I have been struggling over this one for some time. I always hear \"go with the proven player\"..(Staal 100 point season) but Kopitar had a MUCH better rookie season than Staal\'s.

I can hold on to either one through their whole career, so let me know who you would take.

Thanks

Both have merit - but my money would be on Staal. I think last season was an aberration for him and I do believe over the long haul he is going to be a stud. That is not to say Kopitar won\'t have great success - but for my money Staal would be the one to bet on.

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Yahoo weekly starts 12 team league, keep 17 plus farm

GS, W, L, SV, GAA, SV%, SO G, A, P, +/-, PIM, SOG, GWG, PPP, SHP, HITS, FOW

3C: H. Sedin,Stepan, Stastny, R. Johansen, Hanzal, Anisimov,
3LW: Burrows, Vanek, Ott, Lupul, Dubinsky
3RW: Doan, Pavelski, Brown, Okposo,
6D: Franson, Doughty, Voynov, Subban, Markov, Gonchar, Karlsson
1Util:
2G: Price, Emery


Farm: (< 100 games): S. Elliott, J. Bernier, Galchenyuk, Etem, Eakin, Atkinson

I\'m a huge staal fan. But Kopitar shows great skills in the offencive end. His team is freaking stacked and getting more and more so as the years will pass. The offencive depth in that organization is sickening really. They are an up and coming powerhouse. So i\'d go with kopitar.

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Mike Green WILL bounce back over 60 points.

On twitter @ToddWhittington

You know Leagftodd brings up an interesting point that I struggle with at times. Is it better to have a very good player from an offensive powerhouse and is it better to have the star from a team that doesn\'t have that clear offensive dominance. Guys from the last few years that I think about are Crosby, Jokinen, Sakic, Selanne, Ovechkin, Savard, - none playing on a powerhouse but jeez look at the numbers? Read go-to-guy in all cases. I think that is where Staal lives.

However, I am interested in this thread because of the comparison Leaftodd made and will follow it closely - hopefully I will gain insight from my dobber fellows in an area I am just not sure about.

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Yahoo weekly starts 12 team league, keep 17 plus farm

GS, W, L, SV, GAA, SV%, SO G, A, P, +/-, PIM, SOG, GWG, PPP, SHP, HITS, FOW

3C: H. Sedin,Stepan, Stastny, R. Johansen, Hanzal, Anisimov,
3LW: Burrows, Vanek, Ott, Lupul, Dubinsky
3RW: Doan, Pavelski, Brown, Okposo,
6D: Franson, Doughty, Voynov, Subban, Markov, Gonchar, Karlsson
1Util:
2G: Price, Emery


Farm: (< 100 games): S. Elliott, J. Bernier, Galchenyuk, Etem, Eakin, Atkinson

Tough call, but I\'d go with Staal. The Canes will build around him, he\'ll be the centerpiece of that franchise for many years. It won\'t be so in L.A with all the firepower they have.

Also Staal didn\'t miss one game in 2 seasons while Kopitar has already been injured. While it doesn\'t mean Kopitar is a band-aid boy, having 2 injury-free seasons is something to consider.

another thing is how things went down with cammalleri in the arbitration process this year. how many of these guys are going to want to stick around if they start feeling like they cant get the money they feel theyre worth. now by no stretch of the imagination is cammalleri worth 6 mill but he thinks so and thats the most important thing. maybe when UFA comes he just walks and says thanks for the years but im outty. to many guys do the same thing and this team wont be a juggernaught for long.

plus the injury, plus the fact staal made a 100 already, plus hes a canadian, enuff said for my mind, take staal. oh btw i just traded for him in my league as well lol. gl with your decision.

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H2H Points
Protect- roster:18 + prospects:7
F- Tavares, M.Richards, Lecavalier, Kovalchuk, Horton, Hossa, Purcell, Hartnell, Pominville, Simmonds
D- Doughty, Hedman, Boyle, Meszaros, Wideman
G- Fleury, Halak, Vokoun


Prospects-
F- Bowman, Coyle, Adam, Zibenajad, Geoffrion
D- Savard, Wishart
G- Hackett, Jones

I\'d have to agree with leaftodd. I think Kopitar will be a 100 point score in 2 years while Staal will be an 80-90 point player. Staal could be great but I think Kopitar has more superstar potential.

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Keeper - 23 Man Roster (17 Keepers) + 8 Man Farm Team
G,A,P,PIM,PPP,SHP,GWG,+/-,FW,Shots, Hits - GP,W,L,GAA,SV%,SV,SA,SO

C: Stamkos, Berglund, Gagner (RW), Turris, Zibanejad
LW: Kovalchuk (RW), Benn (C), Kunitz, Lupul (RW), Mcdonald (C)
RW: Iginla, P. Kane (C), Oshie (C), Pominville
D: Phaneuf, Shattenkirk, Kulikov, Leddy, Carlson, Faulk, Kindl
G: Fleury, Lehtonen, Anderson

Farm: Niederreiter, Kuznetsov, Connolly, Soderberg, R. Murphy, Morrow, Gardiner, Rielly

Thats what my gut tells me too. Its close either way.

Dobbs, what would you say.... I know you got Staal higher on the Top 300 but with all the talent comming up in LA, do you think that would favor or hurt Kopitar as Staal remains the go-to-guy in Carolina.

Also do you see that \&quot;superstar potential\&quot; in Kopitar that could mean more eventuall value than Staal.........because I see a glimer of that through just his first year....

Both have the potential to be franchise centers for their respective teams and you really won\'t have many regrets going either way. That said, I\'d go with Staal. He has more spped than Kopitar and this is a speed league now. Kopitar reminds me of a young J. Allison and we all know where he is now.

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2010 - 2011 Signature Team
RFHL: Founded 1989 Rochester, NY
10 Man Keeper League
G, A, PTS, 2W+OL, SV%, GAA
C: Tavares, Kopitar, Benn, Roy
LW: Hall, Vanek, van Riemsdyke, Nyquist
RW: Seguin, Carter, Yakupov, Tarasenko
D: Green, Fowler, Elliott, J.Schultz, Streit, Wisniewski
G: Price, Ward

Stall easily. Hes proven, and is goign to bump back with a 90 pt+ season. Ya LA is stacked but they all cant score 100 points. Stall is the best player on Carolina and will be for a long while, theres no disputing kopitar will be good, but cammellari and frolov are goign to take a big chunk out of a potention 100 pt season, that I dont see happeneing