FanPost

Comparing Leon Draisaitl's and Sam Reinhart's points-per-game to recent WHL standout forwards

While we discuss who the Isles might/should choose with their likely top-5 draft choice, let's take a look at how Draisaitl and Reinhart have scored this season compared to recent top forward prospects from the WHL. I know points-per-game isn't everything, but it is one of the better statistics that is readily accessible.

EDIT: added Niederreiter and Connolly to the chart.

Note that neither Draisaitl's nor Reinhart's numbers are inflated by playing for an offensive powerhouse. Draisaitl's Prince Albert Raiders scored 243 goals this season; Reinhart's Kootenay Ice scored 235. The top five scoring teams in the WHL this season scored 338, 310, 290, 287, and 271. The bottom five: 171, 175, 178, 202, and 207.... Draisaitl led his team in scoring by 32 points; Reinhart led his team by seven.

Player...Year...Age at start of season (Oct)... Goals scored by team during regular season... Points-per-game (all between 47 and 69 games played).

The bolded players were drafted after the season.

Baertschi.........2011-12...19Y0M.....328...2.00

Eberle..............2009-10...19Y5M.....246...1.86

SReinhart......2013-14...17Y11M...235...1.75

Rattie...............2011-12...18Y8M.....328...1.75

BSchenn.........2009-10...18Y2M.....321...1.68

Draisaitl..........2013-14...18Y0M...243...1.64

EKane.............2008-09...17Y2M.....319...1.57

EFehr..............2004-05...19Y1M.....255...1.56

RNHopkins...2010-11...17Y6M.....268...1.54

Getzlaf...........2003-04...18Y5M.....200...1.53

RJohansen....2010-11...18Y3M.....303...1.46

JBenn.............2008-09...19Y3M.....267...1.46

Brouwer.........2005-06...20Y2M....278...1.42

Gallagher........2010-11...18Y5M.....236...1.38

Ennis.............2007-08...18Y0M.....234...1.30

Baertschi......2010-11...18Y0M.....303...1.28

Setoguchi......2005-06...18Y9M.....232...1.28

Eberle............2007-08...17Y5M.....217...1.07

Ladd..............2003-04...17Y10M...200...1.06

Connolly.......2008-09...16Y5M.....188...0.92 (injured 2009-10)

Nino...............2009-10...17Y1M.....266...0.92

One conclusion: given Sam Reinhart's and Draisaitl's age and the total goals scored by their respective teams this season, their points-per-game is as impressive as any of the top forward prospects to come out of the WHL the past few seasons. One could argue Evander Kane or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had slightly more impressive seasons because they were a little younger, and they were both fantastic prospects.... Getzlaf's post-draft season was impressive as well, with 1.53 PPG, while his team only managed 200 goals.... Bartschi had more points, but he was a year older, and his team scored 328 goals! (I'm sure thanks largely to his play... and Rattie's).... Also, check out Bartschi towards the bottom of this table when he was a more comparable age.

Does anyone have strong knowledge of the WHL, who can help provide more context for some of these numbers? The fact that Draisaitl led his team in points by 32 seems significant.

This is impressive company for Draisaitl and Sam Reinhart.

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