He probably did, but he hitches his bandwagon to whoever is winning, its annoying as a viewer to listen to the crap being spewed at me and as a fan that this schmuck thinks he can just hop on board at the last second. Not to mention the national broadcast never, NEVER pronounces guys names right. Give me the local guys all day every day.

I literally have no idea why I put lowest cost lol. I don't even know how that happened

LOL. But he is clutch, and flashy.

@SammyT_51 @Jamiepo @BuFfaLOFaN @BurgerBoss @Snipshow4416 @dgfresh78 @mhockey91 @SpaghettiPasta @hanson493

Who’d you guys think is the more talented player, Matthews or Lafreniere?

Right now Matthews 100% cause he’s older

Matthews.

Even if you look back to Matthews at that age there is still a strong edge to Matthews. That isn’t saying that lafreniere can’t close that gap as he matures.

Matthews as of now.

I don't watch Lafrenriere but I think I've heard a lot that he's expected to be better than McDavid. Is this true?

What i find funny is that almost every year people say "this guy is better than your average 1st overall pick" ... really, Hughes is probably average for a #1OA pick. Obviously that's really good but average for 1OA.Same with Dahlin probably. Hischier was below average for 1OA, Matthews probably about average for 1OA and McDavid above average for 1OA ... I think i've heard Lafreniere could be better than McDavid and is expected to be. Could he be a 140-150 point player one day? Idk enough about him.

I think that Dahlin is above average, he is absolute amazing all around defense man ... Him vs Ekblad is almost hilarious, he is just better both sides of the ice. Maybe not as strong defensively but definitely better all around. He is amazing at defense though.

I watched highlights and nothing stuck out. Dahlin offensive highlights last year where better in Frolunda. He could be amazing though

Thanks for commenting everyone. Personally, I think Matthews is the more mature player but Lafreniere is more talented. We have to keep in mind Matthews dominated in the USHL, a league that’s level is not as high compared to the CHL. Sure, Matthews has the better goal scoring ability, skating and flashiness but Lafreniere reminds me of Crosby in a lot of ways. His puck protection, agility, edgework, hip reactions and change of direction are his biggest attributes. He is also a physical player who can grind down low and battle out for pucks. He’s been often labelled as a complete player like Stone, with the talent of Crosby. Great scorer and playmaker who plays in all situations. I’ve seen him play over the last 2 seasons and I don’t think he has the explosiveness of McDavid, but I definitely think he can be a generational talent.

Matthews didn't only dominate in USHL. He also played in the Swiss league before being drafted to Toronto - and he played there extremely well for a 18 year old.

He gained some important experience against professionals and former NHL players - and that's something Lafreniere didn't/doesn't do.

Yeah well that’s why I said Matthews is more proven, Lafreniere is more talented.

I think the reason why you think Lafreniere doesn’t stand out is because he’s not flashy. Look at recent top picks: Matthews, Hughes, Dahlin and Kane, they all have really flashy dekes and dangles but Lafreniere has a high amount of efficiency. You look at the way Lafreniere protects the puck at full speed in traffic, glides on the edges and changes direction, very few players can do that. It’s a very underrated attribute of a player’s game, that’s what made Sidney Crosby so dangerous.

Tbh Matthews is more proven just because he's already a NHL star. Lafreniere hasn't even been drafted yet...

That is right.

Guys, I put together my next generation rosters for both Canada (sans Quebec) and USA:

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1373852

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1370886

Which team would you say is better?

Last couple of year basically since Matthews USA has been the best country to develop high end talent

That zone entry he had in the 2013 game 6 was unreal. He doesnt do that they don't win. Its easy to miss because of the goal that was scored but it was one of the most clutch plays I remember in my time

Zone entries are very underrated. Nylander is excellent at it. Don’t forget Kane also scored the 2010 cup winner and a hat trick in game 7 of the 2013 Conference Finals. Whose playoff run would you say was more impressive, Kane in 2013 or Malkin in 2009?

Eichel does like 90+ per game and he is at 100%. He is one of the best at zone entries I can think.

Is Erik Johnson a bust? Not that he is a bad player, he just doesn't seem like first overall caliber

Definitely not a bust, very good defensive Dman.. but not 1st overall guy..