Who gets drafted first in the 2006 redraft?

[Connor McConnor]

I think you take Toews for how quickly he became an impact player and leader. You can make a case for Backstrom or Giroux over him for overall career and even Marchand might get there by the end, but if you're a lottery team you want someone who's going to work to turn you around right away.

Backstrom's first 3 years were 69 pts, 88 pts and 101 pts while not missing a single game and being a +66 lol.

 

[Regal]

Backstrom's first 3 years were 69 pts, 88 pts and 101 pts while not missing a single game and being a +66 lol.

Playing next to Ovechkin on a run and gun Caps team. Toews was the better player at the time, and the best player here over their first 8 seasons.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Playing next to Ovechkin on a run and gun Caps team. Toews was the better player at the time, and the best player here over their first 8 seasons.

Ah yes, one guy gets discredited for playing with Ovi while the other (happens to be Canadian too - coincidence I think not) is the superior player while playing with Hossa and Kane. All checks out!

 

[Regal]

Ah yes, one guy gets discredited for playing with Ovi while the other (happens to be Canadian too - coincidence I think not) is the superior player while playing with Hossa and Kane. All checks out!

I know the whole linemates thing is a sore spot for Edmonton fans and you like to pretend that using any type of context to discount some of a player's point totals somehow means that player is crap in your warped reality, and being an Oilers fan also means that point totals alone are the sole way to judge a player, but I don't feel like rehashing a decade old argument with someone who clearly isn't interested in an honest conversation. The majority of people, including myself believe Toews was the better player for the first half of their careers. My argument in this thread is based on the idea that this is the case.

 

[CupInSIX]

I'm surprised the debate isn't between Toews and Marchand tbh.

Toews by a nose.

 

[JaegerDice]

HFB and Toews have a love/hate relationship.

He’s basically the John Cena of the hockey world.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He’s basically the John Cena of the hockey world.

Annoying, but with a hot ex-fiance?

 

[JaegerDice]

Annoying, but with a hot ex-fiance?

Divisive, always draws passionate responses both positive and negative, has made a shit ton of money for both himself and his organization, grew a particular audience, and for all the grief, ultimately an undisputed hall of famer.

 

[Brucelenok]

I'm surprised the debate isn't between Toews and Marchand tbh.

Toews by a nose.

There is nothing to be surprised about. Marchand became an elite/ superstar player like literally 5 years ago. No GM in the world would draft a player and wait until they break out at 26/27 years old. Backstrom had more elite seasons than Marchand and also is better defensive player too ( I know Marchand is not bad himself, but Backstrom is still better)

 

[CokenoPepsi]

None of those players are turning that Blues team around

 

[PettersonHughes]

None of those players are turning that Blues team around.

That's fair, but any of the three top-flight centers (Toews, Backstrom, Giroux) would've been a good candidate to be the top center prospect and leapfrog Backes (as good as he was, he didn't score at the same level as the other guys did until later in his career) to be the heir apparent to Weight and Sillinger. Backstrom or Giroux would've been good calls if they wanted a purely offensive player but Toews brings that all around game and winning mentality (plus he'd be gone from their rival Blackhawks which might've brought them a Cup before ROR ever got there). If it was my vote, I'm going Toews (Backstrom had such a strong supporting cast e.g. Kuznetsov and Ovie carried the offensive load, plus Oshie and Carlson were strong contributors; Giroux doesn't have a cup, JT has 3).

 

[CokenoPepsi]

That's fair, but any of the three top-flight centers (Toews, Backstrom, Giroux) would've been a good candidate to be the top center prospect and leapfrog Backes (as good as he was, he didn't score at the same level as the other guys did until later in his career) to be the heir apparent to Weight and Sillinger. Backstrom or Giroux would've been good calls if they wanted a purely offensive player but Toews brings that all around game and winning mentality (plus he'd be gone from their rival Blackhawks which might've brought them a Cup before ROR ever got there). If it was my vote, I'm going Toews (Backstrom had such a strong supporting cast e.g. Kuznetsov and Ovie carried the offensive load, plus Oshie and Carlson were strong contributors; Giroux doesn't have a cup, JT has 3).

If we are doing just one for one here (say Toews goes to Blues and Hawks get say Backstrom) I don't see much changing.

Blues are going to be missing the playoffs for the next few years while Chicago will be a contender once Kane comes in.

A few years of being in the basement and without his supporting cast he had in Chicago would probably hurt Toews' winning mentality

 

[PettersonHughes]

If we are doing just one for one here (say Toews goes to Blues and Hawks get say Backstrom) I don't see much changing.

Blues are going to be missing the playoffs for the next few years while Chicago will be a contender once Kane comes in.

A few years of being in the basement and without his supporting cast he had in Chicago would probably hurt Toews' winning mentality

Fair enough, I guess Backstrom who's a key PKer in his career, would've had a similar two-way impact as Toews for those playoff runs, and he and Kane would've torn it up offensively. Always thought that Toews played the year he was drafted before Kane came in but in hindsight the Hawks were smart to bring them up together, because that's quite the enviable dynamic duo to build around. Also it's probably true that, as good as he was, Toews might not reach the heights without another elite player as his supporting cast in St Louis.

 

[JaegerDice]

The Capitals, Blackhawks, and Flyers will all considered cup contenders by 2010. The trajectory of all three teams, as a complete unit, were very similar. The idea that either Giroux or Backstrom had to deal with a horrific disadvantage in supporting cast is nonsense.

The Bruins were cup winners the next year. Marchand was a rookie on that team, Kessel would have been there had he no been traded.

None of these players were drafted into a wasteland of talent.