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Like I said, I haven't seen enough of Kotkaniemi to weigh in on the debate. But there are a few things I would say about your post. First, there isn't a single team in the NHL whose centers don't have more defensive responsibilities than their wingers do. Hence why guys who played center their whole careers but can't hack it in the NHL (Abby, Helm, Franzen) get moved to the wing and not vice versa. So while Zadina may have improved, he's still asked to do MUCH less than a center. Especially a top six center. Secondly, this year IS Zadina's first year. He played 9 games last season and looked totally lost. Then he looked totally lost in training camp and as a result didn't make the team. He then got called up because of his offense (to replace Mantha) and showed improvement as the season progressed. But he still only played 28 games. Your post makes it seem like there was some marked difference in his play from one year to the next. That's basically an exaggeration considering he still hasn't even played a half season's worth of NHL hockey. Again, it's pretty clear Zadina is the better scorer. That should come as no surprise considering we all knew that on draft day. But a better player is still very much in debate I'd think.

Ugh, this debate is dull and has been done in various iterations before. Nobody is saying Kotkaniemi is a better scorer. The numbers don't back that up. Mackel is saying he's a better player. We're all fully aware that a player who scores fewer points can still be a better/more valuable player. Otherwise we'd all have to conclude Datsyuk was not better than Crosby or Malkin in 2008. Otherwise Steve Yzerman was a better player in 1987 than he was in 1997. Zadina has been criticized by quite a lot of folks, including our own coaching staff, for his play away from the puck. It's not like Mackel is making this up. I don't know enough about Jesperi Kotkaniemi to weigh in on the debate, but I do know that conflating "scoring" with "better" is a pretty slippery slope. You start playing that game and you have to conclude absurd s*** like that Brad Marchand is a "better" player than Alexander Barkov, or that Patrice Bergeron has never been a top 5 center in the NHL. Doesn't work that way.

Well duh, it's easier to play better defensively in the AHL.

You put Kotkaniemi and Hayton above Zadina despite the fact that Zadina has better numbers. You tried your best to explain Kotkaniemi. Back up why Hayton should be above him. Yeah. Because he was injured for part of it. Just like Kotka was. A false equivalency would be excusing poor numbers because of injury for one player (Kotkaniemi) and ignoring it for another players numbers (Zadina). And even with his injury this season, Zadina still outperformed Kotka's healthy season on a far better team. Another fact you choose to ignore.

Which was my original point in response to mackel. Zadina is not sliding among his draft class. He still in that top 5-6. I agree with what you said about centers vs wingers but given these guys stats and that they are both had struggles, some due to injury(Kotkaniemis being more serious obviously), the debate should definitely be there. If anyone in that group should drop in a re-draft its Hayton. His highest ranking before the draft was at 9 (north american skaters only) and was considered a reach. Nothing this guy has done since being drafted have proved the Coyotes right in taking him that high or him being a better player than Zadina. In my humble opinion: 1. Dahlin 2. Svechnikov/Hughes 4. Tkatchuk 5. Zadina/Kotkaniemi 9999. Hayton

No pls and yes pls

I agree in Zadina's first season his all around game was suspect, but last season his all around game was toted as being vastly improved. This was also the deciding factor in which he stayed in the lineup after Mantha returned from injury last December-Blash said he's staying up because he's showing a better all around game, especially from a defensive standpoint. With Zadina improving so much on his defensive play all while still putting up (better) points as well I think its safe to say Zadina is easily becoming the better player. Edit: I dont really get why this is even an argument. Should we not just be happy Zadina is even in this discussion after so quickly being labeled a bust?