Why Seguin Will Be Better Than Hall

Before the draft happens, speculations brewed about who is the better player entering the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. No one was the least bit worried about where the kids are going, because they will play for whichever team that drafts them.

Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall?

The reality is that Taylor Hall went first overall to Edmonton Oilers, and Tyler Seguin went second overall to the Boston Bruins.

Now here we are with two players both signed to identical entry-level contracts worth $3.75mil under the NHL salary cap. Tyler Seguin signed on Tuesday, while Taylor Hall signed in July.

We know know that Hall will begin his career as an Edmonton Oiler, and Seguin will build his career in Boston. No one has seen them in NHL jerseys skating in NHL competition yet. But now we know what the two young 18-year-olds have to deal with in their respective cities.

First, let's compare a few factors, and make the overall analysis:

1) Veteran Leadership presence: this is very important aspect for young kids coming out of junior hockey, as we have seen Sidney Crosby mature in Mario Lemieux's home, Steven Stamkos learning from Martin St.Louis, Ovechkin guided by Russian mentor Sergei Fedorov. All these stars in the NHL started somewhere that enabled them to mature as a hockey player. Now, we see what is in store with Seguin and Hall--Seguin has Mark Recchi to learn from, and big broad shoulders of Zdeno Chara to lean on. Marc Savard and Patrice Bergeron will show Seguin how to read the ice, and make the smart decisions at high speeds. What concerns many is who will guide Taylor Hall. Edmonton Oilers doesn't have a captain, not to mention someone like Chara. Ethan Moreau will not return to the Oilers, and the team is still dealing with two headaches: Sheldon Souray's trade requests and Nikolai Khabibulin's DUI punishments. Maybe Hall will get whatever he can from Shawn Horcoff, Ryan Whitney, Ales Hemsky, and buddies Eberle and Paajarvi-Svensson. Don't expect Dustin Penner to speak to Taylor Hall about work ethic in the NHL or bringing consistency in his game.

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2) Status of Hockey Clubs: let's not forget that the Edmonton Oilers were a horrible team last year, which brought them to a point of selecting first overall at the draft. Well, things are vastly different with Boston, because they must thank Brian Burke for offering the first rounder and dropping like a fly in the bottom half of their season. There is not a doubt that Taylor Hall will have less to work with on the ice this season compared to Tyler Seguin. Signs points to Taylor Hall either on Shawn Horcoff's line with Eberle, or Hall paired up with Sam Gagner. Both Horcoff and Gagner are expected to remain in their natural positions, so Hall will slot in one of the spots beside them. Ideally, Ales Hemsky is on the other wing, but Hall may not be ready to carry top line duties immediately. Simply too much pressure for a rookie. On the other hand, Tyler Seguin has a chance to see how Marc Savard goes about producing points in the NHL, and the way Patrice Bergeron contributes to the secondary scoring role. Seguin will spend time with Nathan Horton, Michael Ryder, Milan Lucic, Blake Wheeler (pending official signing), David Krejci, and get bailed out by Chara after giving up the puck accidentally. It is day and night in terms of support around the rookies.

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3) Hockey markets: Taylor Hall is entering a smallish Canadian city, where snow and ice is as common as the rice eaten daily...or maybe potato. Hall will be the center of attention day after day. When things go smoothly, Hall will be a hero. When the road is bumpy, watch out for the haters! Yikes. Boston fans are one of the best in terms of support and respect for the Bruins. There, you have the Red Sox, Celtics, New England Patriots and college sports to diversify sports fanatics attention. Yet, the hockey players will feel the vibe inside the TD Garden on Game Days. The Winter Classic at Fenway Park proved the support of the fans are overwhelming.

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Coaching Staff: Tom Renney vs Claude Julien

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Player Potential: Hall vs Seguin

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Fill in the Edge: blanks and comment on why you think the player of your choice will become the better player down the road.

Joseph has provided his own take on the five aspects.

1) Edge Seguin

2) Edge Seguin

3) Edge Even

4) Edge Hall

5) Edge Seguin