Quote:
Originally Posted by CalgaryFan1988
I don't get it either. Paying players strictly on potential is dangerous (ie see Oilers)
I don't see how he is a "game breaker" or a 7+ million dollar player. He's a 20G 60P player thus far.
|
Nope. He has those numbers because he hasn't seen as many minutes as guys who score more. His scoring rate (points per 60 minutes of ice time) puts him almost exactly where Sean Monahan is at even strength, in the top 50 in the NHL. But his power play rate is top 15 - ahead of Matthews & McDavid. The problem is that he's been on the ice for less than 50% of his team's power play time - otherwise he'd likely have scored 70+ in both of the past two seasons. If you look at closest comparables between 2016 and 2018 in both game states, the closest names are Sidney Crosby, Blake Wheeler and Mikael Granlund.
The thing Nylander is elite at is carrying the puck. He carries it out of his own zone more than anyone on the Leafs, and he carries into the other team's zone more than anyone on the Leafs. Having a guy be
the guy to move the puck out of your zone and up the ice has a lot of value, not only offensively but defensively.
So yes, if I were another team, 8 years at anything less than 8 would be something I'd be pretty okay with. The problem is that you likely have to give up a lot for the privilege of signing him to that deal.