Sure, but at the same time both Gaudreau and Tkachuk outperformed their prior averages as well. If we're looking at just last year then they produced pretty much identically. If we look back further, it actually favours Huberdeau + Kadri more often than not.
Looking at total points per game each season (Huberdeau + Kadri first, Gaudreau + Tkachuk second)
2022: 1.34 = 1.34
2021: 0.84 > 0.77
2020: 0.95 > 0.88
2019: 0.88 < 0.96
2018: 0.77 > 0.72
Gaudreau + Tkachuk have only outproduced Huberdeau + Kadri once in the last 5 years. Kadri's the weakest offensive player of the four, no question, but if we're factoring in Kadri's history as a 50 point 2C then we also have to factor in the clear gap between Huberdeau and the other two. Huberdeau's been at a 90+ point pace for four straight years with a career year at 115, while Gaudreau's closer to 80 and Tkachuk's closer to 70.
Really it all comes down to Tkachuk. Is he going to be a 90+ point superstar to go along with excellent possession metrics, or is he going to revert back to the 65-75 point range he's been at the prior three years? I expect Gaudreau and Huberdeau to both in the 80-100 point range (slight edge to Huberdeau), and Kadri to be in the 55 point range. But my point is that if they're even offensively in the same ballpark, this is a stronger team because of everything else they bring to the table.
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