The Brown Knight wrote:Mëds wrote:The Brown Knight wrote:
NO ONE is putting Reinhart in the same weight class as Sakic, Toews, Crosby, and McDavid/MacKinnon/Eichel.
Despite the fact that he has won 2 Cups, I really don't know why you have Toews mixed in with that collection of names.
We'll really have to disagree on this one Mëds. Not only do I think that Toews *easily* belongs on a list consisting of Crosby, Malkin, Stamkos, etc., but I'd even go as far as saying that Toews is currently the best overall player in the game. No joke. Toews is an exceptional leader and can do anything and everything that is asked of him.
I think that if you were to put Toews on a team that isn't as stacked as the Blackhawks, he would still be a great leader and solid two-way talent, but I doubt he has 2 Stanley Cup rings. The ONLY reason I don't put him in a class with Crosby and Sakic is because of his numbers. He has never been a lock for putting up huge point totals since he left Midget AAA at Shattuck St. Mary's.
What he does on the ice, in every aspect of the game, and the fact that he has that pair of rings, is the very reason that he still gets recognition as a great player. Here is an interesting comparable.....
Toews was a 1.11 ppg player in the WCHA. His ppg numbers after 7 years in the NHL are 0.91.
Linden was 1.0 ppg player in the WHL. He was a 0.81 ppg player after 7 years in the NHL.
Toews is playing on a team that is simply stacked with talent, one of the deepest in recent history. I'm sure you remember the quality of the Canucks roster that Linden was drafted onto. So Toews is a more talented version of Linden.
I really don't think he's as good as guys that are named in a class with Crosby. His all-around game gives him a boost, so I think he's close. But take away Kane, Hossa, and Sharp, and stick him with Dupuis, Kunitz, and Neal, and I doubt Toews has 2 Cups.
Kane is an exceptional offensive talent without question (much better than Toews), but Toews brings far more to the table in my opinion. He has size, can play physical, can kill penalties, is comfortable in a shut down role, and is an exceptional leader.
I think Toews could very well be considered the best overall player in the game........even moreso than Crosby in my opinion. Look no further than how Toews performs at the Olympics.
Absolutely agree with you regarding Kane and Toews. But when Kane is on his game, you can see a difference in the Hawk's game. They have more jump, and more chemistry. But Kane isn't the engine powering them like Toews is.
The Olympics is a poor place to compare Crosby and Toews. Crosby gets to play against THE BEST shutdown players the opposition can throw at him, he is the guy that they keyed on. The best checking lines outside of Canada were sent out against Crosby, not Toews. That argument can be made for almost every player on Canada, our team was so stacked that after Crosby's line faced the other team's best defenders, any line that took the ice for us looked unreal.