I doubt many would say that today.
- Wildschwein

No I think 95% of the “Lazy” Leon bandwagon has jumped over to the L50N bandwagon

If we still had Hall and Drai and one HAD to go who would it be?
- RatedR80

EDIT: Sorry, misread the post. I'd trade Hall, but it would be closer than it seems to be for Schwein.

McDavid could hit 100 tonight

EDIT: Sorry, misread the post. I'd trade Hall, but it would be closer than it seems to be for Schwein.
- MaximumBone

Hall is still a top player for sure but with how Drais career has been going it’s certainly a more interesting debate then when the trade actually happened

I’m in the same boat...I asked because when that traded happened and people were angry some were saying Drai should have been traded
- RatedR80

I was one... and that's because I wasn't sold on Drai

Hall is still a top player for sure but with how Drais career has been going it’s certainly a more interesting debate then when the trade actually happened
- RatedR80

Drai is a big body center that puts up points.
Hall is an injury prone winger that puts up points.

It's not really that close

I was one... and that's because I wasn't sold on Drai
- Reveen.

Well at the time I think the majority would have traded Drai....I knew he would be good but I didn’t think he would get to Halls level

Drai is a big body center that puts up points.
Hall is an injury prone winger that puts up points.

It's not really that close
- Reveen.

That’s honestly how I have it figured too....Centers are more difficult to come by then wingers (you couldn’t tell by watching this team tho)

EDIT: Sorry, misread the post. I'd trade Hall, but it would be closer than it seems to be for Schwein.
- MaximumBone

I was/am high on Draisaitl. Didn’t hurt that at the time we drafted the big German, all we had at C was Nuge.

Well at the time I think the majority would have traded Drai....I knew he would be good but I didn’t think he would get to Halls level
- RatedR80

I always saw Drai as a Penner clone... slow and lazy. There were big knocks on his skating and effort level prior to the draft.

Even his first two seasons I wasn't sold. Once he put up 77 points in a season I started to see the potential.

McDavid will hit 100 tonight
- RatedR80

Fixed.

Hall is still a top player for sure but with how Drais career has been going it’s certainly a more interesting debate then when the trade actually happened
- RatedR80

Yeah. My hesitation is rooted in Hall having shown that he drives play at an elite, near-McDavid level for the better part of his career while Draisaitl has only started showing even close to that level of play driving on a regular basis this year.

That said, Hall has also had better linemates than Drai has had when he wasn't playing wingman to Connor (Hischier, Nuge, Palmieri, Eberle VS Maroon, Lucic, Chiasson, Rieder) so maybe he'd have shown signs sooner with better quality around him, but we can't be certain. Factor in Hall's history of injuries that can make you confident he'll miss an average of at least 10 games a year and it really sways the case.

Draisaitl is the choice I make for his health, position and recent signs of play-driving.

I always saw Drai as a Penner clone... slow and lazy. There were big knocks on his skating and effort level prior to the draft.

Even his first two seasons I wasn't sold. Once he put up 77 points in a season I started to see the potential.
- Reveen.

I figured him to be a Jordan Staal clone with a bit more skill. And he is, except it turns out that he has a hell of a lot more skill.

I always saw Drai as a Penner clone... slow and lazy. There were big knocks on his skating and effort level prior to the draft.

Even his first two seasons I wasn't sold. Once he put up 77 points in a season I started to see the potential.
- Reveen.

His effort level wasn't questioned in any of the scouting reports I read at the time. It was mostly mentioned that his awkward stride sometimes made him appear as though he wasn't putting it all on the line which, as we've seen before, is a trend common to bigger players.

I always saw Drai as a Penner clone... slow and lazy. There were big knocks on his skating and effort level prior to the draft.

Even his first two seasons I wasn't sold. Once he put up 77 points in a season I started to see the potential.
- Reveen.

I figured Drai would be a 50-60 point 2nd line Center (behind Nuge since McDavid wasn’t a thing) now the (frank)ing guy might get 50 goals....this is why I don’t work as an NHL analyst

I was/am high on Draisaitl. Didn’t hurt that at the time we drafted the big German, all we had at C was Nuge.
- Wildschwein

I've said it before but when he's "on", he's probably my favourite Oiler to watch. McDavid is "on" more often but things just seem more rewarding and exciting when Drai goes dominant because we don't get to see it every night like we do with Connor. However, with the recent change in his play, maybe that trend corrects itself.

I figured Drai would be a 50-60 point 2nd line Center (behind Nuge since McDavid wasn’t a thing) now the (frank)ing guy might get 50 goals....this is why I don’t work as an NHL analyst
- RatedR80

Well that, and also because it would be a tremendous waste of your talented masseuse hands.

Yeah. My hesitation is rooted in Hall having shown that he drives play at an elite, near-McDavid level for the better part of his career while Draisaitl has only started showing even close to that level of play driving on a regular basis this year.

That said, Hall has also had better linemates than Drai has had when he wasn't playing wingman to Connor (Hischier, Nuge, Palmieri, Eberle VS Maroon, Lucic, Chiasson, Rieder) so maybe he'd have shown signs sooner with better quality around him, but we can't be certain. Factor in Hall's history of injuries that can make you confident he'll miss an average of at least 10 games a year and it really sways the case.

Draisaitl is the choice I make for his health, position and recent signs of play-driving.
- MaximumBone

I think his injury this year alone plumits his games per season to like 67 or something like that....the only question I have about Drai now is this season going to be the new norm moving forward or not so much....I’m not betting against him but I feel it’s a fair question to ask

I've said it before but when he's "on", he's probably my favourite Oiler to watch. McDavid is "on" more often but things just seem more rewarding and exciting when Drai goes dominant because we don't get to see it every night like we do with Connor. However, with the recent change in his play, maybe that trend corrects itself.
- MaximumBone

We really are quite lucky to have both.

I think his injury this year alone plumits his games per season to like 67 or something like that....the only question I have about Drai now is this season going to be the new norm moving forward or not so much....I’m not betting against him but I feel it’s a fair question to ask
- RatedR80

I don’t think this season is his new norm per se, but I should think 30G/80P is about right.

I've said it before but when he's "on", he's probably my favourite Oiler to watch. McDavid is "on" more often but things just seem more rewarding and exciting when Drai goes dominant because we don't get to see it every night like we do with Connor. However, with the recent change in his play, maybe that trend corrects itself.
- MaximumBone

I love that about those two....different yet dynamic hockey players in their own way and I don’t know what Drai did with his shot this year but damn it’s a thing of beauty at times

Well that, and also because it would be a tremendous waste of your talented masseuse hands.
- Wildschwein

That and my 10-2-1 playoff prediction will come to pass .....if we win tonight and Saturday vs Arizona I’m betting more people will believe

I figured Drai would be a 50-60 point 2nd line Center (behind Nuge since McDavid wasn’t a thing) now the (frank)ing guy might get 50 goals....this is why I don’t work as an NHL analyst
- RatedR80

In fairness, I don't think anyone was accounting for him ever being within reach of 50 goals in a season. I've consistently stood by my belief that Drai is more comparable to Backstrom than to Kopitar. Size (6'1, 210-220lbs), passing dominance, burgeoning two-way game, skating style & ability; just all of it. That's how I viewed his future; Backstrom and Krejci (Nuge's comp.)

I don’t think this season is his new norm per se, but I should think 30G/80P is about right.
- Wildschwein

Given his new found shot this season I wouldn’t rule out 40G per season.....speaking of 30G tho that’s the kind of guy I thought Ebs would be....wrong again

I think his injury this year alone plumits his games per season to like 67 or something like that....the only question I have about Drai now is this season going to be the new norm moving forward or not so much....I’m not betting against him but I feel it’s a fair question to ask
- RatedR80

And that raises the question, which is more valuable- ~80 games of an elite player or ~67 games of a dominant player? If it weren't for Drai's recent surge, it'd be more of a question but I think he's skewed the argument in his favour.