Datsyuk vs. Thornton

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

Datsyuk played well below a PPG pace at the beginning of the season. The linemate argument is garbage because Mats Sundin has emerged as a potential Hall of Fame candidate being a damn helicopter his entire career. Not to mention Ovechkin and Semin have lit it up all season playing with benders at even-strength.

You're comparing a 6'4 230lb center, whos had every opportunity to leave that terrible franchise but refuses. The second coming of Jaromir Jagr(AO) and one of the most talented wingers in the league to a 5'11 playmaking center?

And yes hes played below a PPG but was still leading the team in scoring, for the majority of the season until he lit a fire under Zetterberg.

[mack 44]

Now you're bringing up size and style of play as an excuse? you're pathetic.

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

Now you're bringing up size and style of play as an excuse? you're pathetic.

The guys only arguement was the best winger in the league and a hall of fame center whos got 5 inches and 20lbs on Datsyuk. The only thing thats pathetic is the comparison.

Lets just get the secret out of the dark, because maybe im wrong. But is Alexander Ovechkin a playmaking center? Semin? The comparison is moronic at best.

Savard vs Datsyuk sure, Ovechkin vs Datsyuk?

[mack 44]

Maybe if you crawled a little farther up Datsyuk's ass you'd get his weight/height up enough to match.

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

Maybe if you crawled a little farther up Datsyuk's ass you'd get his weight/height up enough to match.

Great arguement by the by. I guess some people... your kind, can't comprehend what 5 inches and 20 lbs does for a player. Back to the Lemieux vs Larionov comparison.

[--notorious 0]

Maybe if you crawled a little farther up Datsyuk's ass you'd get his weight/height up enough to match.

Great arguement by the by. I guess some people... your kind, can't comprehend what 5 inches and 20 lbs does for a player. Back to the Lemieux vs Larionov comparison.

Give it up

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

Maybe if you crawled a little farther up Datsyuk's ass you'd get his weight/height up enough to match.

Great arguement by the by. I guess some people... your kind, can't comprehend what 5 inches and 20 lbs does for a player. Back to the Lemieux vs Larionov comparison.

Give it up

No reason, its actually a semi-decent discussion with a mix of moronic commentary.

[--notorious 0]

Maybe if you crawled a little farther up Datsyuk's ass you'd get his weight/height up enough to match.

Great arguement by the by. I guess some people... your kind, can't comprehend what 5 inches and 20 lbs does for a player. Back to the Lemieux vs Larionov comparison.

Give it up

No reason, its actually a semi-decent discussion with a mix of moronic commentary.

You lost this battle a long long time ago

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

No reason, its actually a semi-decent discussion with a mix of moronic commentary.

You lost this battle a long long time ago

I can still win the war :wub:

Seriously though, this thread should be closed. I'll start a new one when Dats signs his Thornton contract.

[mack 44]

When it's on a team with no talent and a lot of cap room, I'm sure you'll still balk at moving the bandwagon there, you dipshit.

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

When it's on a team with no talent and a lot of cap room, I'm sure you'll still balk at moving the bandwagon there, you dipshit.

What bandwagon? Kovy and myself are the only guys who have said anything positive about Datsyuk. Visit a wings message board, even hfboards.com and you'll see that Datsyuk hardly has a strong following. People love him when hes on and hate him every time he gets a raise. Most wings fans and even local Detroit reporters think he'll be gone this offseason. Im in the opposite, I think he'll stay, relatively cheaply. Oh wait I guess im on the Datsyuk bandwagon.

Or could it be that you and the rest of the NHL hated Thornton until he went to San Jose and turned it around?

[mack 44]

No, no you're not. I'm not questioning that he's a good player at all, I just question(ed) how he would ever earn Joe Thornton money. He may end up getting paid Joe Thornton money by some team stupid enough to do so, but he won't earn it.

What I'm saying is if/when he signs with some team simply for the money, that presumably sucks, I think you'd be hard-pressed to go root for him there. Then again it'll give you more excuses to bring up in his defence.

To humour your tangents, I don't really care one way or the other about Joe Thornton. I don't like him or hate him but I recognise him as one of the league's elite players. This is fact that has somehow not registered in your head.

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

No, no you're not. I'm not questioning that he's a good player at all, I just question(ed) how he would ever earn Joe Thornton money. He may end up getting paid Joe Thornton money by some team stupid enough to do so, but he won't earn it.

What I'm saying is if/when he signs with some team simply for the money, that presumably sucks, I think you'd be hard-pressed to go root for him there. Then again it'll give you more excuses to bring up in his defence.

To humour your tangents, I don't really care one way or the other about Joe Thornton. I don't like him or hate him but I recognise him as one of the league's elite players. This is fact that has somehow not registered in your head.

Ive been a Wings fan since 1991 and ive followed Fedorov past his Wings day and moreso Slava Kozlov past his days with the Wings. If/when Datsyuk leaves i'll follow him too and he'll most likely go to the Caps anyhow a team I watch on a nightly basis.

I mean ive followed Datsyuk since the 2001 World Championships, ive got game used equipment, sticks, autographs galor. Im far from a bandwagon fan. Not to mention I would like to see him on a bottom barrel team just so he'll get a quality winger to play with. Ovechkin-Datsyuk-Zubrus doesn't sound to bad to me. B)

[Cavs019 710]

I'm comparing Datsyuk to a 6'4, 230 pound center, not that this topic is based upon that or anything. As for Semin and Ovechkin, I'm merely isolating your argument stating that Datsyuk has played with AHL linemates for the early portion of the season, resulting in his poor play.

Also, minutes played do not indicate hard work. See: Alexei Kovalev 1994-present, unless since he's not a playmaking center I'm prohibited from making that argument.

If you still then want to go ahead and make correlations, then by that logic, Jagr, who Ovechkin is apparently the "second coming of" was beat out by Thornton for the MVP. Therefore, does Datsyuk, who I'm not allowed to compare to Ovechkin/Jagr, deserve to be compared to Thornton?? You're moronic at best, go home.

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

I'm comparing Datsyuk to a 6'4, 230 pound center, not that this topic is based upon that or anything. As for Semin and Ovechkin, I'm merely isolating your argument stating that Datsyuk has played with AHL linemates for the early portion of the season, resulting in his poor play.

If you still then want to go ahead and correlate the two, then by that logic, Jagr, who Ovechkin is apparently the "second coming of" was beat out by Thornton for the MVP. Therefore, does Datsyuk, who I'm not allowed to compare to Ovechkin/Jagr, deserve to be compared to Thornton?? You're moronic at best, go home.

This thread was never a comparison of the players Datsyuk and Thornton it was value to their team and money deserved. Each team has one or two guys worth the max. Datsyuk is one of them. Will he get the max from the Wings? Probably not, could he get it from another team? Yes.

You're comparing a generational player in Ovechkin to a star who will not get into the HOF without finishing his career very strongly. Ovechkin and Crosby clearly beat out Thornton in terms of importance to their respective teams. As a matter of fact I would put Brodeur, Luongo and Kolzig above Thornton in MVP voting. Thornton is on a stacked San Jose team, he may win it again but it wont be deserved.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

If I was Datsyuk I would ask 10 Millions for 2 years, not that much money but Detroit has given him a chance by drafting him and bringing him in North America. The guy had never put great stats in Russia and Detroit was the only team who has had the guts to draft him. He was so small when Detroit draft him, something like 155 LBS. Datsyuk has always had tons of skills but Detroit gives him the chance and help him to become the player is.

After those 2 years of contract, if he scores 100 points each season and he's dominant for the team, maybe he could ask more...

You guys are very hard on Datsyuk, I still think he's the best playmaker in the league or at least in the Top 5.

[Oberon 0]

Reading this thread is actually making me hate hockey.

[warrior37 0]

living in detroit it just makes me wish the wings had some size and grit and didnt love their euro flavor so much

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

So instead of being the top team in west, they would fight for a playoff spot.

I don't know how you guys in Detroit can complain about your team.

living in detroit it just makes me wish the wings had some size and grit and didnt love their euro flavor so much

[Chadd 916]

So instead of being the top team in west, they would fight for a playoff spot.

I don't know how you guys in Detroit can complain about your team.

living in detroit it just makes me wish the wings had some size and grit and didnt love their euro flavor so much

Playing Chicago, St Louis and Colombus helps inflate their record. I think putting Dats and Hank together is a good move going into the playoffs. They had their talent spread out way too much for playoff hockey. Rolling four lines is a nice idea in the regular season but in the playoffs you need to get your best players on the ice more often.

[Eazy_b97 1]

Not quite... is Thornton the better player/asset? Yes Does his physical play bring more then Datsyuk could ever hope to do? Yes

But thats not the point, Thornton is valuble to his team as is Datsyuk. I think Datsyuk can and most likely will get a Thornton like deal. It all hinges on this years playoffs.

Is Richards worth $7 mill to another NHL team? Probably not, is he worth it to the Bolts? Apparently so. The same can be said about Chara, Kovalchuk, Lidstrom. Its all about what the team needs, without Datsyuk the wings are sunk, probably on the fringes of the playoffs. Anyone suggesting that Datsyuk isn't a valuble player to the Wings is crazy. Its amazing how many players in this league get completely low balled by teams and fans, Datsyuk and Ryan Smyth are prime examples.

Richards was coming off a Con Smyth award and they actually gave him that money to prevent him from ever getting to the open market where he would've gotten more. Chara and Lidstrom are the captains of there teams. Very few organizations have multiple people making 7 mill a season. Chara, Lidstrom, and Kovalchuk have all lead the league in a number of categories. Datsyuk never has. Dats is valuable to the wings, but he is nowhere near the calibre of Thornton. That's like saying Frolov is the best player on LA so he deserves the same as the Jagr since Jagr is the best player on the Rangers. Despite being half the player and sub-par in every category.

So instead of being the top team in west, they would fight for a playoff spot.

I don't know how you guys in Detroit can complain about your team.

It'd be interesting to see Detroit play in a real division like everyone else has to. It wouldn't surprise me if they were on-par with Minny and Calgary.

[warrior37 0]

thats giving the wings a little much saying theyre up there with calgary, id like to see the wings in the northeast division and see how many presidents trophys they win

[Chadd 916]

thats giving the wings a little much saying theyre up there with calgary, id like to see the wings in the northeast division and see how many presidents trophys they win

The way Nashville has drafted and developed their talent, those trophies are a thing of the past in Detroit.

[Datsyukiandeek 0]

Im so sick of the division garbage. Sure they play in a terrible division but they also should be playing in the east, everyone knows it. When Atlanta came in Detroit should have got the choice to move to the east if they preferred. Seriously the Eastern conference is full of terrible teams but no one complains about the Sabers or Thrashers for that matter.

[Chadd 916]

Im so sick of the division garbage. Sure they play in a terrible division but they also should be playing in the east, everyone knows it. When Atlanta came in Detroit should have got the choice to move to the east if they preferred. Seriously the Eastern conference is full of terrible teams but no one complains about the Sabers or Thrashers for that matter.

Quite possibly the worst point you've tried to make so far. I'm closing this before it gets any dumber.