Quoting: kster34
Easy top 15, most likely top 10 imo.
While I agree that value typically highest with centre than d, then wingers & goalies… exceptional players have huge impact no matter the position. Kane & Ovee both wingers but top 5 players in league in their prime. Marner and Kiprozov (and Kucherov) all deserve top 10 imo, bumping Crosby and shesterskin down to next 5
I'm a Leafs fan, big Marner fan but I think your overstating it. Ovi is either the best winger in my lifetime or second best (Jagr). Marner is not on his tier
Kane may be a more valid comparison, with less offense but more defense. He totally can drive a lines offense which is not a skill typical to wingers. Tavares and Kadri both had career years (Kadri since surpassed) playing with him. Check out kadris goals per season with and without Marner until last year. It's impressive
Regardless I don't think he can crack the top 10. Maybe 15ish.
He's not above (in no particular order):
The top C's
Matthews
Draisaitl
McDavid
MacKinnon
The best g in the league
Vasilevskiy
The best d
Makar
Hedman
The one w who is clearly better
Kucherov
So all of the above I won't even listen to discussions about. So at absolute best he's 9th
But I don't think he's better than Sid yet. I don't think he's ahead of kaprizov or panarin. Stone is one of the few wingers better defensively, but we can give the edge to Marner for health.
So with Sid, kaprizov and panarin ahead that's 12th
I'd put fox ahead, true #1 d are that important. So that's 13
I'm actually undercalling Bergeron for not mentioning him yet. As a Toronto sports fan I am so tired of Boston success across sports, but Bergeron is a unicorn. He's been between a 1b and good first line c offensively, but he has been in a tier of his own defensively for the last 10+ years. Like his impact defensively is insane. He likely should have challenged for Hart's over the years
So that's 15th
I'd put Barkov ahead
16th
Now we're likely in a fair tier for him with guys like
Marchand (has actually put up better offensive numbers and is quite good defensively)
Pastrnak (not the same defensively and perhaps similar points, but better goal scorer which is harder)
Robertson (hard to judge. He was a tier or two below entering the year but has been unstoppable. If he keeps this up he belongs with Kuch. But for now I'll leave him in this tier)
Tkachuk (different style player. But also drives offense like a boss from the wing)
Rantanen (with MacKinnon's injuries over the last few years at times has proven he can drive offense at this tier)
***Huberdeau (he is not playing like this this year, but last couple years he's like 5th in the league in points)
The next tier of d with McAvoy, Josi
The next tier of G's with shesterskin, Helle, Saaros
Perhaps Stammer.
As an aside I think Eichel re-enters that tier when he stays healthy for a season