Tavares Comparables

[Goleafsgo95]

Who are some historical comparables to Tavares and how did they fair at age 27 to their mid-30s?

Other superstars with very dynamic offensive games without elite speed.

Thank you.

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[Plural]

So Tavares is currently a top-10 C. Good goal-scorer. Not overtly physical. Slow-ish. Funnily enough, he's got very similar offensive finishes as Sundin did. Sundin was better skater and much bigger though.

Here are how their offensive top-10 finishes compare to each other (Tavares obviously has time to improve still):

Points
Sundin: 2nd, 7th
Tavares: 4th, 7th

Goals
Sundin: 2nd, 8th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 4th, 10th

Assists
Sundin: 10th
Tavares: 9th, 9th

EV Goals
Sundin: 5th, 5th, 8th
Tavares: 1st, 6th, 9th

PP goals
Sundin: 5th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 6th

 

[GlitchMarner]

So Tavares is currently a top-10 C. Good goal-scorer. Not overtly physical. Slow-ish. Funnily enough, he's got very similar offensive finishes as Sundin did. Sundin was better skater and much bigger though.

Here are how their offensive top-10 finishes compare to each other (Tavares obviously has time to improve still):

Points
Sundin: 2nd, 7th
Tavares: 4th, 7th

Goals
Sundin: 2nd, 8th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 4th, 10th

Assists
Sundin: 10th
Tavares: 9th, 9th

EV Goals
Sundin: 5th, 5th, 8th
Tavares: 1st, 6th, 9th

PP goals
Sundin: 5th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 6th

Yeah, Sundin is a good comparable to Tavares. I've said in the past that JT may be the closest thing to Sundin in the current NHL.

 

[Sentinel]

But without Sundin's stellar international resume. Tavares managed to get injured in his Olympic prime. Sundin also had much better intangibles.

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

So Tavares is currently a top-10 C. Good goal-scorer. Not overtly physical. Slow-ish. Funnily enough, he's got very similar offensive finishes as Sundin did. Sundin was better skater and much bigger though.

Here are how their offensive top-10 finishes compare to each other (Tavares obviously has time to improve still):

Points
Sundin: 2nd, 7th
Tavares: 4th, 7th

Goals
Sundin: 2nd, 8th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 4th, 10th

Assists
Sundin: 10th
Tavares: 9th, 9th

EV Goals
Sundin: 5th, 5th, 8th
Tavares: 1st, 6th, 9th

PP goals
Sundin: 5th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 6th

Tavares finished third in Hart voting twice. The highest Sundin got was 8th. That already puts Tavares ahead of Sundin IMO.

 

[Plural]

Tavares finished third in Hart voting twice. The highest Sundin got was 8th. That already puts Tavares ahead of Sundin IMO.

That's fair. TBH, I didn't remember he had two third place finishes. That's great but also feels bit wrong. Is Tavares really THAT good?

 

[Johnny Engine]

That's fair. TBH, I didn't remember he had two third place finishes. That's great but also feels bit wrong. Is Tavares really THAT good?

It’s reflective of an era when Crosby, Malkin and Stamkos were injured often and Ovechkin has big chunks of his overall game fall by the wayside. There was pretty much no year when all of those guys were firing on all cylinders at once.

 

[Sentinel]

Tavares finished third in Hart voting twice. The highest Sundin got was 8th. That already puts Tavares ahead of Sundin IMO.

Remember who Tavares competes against vs. who was Sundin's competition. This era is weaker in top talent than Sundin's.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Tavares finished third in Hart voting twice. The highest Sundin got was 8th. That already puts Tavares ahead of Sundin IMO.

Ummm... no. In 2013 he finished 17th in scoring and somehow ended up third in Hart voting. Sundin had better seasons than that. His absolute peak (2015) may be better than Sundin's, but if is it's not by much. 2015 was a terrible season in terms of Art Ross competition.

Saying he's already surpassed Sundin is ridiculous considering his peak is barely better (at best) and he has nowhere near the longevity or International career.

 

[authentic]

So Tavares is currently a top-10 C. Good goal-scorer. Not overtly physical. Slow-ish. Funnily enough, he's got very similar offensive finishes as Sundin did. Sundin was better skater and much bigger though.

Here are how their offensive top-10 finishes compare to each other (Tavares obviously has time to improve still):

Points
Sundin: 2nd, 7th
Tavares: 4th, 7th

Goals
Sundin: 2nd, 8th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 4th, 10th

Assists
Sundin: 10th
Tavares: 9th, 9th

EV Goals
Sundin: 5th, 5th, 8th
Tavares: 1st, 6th, 9th

PP goals
Sundin: 5th, 10th
Tavares: 3rd, 6th

Tavares was 2nd in 2014-15. 1 point away from Benn.

 

[authentic]

That's fair. TBH, I didn't remember he had two third place finishes. That's great but also feels bit wrong. Is Tavares really THAT good?

One was 2nd wasn't it?

 

[GlitchMarner]

One was 2nd wasn't it?

He finished third in Hart voting in 2013 and 2015. He was a First-Team All-Star in 2015 and a Fourth Team All-Star in 2013. Sundin was a Second-Team All-Star twice (2002 and 2004). I don't find either player's NHL peak all that amazing considering the calibre of players they are/were (same goes for Mike Modano). Stamkos' 2012 season is a really impressive peak season. Same with Lecavalier's 2007 season. Taylor Hall's Hart season is as well. Hopefully JT can take his game to another level now that he's in TOR. What was amazing about Sundin is that he was just as good (if not slightly better) in his last eight seasons with TOR as he was in the first half of his career.

 

[psycat]

Sundin is ahead of Tavares but it's indeed a good comparsion and by the end of the latters career I believe they will be very close.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

In a funny way Tavares has always sort of reminded me of Sakic prior to 1995. That's not an indictment either.

 

[Sadekuuro]

So Tavares is currently a top-10 C. Good goal-scorer. Not overtly physical. Slow-ish. Funnily enough, he's got very similar offensive finishes as Sundin did. Sundin was better skater and much bigger though.

Here are how their offensive top-10 finishes compare to each other (Tavares obviously has time to improve still):

Points
Sundin: 2nd, 7th
Tavares: 4th, 7th

I think these must be transposed(?). If not, which season was Sundin 2nd in points?

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Yeah it’s weird to think that Tavares is a two time MVP finalist. One 12-13 was based off of the “valuable to his team” concept and 14-15 was based off him being the best center and second in scoring though.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Sundin is ahead of Tavares but it's indeed a good comparsion and by the end of the latters career I believe they will be very close.

No. Tavares is a two time hart finalist where as Sundin was never in that discussion

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Remember who Tavares competes against vs. who was Sundin's competition. This era is weaker in top talent than Sundin's.

i would say their competition was about the same level of meh. sundin’s most competitive years were years that iginla and msl won the art ross. markus naslund finished 2nd and 4th in points. the first team all-star center was sakic in off years. hossa was a top five scorer.

substitute naslund for jamie benn, throw in crosby in off years and later ovechkin, and there’s tavares’ competition. not a lot to choose from, imo.

In a funny way Tavares has always sort of reminded me of Sakic prior to 1995. That's not an indictment either.

i was going to say the exact same thing. but sakic took that big leap when he was three years younger than tavares is now.

 

[VanIslander]

Hmm.. a 9-year veteran who was once an all star, was 3rd, 4th, 10th in goals, 9th and 9th in assists, ...

Somewhere between an Alexei Yashin or Eric Staal and... a Brad Richards or Dale Hawerchuk.

 

[The Panther]

I don't see him that often, but I don't really think Tavares is that great. I certainly rate him far lower than Mats Sundin! That's crazy-talk.

He's been a point-per-game player three times in nine years. It's okay, it's good, but it's hardly amazing or anything. Yeah, he got his one 1st-team All Star, but that was the season Jamie Benn won the scoring title (and he was actually third among centers in PPG that year).

Alexei Yashin and Eric Staal is setting the comparison bar a little low, however....

About being 27, remember Tavares will be 28 in a couple of weeks. Most likely, his statistical prime is over. We're looking at 28 to 35.

Maybe he's comparable to Bernie Nicholls around the time he left the Kings?

 

[MXD]

Marcel Dionne. Obvious similar post season record incoming.

 

[Plural]

Marcel Dionne. Obvious similar post season record incoming.

That's mean...

 

[authentic]

He finished third in Hart voting in 2013 and 2015. He was a First-Team All-Star in 2015 and a Fourth Team All-Star in 2013. Sundin was a Second-Team All-Star twice (2002 and 2004). I don't find either player's NHL peak all that amazing considering the calibre of players they are/were (same goes for Mike Modano). Stamkos' 2012 season is a really impressive peak season. Same with Lecavalier's 2007 season. Taylor Hall's Hart season is as well. Hopefully JT can take his game to another level now that he's in TOR. What was amazing about Sundin is that he was just as good (if not slightly better) in his last eight seasons with TOR as he was in the first half of his career.

Yeah those are all players I thought could've scored more with their skillset.

 

[authentic]

i would say their competition was about the same level of meh. sundin’s most competitive years were years that iginla and msl won the art ross. markus naslund finished 2nd and 4th in points. the first team all-star center was sakic in off years. hossa was a top five scorer.

substitute naslund for jamie benn, throw in crosby in off years and later ovechkin, and there’s tavares’ competition. not a lot to choose from, imo.



i was going to say the exact same thing. but sakic took that big leap when he was three years younger than tavares is now.

How is Hossa being a top 5 scorer an indication of bad competiton? He was a beast in his prime and better than many 80s players or Sundin and Tavares for that matter.

 

[authentic]

I don't see him that often, but I don't really think Tavares is that great. I certainly rate him far lower than Mats Sundin! That's crazy-talk.

He's been a point-per-game player three times in nine years. It's okay, it's good, but it's hardly amazing or anything. Yeah, he got his one 1st-team All Star, but that was the season Jamie Benn won the scoring title (and he was actually third among centers in PPG that year).

Alexei Yashin and Eric Staal is setting the comparison bar a little low, however....

About being 27, remember Tavares will be 28 in a couple of weeks. Most likely, his statistical prime is over. We're looking at 28 to 35.

Maybe he's comparable to Bernie Nicholls around the time he left the Kings?

No, based on scoring finishes he is comparable to Sundin as has been shown already, except he has two 3rd place Hart finishes and Sundin was never nominated. The competition alone does not explain that either as his best finish was 8th. Even still his best season was 2001-02... I mean you just stated you don't see him often though so that explains it. He is offensively dominant when he's on his game, IMO much like Sundin was but perhaps even slightly better.