Quote:
Originally Posted by CliffFletcher
When you look at the big RFAs being talked about - Marner, Point, Rantanen, Laine*, Aho - those guys are elite difference-makers. They can make a line go by themselves. They make the players around them better.
I'm not sure you can say the same about Tkachuk. I love him as a player, and what he brings to the team. But he's more of a support player than a dynamic centerpiece. He has the hockey IQ and the hands to play with elite players, but he hasn't show he can generate offence at a high level playing with less talented linemates. He hasn't been able to turn the Backlund line into a dangerous scoring threat playing with guys like Frolik, Bennett, and Neal at RW.
So I see him somewhere between that upper echelon of RFAs and a Connor, Meier, or Boeser. A young core piece with good skills and production, but who isn't a centerpiece who drives play.
* Actually, you could make an argument (and Jets management certainly will) that Laine is a pretty one-dimensional player and doesn't deserve to be paid like a Rantanen or Point.
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The issue is all of those guys get lots of icetime with top line players. Tkachuk's camp will be able to point to his production with the powerplay to illustrate that he is that type of game breaking forward.
Rantannen is playing 20-22 minutes a game.
Aho played almost 25 minutes last night.
marner is playing 19-20.
Point fluctuates but that's because tampa
Tkachuk has hit 18 minutes twice in his last 5 games.