerns.