Stamkos or Giroux

[Dean Youngblood]

Who would you rather own in a keeper league - Stamkos or Claude Giroux?

Why?

[ericdaoust]

Some probably won\'t agree with me, but I say Giroux all the way. He\'s in a better environment to succeed, and is farther along in his development. Stamkos is in a very poor environment with several unhappy star players, and I feel that team won\'t recover for a while. At least for the next few years, go with Giroux. After that, it could go either way.

[pudge]

Stamkos. If he was posting decent numbers this year it wouldn\'t even be a discussion. Even with his poor production the fans in Tampa Bay (yes there\'s a couple) are saying that he is really showing signs that he\'s learning the game. He was rushed into the NHL because of the predraft hype including \"Got Stamkos?\" bumper stickers, and then Barry Melrose didn\'t like that he was there so he didn\'t let him play or make mistakes...

He is showing steady signs of progress since. There is a reason why he was chosen by almost all the scouts to go number 1 even if it was a weaker draft year for forwards he\'ll be there when he matures...

Easy choice.

[NYR9394]

Stamkos.

He\'s just had a rough start to his NHL career with the coaching change, line changes and the \"slump\".(even though expectations were just too damn high)

[natgeo]

Yeah, I would definitely take Stamkos too. It\'s just going to take a little more time than some had hoped. There aren\'t too many Patrick Kane\'s in this world.

[tequilamonster]

giroux...no brainer...

giroux has been called up and already playing top minutes and top line PP....

stamkos is absolutely atrocious right now.....saw him live the other night and i was embarassed for him

melrose was right \"clearly not ready\"..

to those who think stamkos will magically start producing next year, give your heads a shake...tampa stinks!...

forget age here as the 3-4 difference is peanuts in the long haul.....

giroux is a stud and stamkos might very well be alexandre daigle

B)

[jackalope]

tequilamonster wrote:

giroux has been called up and already playing top minutes and top line PP....


to those who think stamkos will magically start producing next year, give your heads a shake...tampa stinks!...


giroux is a stud and stamkos might very well be alexandre daigle

B)

I agree that Giroux is in a better organization at the moment. Stamkos does not look quite ready, but no reason he can\'t learn at the NHL level. I\'m not sure how long Giroux can maintain #1 PP status (I hope for good).

As long as Giroux is up and playing I like him better for this seaosn and the next few years... Long term, not sure to be honest. To say Stamkos = A Daigle is a little harsh I think, but you never know!

[DuklaNation]

In a keeper league? Stamkos, its not close either. Talent wise, Stamkos has more elite skills. The Tampa situation will change as most do in time. Giroux will always struggle to get playing time. I would choose based on 2-3 yrs from now, not what is happening for the rest of the season.

I still remember getting Joe Thornton cheap 10 yrs ago in my pool after his rookie season (which was a LOT worse than Stamkos).

[Rustyrug]

Good point with the Thornton comment.

I believe Stamkos will be better in the long run. He will just not have an immediate impact. Giroux is more polished and playing on a much better team and line.

Stamkos needs to get stronger and better for him to learn in the NHL, it is not as if Tampa is going anywhere so let him learn against the best.

[OILSLICK]

Stamkos should be back in Junior, saw The Sarnia Sting last night, and he would fit in rather nicely, and give London and Windsor some competition in the Western Conference.

Seriously like the above poster stated, he is clearly not ready yet. (Berry Melrose was right)

Giroux is in a great situation on a talented young squad. BUT when Briere and Gagne return they get that much stronger.

SOLID LINES:
Hartnell Carter Lupul
Gagne Richards Knuble
Giroux Briere Upshall
Cote Metropolit Asham

I wouldnt rule out a trade with so many young guys, upfront to the Panthers for Jay-Bo?

[pudge]

tequilamonster wrote:

giroux...no brainer...

I wish I was in your pool...

[jackalope]

OILSLICK wrote:

I wouldnt rule out a trade with so many young guys, upfront to the Panthers for Jay-Bo?

I wouldn\'t be surprised to see a trade with that much FWD Depth... Kaberle is another possibility with J-Bo Id\' think

[tequilamonster]

pudge wrote:

tequilamonster wrote:

giroux...no brainer...

I wish I was in your pool...

you must be a stamkos believer...:laugh:

sucker born every minute....giroux was no slouch in junior....tampa stinks and will for years to come....

B)

keep drinking that stamkos fool aid....

did you own Brule too?

:woohoo:

[pudge]

tequilamonster wrote:

pudge wrote:

tequilamonster wrote:

giroux...no brainer...

I wish I was in your pool...

you must be a stamkos believer...:laugh:

sucker born every minute....giroux was no slouch in junior....tampa stinks and will for years to come....

B)

keep drinking that stamkos fool aid....

did you own Brule too?

:woohoo:

Ha... funny stuff...
I wish I was in your pool because you said it\'s a no brainer... Anyone willing to write off a rookie ranked #1 overall by almost every scout in hockey after half a season in a league that he was clearly not ready for.

What does Brule have to do with this? His style is completely different than both players on topic.

P.S. Your boy got KTFO last night... still a no brainer?

[Flyer Fan]

I\'d go for Giroux right now, but not for the reason\'s everyone else has said.

Imo they\'re both tremendous prospects, but from what I\'ve seen of both of them Giroux\'s just about ready to produce at the NHL level, whereas Stamkos looks like he\'s going to need a few years...

Stamkos has done nothing to indicate he\'s anything less than the special talent he was advertised to be, ...he\'s just a physically immature 19 year old boy, playing in the NHL against World Class Athletes and struggling because he had the misfortune of being drafted by a dysfunctional organization that was blinded by their own hypeing of him and rushed him to the league when he and they would have both been better served by allowing him the opportunity to grow, learn, and strengthen himself and his game for another year in Juniors.

The fact that the Lightening were also too goofy to provide hime with a strong surrounding support structure has only made their initial poor judgement all the more obvious.

Stamkos is an elite level talent, his upside is higher than Giroux\'s, and eventually he\'ll probably be able to out produce him, ...but for the time being, and probably for the next five years or so Giroux will have a huge advantage...

First and foremost, he\'s a few years older, and more physically, and mentally mature, ...he was also afforded the opportunity to spend that extra year in junior, he got time in the AHL, he\'s being introduced to the NHL incrementally, with a strong support structure, on the ice, in the lockerroom, and even with regards to his living arrangements etc., ...and strong coaching, in a clearly defined system,

...he\'s not just thrown into a second line center role, behind an unhappy superstar, under a coach who doesnt want him, and has been out of the game for a bit, or with an intrusive ownership interfering in the dressing room, or having to change coaches, or systems, or being subjected to a first time head coach after a successful mutiny by the \"established veterans\" that were supposed to be guiding him, etc, etc, etc,

...All of that HAS to matter. :P

at least in the short run, it\'s all to Stamkos\' detriment.

Giroux\'s progression has been slow thus far, but steady, he\'s already adjusted to the AHL and begun dominating it. The Flyers don\'t need him to take on a major role in the NHL right now, ...but down the road, they\'re gonna have cap problems that won\'t be able to solve unless they move out guys like Knuble and Metropolit and make room for guys like Giroux and VanRiemsdyk.

Looking at guys like Richards, Carter, Umberger, Hartnell, Lupul etc, ...the Flyers have done pretty well with their slower forward development, The Flyers are a good stable organization, that\'s proven capable of patience, and good judgement with regards to helping their players grow,

...which makes me believe Giroux will be just fine as well.

Tampa on the other hand, right now is a franchise that Stamkos is going to have to overcome, ...rather than one that will aide his developement.

That\'ll take time, ...I\'d take Giroux now, take the production for a few years, then after he\'s challenged or whena the Calder next year, and begun to enter stardom, ...I\'d cash in and trade him for Stamkos+++, ...his star will probably shine brighter, but it\'ll take longer to rise.


Anyhow thats my humble opinion. ymmv