It all comes down to Sunday at Winnipeg, where Liam Draxl faces Toby Samuel for the trophy. Toby Samuel is rolling — 4 straight wins, 6 of 10 in recent play. Liam Draxl brings a 4-match winning streak into this one, 7-3 across the last ten.
The two have never played — a first meeting always adds a layer of uncertainty the numbers can't fully capture.
Toby Samuel is clearly higher-rated on hard — our number puts Samuel around 63%. Draxl comes in off a compressed schedule; Samuel comes in off a compressed schedule. The edge belongs to Samuel — real, but not the kind you take for granted at this level.