1990's Entry Drafts: The Best from Each Year

[The Guvnah]

The Blackhawks have a Stanley Cup and Team Canada has an Olympic Gold. Adam Burrish has his name on the Stanley Cup too but I don't think that makes him better than anybody. That isn't to try and take anything away from Toew's role as a part of those teams, and the fact that he led Team Canada in scoring in 2010 and put up 29 points in 22 games during the Hawk's Cup run are certainly to his credit, but to try and say he's a better player because he's been on winning teams doesn't jive for me. Stamkos hasn't won a Cup, so does that mean Toews > Stamkos?

As far as Toews vs. Backstrom, we'll never know whether or not Toews would have had a 100 point season that year. What I do know is that he's never even had an 80 point season, and that's playing with guys like Kane, Sharp, and Hossa. Right now I'll take the guy who has proven he can get to that level over the guy who hasn't. Maybe five years from now we'll look back and Toews will be a consistent 80 point player and Backstrom never gets back to being a point per game player. I doubt it, but who knows?

Just to be fair, I think the intagibles Toews brings are huge, and even though I'd take Backstrom over him it's pretty darn close.

Your Adam Burish argument is bunk. Every team needs role players, but as you pointed out, Toews was a huge piece in both the Stanley Cup win as well as the Olympic Gold win. And yes, if I were a GM picking second in the NHL where every single player was available, assuming the first GM takes Sidney Crosby, I would take Jonathan Toews over Steven Stamkos. Fantasy hockey is a different story, but I'm not talking about that. I mean, the ultimate goal is to win the big prize, and Toews has been instrumental in winning the two biggest prizes in professional hockey. He wasn't a grinder or role player on either of those championship teams.

To add to the Toews vs. Backstrom thing, guys like Kane, Sharp and Hossa aren't the Ovechkin of a few years ago. Ovie was an offensive dynamo who averaged 54 goals and 106 points over his first five seasons. You put Kane, Sharp or Hossa on a regular line with Ovie at that time and I bet they do 90+ points too. Again, points aren't everything. I know that you're not saying Toews is a scrub or anything, but this guy does SO much out there. I don't care if he never scores 80 points or 40 goals, he's a better player than Backstrom. He's better than Giroux. And yes, he's better than Stamkos.

[bigbabybuda]

The Blackhawks have a Stanley Cup and Team Canada has an Olympic Gold. Adam Burrish has his name on the Stanley Cup too but I don't think that makes him better than anybody. That isn't to try and take anything away from Toew's role as a part of those teams, and the fact that he led Team Canada in scoring in 2010 and put up 29 points in 22 games during the Hawk's Cup run are certainly to his credit, but to try and say he's a better player because he's been on winning teams doesn't jive for me. Stamkos hasn't won a Cup, so does that mean Toews > Stamkos?

As far as Toews vs. Backstrom, we'll never know whether or not Toews would have had a 100 point season that year. What I do know is that he's never even had an 80 point season, and that's playing with guys like Kane, Sharp, and Hossa. Right now I'll take the guy who has proven he can get to that level over the guy who hasn't. Maybe five years from now we'll look back and Toews will be a consistent 80 point player and Backstrom never gets back to being a point per game player. I doubt it, but who knows?

Just to be fair, I think the intagibles Toews brings are huge, and even though I'd take Backstrom over him it's pretty darn close.

Yes Towes is better then Stamkos and Backstrome is very close to not even being in the same league as him. Towes is the second or third best player in the NHL right now...