Which forwards are better than Draisaitl right now?

[OKR]

Mackinnon, McDavid and Eichel for sure, besides them i don’t know if there is anyone.

 

[Sugi21]

With certainty:
McDavid
Mackinnon
Ovechkin
Crosby

In the same group:
Pastrnak
Panarin
Marchand
Eichel
Kane
Kucherov

And maybe a few others.

Yup I endorse this post!

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Nobody, except maybe Panarin.

Panini has nobody to play with and even the D-core is bottom 5 in the whole league. 2nd best scorer in the team has 44 points (Ryan "the bust" Strome).

You realize Mackinnon has more points than Panarin... And 2nd place on the Avs has less points than Strome right? If this is the reason you think Panarin is better, than Mackinnon certainly fills the same void. And before you counter with "Mack has Rantanen he was just hurt" let me remind you that Panarin has Zibanejad, he was just hurt. And this year alone, Zibs has been better when healthy than Rantanen by a decent bit.



As for the answer to the OPs question. I'd say McDavid and Mackinnon are the only two this season. People seriously underrate Draisaitl because he plays with McDavid and last year I would say a big portion of his breakout campaign had to do with McDavid. This year it has less and less to do with McDavid and more to do with Drai just being awesome right now.

Overall I think its fair to say he belongs in that giant tier with the likes of Kane/Panarin/Pastrnak/Eichel.... But based off of this season he's up alongside Mack and McDavid for the 3 best forwards in the league.

 

[KlefDown]

I wouldn't trade Couturier for Draisaitl, but I get to see his impact on a nightly basis and how he not only scores at a high rate 5v5 (2nd most 5v5 points in the NHL since late October) but he also completely shuts down every top forward in the NHL. His $4.33 cap hit for another 3 years is just icing on the cake.

I won't try to convince anyone to agree with me on this, but I am still putting it out there.

You won't ever get a chance to trade Couts for Drai so you'll never have to worry about it

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

1. Mcdavid
2. MacKinnon
3. Crosby
4. Kane
5. Ovechkin
6. Malkin
7. Panarin
8. Pastrnak
9. Marchand
10. Eichel

 

[snipes]

McDavid
MacKinnon

 

[SaltNPeca]

He's a product of Yamamoto and def no Pasta.

Slow, Lazy, Getting old... he's no OV or Crosby that's for sure. Those guys and the <insert Eastern team> are definitely amazing 'cause I watch those games. Never even seen Nate Mac Play... games are way too late and all the Western Conf. is trash ...can't be as good as Crosby and Matthews amirite?

 

[snipes]

I wouldn't trade Couturier for Draisaitl, but I get to see his impact on a nightly basis and how he not only scores at a high rate 5v5 (2nd most 5v5 points in the NHL since late October) but he also completely shuts down every top forward in the NHL. His $4.33 cap hit for another 3 years is just icing on the cake.

I won't try to convince anyone to agree with me on this, but I am still putting it out there.

Draisaitl has close to 40 more points than Couturier already.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Draisaitl has close to 40 more points than Couturier already.

Draisaitl>>Couturier, however Couturier blows Draisaitl out of the water defensively, Drai looks lost in his own end at times.

 

[PensandCaps]

Panarin, Eichel, Sid,Malkin, Mack, McDavid.

 

[PensandCaps]

Draisaitl>>Couturier, however Couturier blows Draisaitl out of the water defensively, Drai looks lost in his own end at times.

Couturier has been the best overall player the past three years according to WAR.

 

[Rebels57]

Draisaitl has close to 40 more points than Couturier already.

See @PensandCaps post

It's not all about raw offensive production. The Oilers are a top heavy team and the Flyers production and ice time is more evenly spread out. This is a hallmark of all Vigneault teams really, but especially one that has good forward depth like the Flyers do.

Regardless of whether you value Draisaitl more, which is totally a valid opinion, i'm just saying I wouldn't make that trade. Not only is he miles better defensively, his contract is absurdly good right now.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I wouldn't trade Couturier for Draisaitl, but I get to see his impact on a nightly basis and how he not only scores at a high rate 5v5 (2nd most 5v5 points in the NHL since late October) but he also completely shuts down every top forward in the NHL. His $4.33 cap hit for another 3 years is just icing on the cake.

I won't try to convince anyone to agree with me on this, but I am still putting it out there.

As a pens fan always have been a fan of him minus him when he faces us but I can admire from a far. However if 1 for 1 or 1 for 1+ a 1st I ain't taking couturier that's for sure

 

[Rebels57]

As a pens fan always have been a fan of him minus him when he faces us but I can admire from a far. However if 1 for 1 or 1 for 1+ a 1st I ain't taking couturier that's for sure

I won't argue with that. I'm more or less arguing on behalf of my own opinion. You see it in the Finals every year how important an elite defensive center is too..and I can't imagine giving that up while he is at his prime and on a steal of a contract.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I won't argue with that. I'm more or less arguing on behalf of my own opinion. You see it in the Finals every year how important an elite defensive center is too..and I can't imagine giving that up while he is at his prime and on a steal of a contract.

Hey man thats fine I think his contact is really good and that ye to move him would cost the team alot. The flyers ain't going to let him go cheap if he wanted to move as an example.

Some players just are on steals and worth more than there numbers. We got them all over the league. Example for Pittsburgh is Rust even before his little stint of explosion is never trade him he plays two way he is fast plays hard and is on a steal of a deal. Even if he only gets 40 points

 

[Eisen]

Drisaitel learned how to do that from Maklin.

You misspelled Crbsoy.

 

[SEALBound]

1. My team's best player.
2. The other good player I follow in the league than is not the Oilers or Draisaitl .

 

[Taluss]

McDavid
MacKinnon
Eichel
Panarin
Ovi
Crosby

 

[tony d]

Crosby, Mcdavid, Mackinnon. Possibly Ovie as well.

 

[Aceboogie]

Crosby/McDavid are the only clear ones. Mackinnon/Eichel/Ovechkin/Panarin/Pasta would be in the same tier. Draisaitl will be better than all in some stretches, worse in other. Hes not constantly better thought

 

[Ignatius]

Draisaitl might be an okay 3C on the Penguins, he would need to step up his game to get in the top 6 and wing it.

 

[Mike Liut]

Still wouldn’t trade Parayko for him

 

[82Ninety42011]

McDavid and only him Draisaitl has proven without a doubt he's for real this season and not just a by-product of McDavid. He has a very real chance to win the Art Ross.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

I don't know about right now but when the playoffs start I'll take McDavid, MacK, Crosby, Malkin, OV, Kane ahead of him for sure. Can probably throw in Kucherov, Panarin, Eichel.

 

[Krewe]

For sure better: McDavid, MacK
Arguably better: Crosby (though idk if I 100% agree with this)
Same level: Eichel, Kucherov, Panarin, Kane, Ovechkin, Pastrnak, Marchand
Slightly below: Stamkos, Matthews, Point, Stone, Marner, Bergeron, Couturier, Barkov, Huberdeau, Malkin, Rantanen, Tavares (prob a few others I am missing)

Out of that third group, there are some I would put above and some I would put below Drai, but all are pretty interchangeable for me

I don't know about right now but when the playoffs start I'll take McDavid, MacK, Crosby, Malkin, OV, Kane ahead of him for sure. Can probably throw in Kucherov, Panarin, Eichel.

I think for me it would depend a lot on team needs. Like if I could make a list of forwards to add to Tampa for the playoffs, my list would be very different. Like I would take Stone over guys like Ovi or Pasta simply for what he brings to the table, even if know he isn't the best player