Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
Huberdeau has been top 2 for forwards at EV TOI, if not THE top, every year of the last four. Whichever line he’s on is the top line.
And I’d argue he’s better than Kyle Connor anyway.
These aren’t excuses, they’re facts. You can’t compare something like linemates with something like some vague allusion to how coaches rely on him. If you’ve watched the games, you know exactly why he’s been on the second line. From coming up behind Gaudreau and clicking with Backlund, to the reliance on “pairs” within the forward group.
It’s not that it’s an insult for him to be top 15 (if anything, you seem to think it’s an insult to call him top 10, or why put up the fuss? Dom from the Athletic isn’t changing his mind cause you spit out one line of stars), it’s that there’s plenty of argument for him to be considered top 10.
You don’t see it, and that’s fine, but based on what you presented, that may be more due to your narrow view of a player than anything close to objective.
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That Huberdeau stat isn't actually true - at least not last year (JH was 4th on his team with 13:54, MT was 2nd on his with 14:57)...though any argument with Huberdeau is vs. Gaudreau, so I won't dive deeper.
All I'm asking for is who you'd delete off the list I provided. Nobody has taken that challenge...it's just more 'easily top-10'. Or 'he's the youngest'.
I'd just like to see Tkachuk repeat this level of performance before I anoint him...though I'm still not sure who he'll be able to bump out of that 10.