How? Laine is known for being a one-trick pony. He doesn't defend, his transitions are average at best, he's got an elite shot, but so does Svech. Svech is good defensively and getting better, his transitions are nuts... I'm not just saying this as a Canes fan, I'm saying this as an analytical head, why do you think Laine is better overall, where is he better than Svech?

See his stats again for this year. He's made great development defensively, he plays more for his team rather than just shooting the puck and he has more points than Svechnikov while playing with f*cking Copp as his center.

Overall his team is now much better with him on ice than it was before.

Andrei Svechnikov played the majority of the season with Jordan Staal and Warren f*cking Foegele. Combined they have 47 points.....

Laine made developments, sure. But it couldn't have gotten much worse, Hockeyviz still says he's a big liability defensively. Laine's tranisiton stats have to be modified because he doesn't hit the attempt threshold, so he doesn't move from defence to offence. He shoots the puck, and that's about it statistically speaking.

Don't know about how hockeyviz rate players, but yeah I know Laine is not exactly known for his defensive game.

Imo Laine's biggest weakness has been throughout his whole career his inconsistency. There's been phases where he's one the best players in the league, and then there's have been phases where he would've struggled in f*cking ECHL.

This year statistically speaking Laine has become more of a playmaker for his team. Instead of shooting as much, he passes the puck more often. And he has done pretty well in that. Statistically this is his best season thus far.

I can fully understand how one would view Svechnikov as the better of the two. Frankly after watching his stats he is better all around player.

Still I do see more potential in Laine than Svechnikov, because he has shown that he's virtually unstoppable when his confidence hits the ceiling. October and November of 2018 was a good example of that.

And this was the point of this post. The future value of NHL players...

Did you miss the fact Svechnikov was almost a point per game at the age of 19? Laine had 47 even-strength points this year, Svechnikov had 41 with far worse linemates (Laine played with Copp, and Kyle Connor, it's a far cry from Jordan Staal and Warren Foegele). On top of that, he's far better all around, his passing and his shot are just mad. This was also just his 2nd year in the NHL... I don't understand how you can see more potential in Laine than Svech.... are you looking at this through rose-tinted glasses? I know you're Finnish, does that have anything to do with it? Otherwise, I don't know how you can say Laine has a higher Ceiling than Svechnikov.

Maybe I'm biased. But Laine performed points-wise pretty much just as well Svech does at 19.

Laine had 2 more points this year than Svech did. Svech is 2 years younger....

Laine had 70 points when he turned 20... So there's that. Then there was that slump year.

Svech was on pace for 74.... so there's that.

But he wasn't 2nd in goals in the whole league only behind Ovechkin...so there's that.

I dunno why we're going with this. I already conceded Svechnikov is the better player of the two.

What's your excuse for having Draisaitl 7th on talent?!

Look back four years and you'll see he's a top player in the league:

1. McDavid: 306, 146-275-421
2. Kucherov: 304, 153-245-398
3. DRAISAITL: 313, 147-215-362
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6. MacKinnon: 307, 131-211-342
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9. Crosby: 277, 124-201-325
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11. Malkin: 263, 121-195-316
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14. Scheifele: 292, 122-177-299
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18. Barkov: 288, 103-185-288
19. Matthews: 282, 158-127-285
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23. Eichel: 273, 113-168-281

Even if you're predisposed towards recency bias (which all of us are), you could look at the past 2 years:

1. DRAISAITL: 153, 93-122-215
2. McDavid: 142, 75-138-213
3. Kucherov: 150, 74-139-213
4. Kane: 151, 77-117-194
5. MacKinnon: 151, 76-116-192
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12. Eichel: 145, 64-96-160
13. Barkov: 148, 55-103-158
14. Scheifele: 153, 67-90-157
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17. Point: 145, 66-90-156
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19. Matthews: 138, 84-69-153

Draisaitl has more goals and more assists than both Matthews and Eichel over the past 2 years. Only Ovechkin has scored more goals in this timeframe (99) and nobody has more points.

Either your personal perspective is a LOT more biased than you're prepared to admit or you're a piss-poor talent evaluator.

But he was the 2nd leading goal scorer on a team with some crappy forwards so there's that.

Idk tbh

But he wasn't 2nd in goals in the whole league only behind Ovechkin...so there's that.

I dunno why we're going with this. I already conceded Svechnikov is the better player of the two.