Conor Garland: 82 GP, 20 G, 27 A, 47 P, +19
Tommy Novak: 71 GP, 18 G, 27 A, 45 P, -3
Tommy Novak and Conor Garland are perhaps the closest comparison on this list. Their stat lines are nearly identical and they both have a way of finding and using open ice. Garland plays with a little more edge, but he isn’t big enough to really push people around in the playoffs.
The point goes to Garland here because of his play on the defensive side — It’s much better than Novak’s.
Elias Lindholm: 75 GP, 15 G, 29 A, 44 P, -14
Colton Sissons: 81 GP, 15 G, 20 A, 35 P, -6
Colton Sissons has been consistent his entire career, potting somewhere around 30 points almost every year he’s played. He plays middle-six minutes for the Predators and gets some good matchups. He’s a big part of this Predators team.
Elias Lindholm struggled to find his game after being traded to the Canucks in January, but he seems to have found his footing in recent games. His role with the Canucks has a lot more to do with keeping the puck out of his net than putting it in the opponent’s net. Now that he’s figured that out, he should be an invaluable piece for this team.
The point goes to Lindholm.
Nils Höglander: 80 GP, 24 G, 12 A, 36 P, +23
Luke Evangelista: 80 GP, 16 G, 23 A, 39 P, 0
Luke Evangelista and Nils Höglander have both broken out this year, making big impacts on their respective teams. Both guys are fast, skilled and fearless, but neither one is exactly big. These playoffs could be a real eye-opener for both players as they see how tight and physical the game gets.
Höglander is a bit better defensively than Evangelista is, plus he scores more goals. Högs gets the point here, but it’s close.