Quote:
Originally Posted by JackIsBack
I get your point... I'm trying to take out my bias here.
Interesting point... RNH was the first overall pick in 2011, and out of the top 5 picks that year, Edmonton has touched (or wrecked) 3 of them which I wouldn't want on my team.... I'd take either of the other two and we will find out how one of those picks goes this year.
RNH has certainly slide down his draft class rankings... but I wonder if an unbiased person would take him over Backlund still today, RNH is younger, and we all must admit here, Backlund has progressed slower and is more of a late bloomer - which is not a bad thing, maybe he peaks later and has a slower downward descent much like Gio had, and maybe with that, he's better then RNH today. I still think it's a close call and a "pick me" type bet - so then I must fall on RNH is younger and as a gambling man, I'd take that.
|
The only thing RNH has over Backlund is PP points. And the reason he gets PP time is because the Oilers have only had 3 functioning forwards until this past year.
I posted the numbers recently, so I am not going to do it again, but Backlund has been more productive than RNH, 5 on 5. And sometimes quite a bit more productive.
Backlund is also - indisputably - better defensively.
The only people taking RNH over Backlund are 1) Oiler fans, and 2) people going by pedigree but don't watch them both play.