Barzel > Mika >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Strome

There is certainly an argument between Mika and barzel (though I’d gladly take barzel) but I wouldn’t call someone an idiot for saying they’d prefer Mika. Strome though is an absolute joke.

Toss up on Mika and Barzal (up to each individual person’s preferences, but Barzal is a lot younger). Barzal has higher end skill. Strome is not better than either of them. Barzal scores less cause the Isles are defense first. If he was on the Rangers with Panarin in a run and gun style he’d put up a lot more.

Mika >>> Barzal > Strome

Two way forwards win Cups. Barzal > Mika > Strome

From a Wings fan...

"Is Matt Martin better then Taylor Hall because he has more goals then him? " Well you can't ignore that THIS season, Martin is better goal scorer. It would be subjective, but is Martin a better over player than Hall this season?

Mika vs Barzal is a debate (i'd take Barzal but you can argue) but Strome is not on that level

If you (only) use points to evaluate players, yikes
Especially when they have played 30-35 games

Barzal is definitely better the Mika. They are different players. It’s hard to really compare.

Exactly. Strome isn’t even in the same universe as Mika and Barzal. But personally I’d take Barzal.

Zibanejad doesn’t drive play and he’s not good defensively. He’s a great goal scorer tho. Barzal is the better center.

My point being is that the tweet I’m referencing is comparing this years point total. Everyone on Buffalo related to the Sabres this year is a joke. Hall is a better player then Martin all around. But stats don’t tell the full story.

Uh he’s one of our top penalty killers on the 5th best unit in the league. May not be an elite defensive center, but to say he’s not good isn’t accurate.

He’s below average defensively at even strength

Exactly. The argument of whose better is ridiculous. It’s like, if Carson Wentz had more Touchdowns then Aaron Rodgers in a season, hypothetically speaking, is Wentz a better QB? No.

I won’t doubt Mika is a better PK then Barzal, but the Isles have no need for their first line Center to be on the PK when they have Cizikas Pageau Clutterbuck, Bailey, Nelson, Dal Colle who are all serviceable on the PK. Not to mention Komorav, but he shouldn’t start in the ECHL.

Barzal >> Mika >>>> Strome

I was only responding to the guy who said he wasn’t good defensively. Obviously the Isles are constructed differently and have more defensive type players that can play that side of the game for them.

I mean Trotz' affect on offense is negligible according to the analytics. Offense didn't seem to suffer to much under Trotz' system when he was in Washington.

If you want a reasoning behind Barzal's point totals not being especially great, having guys like Nelson, Lee, Pageau and Eberle as top 5 scoring options will do that...

If Barzal had say Buchnevich and Kreider to work with, he'd probably be looking at a point/gm+ easy. I'm just saying it's not really a system thing, it's talent. The Isles primarily operate out of their forecheck on the dump/chase, but Barzal carries the puck in more than any player in the league, Trotz gives him the freedom to operate on his own, so don't put it on Trotz.

Put it on Lou, for blowing cap space on a ****ton of bottom 6 guys.

Barzal's great though. Don't waste him.

The islanders are a team that rolls out 4 lines. Lou’s only bad contract is Leo Komorav. He inherited Andrew Ladds 5 million.

Barzal and Zibanejad are apples and oranges. Two completely different types of players IMO. I think Barzal is better, but Zibanejad is a perfectly good 1C. Barzal is definitely hampered from being on a defensive-minded team, but he's become a really nice two-way player. If he was playing somewhere else for a team that didn't care about defense, he'd be talked about a lot more poorly.

But obviously, Strome doesn't belong in the same sentence.

Strome being better than Barzal started as a joke on Rangers twitter bc he has more points... it comes from Islanders fans citing lack of points for Kakko and Laf as an excuse for labeling them as busts...

So it goes both ways, does it not 😂

Fair enough

Then you would have to switch Barzal and Mika

That comment is an absolute joke, considering he's been nothing but a ppg player with us, whoever he plays with. He has absolute skill unlike what old TMZ reports say

To compare Strome even in the same breath as barzel is absurd. Strome is a fine 2C who gets carried by his line mates. Quit being such a homer