Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
I still don't think Gaudreau, Drouin or Kucherov are worth as much as a franchise centre or a top pairing d-man. But yes, those are more attractive players overall.
I used Kessel and Eberle because those guys are good examples of goal scoring wingers who got paid and then hurt their teams ability to compete because of how much of the cap they take up. I've thought similarly in the past about the deals that Kovalchuk signed, Nash had in CBJ, Heatley, etc. A lot of times the best goal scoring wingers get paid huge and in a cap system the amount you have to pay them ends up being more than how much they actually drive your team.
My point is that it is easier to be a contender if you have elite centres and elite defensemen. And in a cap system there's only so much money to go around so spending a ton on wingers limits your ability to pay your goalies, centres and defensemen. I think history has shown that elite wingers rarely lead their teams anywhere. Look at the top goal scoring wingers of the last decade and add up how many cups they have. It's pretty telling. Then do the same for franchise centres and franchise d-men and its obvious what type of player you should prioritize in the cap system.
Not everybody will agree. Goal scoring is sexy. Goal scoring wingers are essential in pools but IMO less essential for actually contending for a cup. It's just my philosophy after I've watched the various 40-50 goal scorers struggle to lead their teams anywhere over the last 20 years of watching hockey. Heck here we had Iginla score 50 one year where we missed the playoffs IIRC. We struggled to compete without a franchise centre and without a franchise dman.
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I get your point about scoring wingers generally not being worth as much as centres or D but the three examples you quote here don't fit that for me. They are the straws that stir the drink (Drouin hasn't proved that just yet but shows glimpses) and are worth every bit as much as a C or D. Gaudreau in particular is one of the most dynamic players in the league and is both a playmaker and goal scorer. Sure he's not as complete a 200 ft player as we would like but he makes up for it.
I agree with you about other wingers who are 'just' finishers, they are more replaceable.