Lately, I've seen some folks salivating over Carlson, and some others lobbying to trade Hamilton (and some folks do both). This got me wondering if this is just a real-world version of the Family Guy "box instead of the boat" thing...
So, here are three comparisons I've done up. I don't understand the advanced stats enough to get into them, so I stuck with the basics: GP, G, A, P, +/-.
Note: It may look confusing at first, but the comparisons are lined up based on the seasons.
Hamilton vs Carlson: Careers
Hamilton vs Carlson: Same Ages
Hamilton vs Carlson: Same Seasons
It seems like they both have similar basic stats, while playing for (vastly) differently-skilled teams. Hamilton is three years younger and is trending towards being the better goal scorer while not having as much skill around him. Carlson has a lot more assists, but has played his entire career with Ovechkin/Backstrom.
The real question (in my opinion) is if Hamilton is already a Carlson, and he's three years younger, what's he going to be when he starts getting into his prime in 3-4 years?
Edit: The
"Hamilton is already a Carlson" thing is just my own conclusion based on what I've posted. Obviously not everyone will share that sentiment, which is point of this thread. Who do/would you prefer?