How is Matthews so low??? And kotkaniemi?!?!?!

smart list considering contracts as well.

great concept!

As you might have observed, Matthews is the only 1 year UFA contract. He’s just so good he might be worth building a team around, but it is not very smart to build a team around an expiring contract, as you have to gamble that the player will want to stay in this new team under a reasonable contract

Give me Hughes>Tage anyday.

Hughes is a better player right now, as well as being nearly 4 years younger. 900k a year doesn't make up for that imo

I still think he’s a lot higher than 20. Even if he costs 14-15 mil, he’s a top 5 player in the league and those aren’t easy to get

True, but there is very realistic chances that a player like Matthews will simply refuse to sign a deal with a new team, then you just lost your big piece for nothing

Nick Suzuki way too high. He's a 2C who I'd argue didn't even play up to his contract last year

Wym a player like Matthews? He’s most likely taking a team friendly deal. Also suzuki is way too high gimme hintz, Thomas, Eichel, Larkin, Norris, and Matthews over him

So you’d build a franchise around Jesperi Kotkeniemi but not around Trevor Zegras?

Just came here to make sure you didn't include Pierre-Fuc FucBois.

Suzuki shouldn’t be ahead of Hintz, Eichel, Matthews, Thomas, or Larkin. Arguably not Norris either. And also Dylan Cozens, Zegras, and Barzal, none of whom you have on your list

I made my say of why Matthews is so low, as of Suzuki, Thomas, Hintz, Cozens, I ranked them on cap hit because that is the fairest way to separate them as I think they are all very close to each other. Personally not a big fan of Larkin and Barzal and they don’t have the greatest contract. I forgot Zegras completely cause he is an unsigned RFA. Norris is not that great

Completely forgot Z, sorry. (The unsigned RFA thing)

Suzuki isn’t on the same level as Hintz or Eichel. They are definitely ahead. Thomas is slightly better, and I don’t mind paying the extra 250k for him. Larkin only makes 825k more than Suzuki, I’d take him.

Norris scores goals at a higher rate than Suzuki, Suzuki gets points at a slightly higher rate than Norris. Neither have that good of defensive metrics either. Suzuki is pretty close to Norris

Good list considering the context.

I'd have 7 years of Point over the 2 of Drai and it wouldn't be close personally
Would also bump Hintz/Eichel up around 5ish spots each too

Really the only 2 things that stick out to me as disagreements\

I'm really curious just how different this would look if expanded to 30 and including all players. Curious how you'd compare Fantilli with 3 years of ELC + all the team control afterwards to MacKinnon and his massive cap hit, could go on and on with the comparisons.

Unbelievable disrespect to eichel

Hughes is at-worst on the same level as Tage, makes just 900k more, and is just entering his statistical prime while Tage is exiting his (yes this is true do 3 seconds of googling into aging curves to check that I'm right).

He should easily be over Tage on the age alone.

bait post