Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814
Top centres available as ranked by Button:
1. MacKinnon (2nd overall)
2. Barkov (3rd overall)
3. Monahan (6th overall)
4. Lindholm (7th overall)
5. Shinkaruk (12th overall)(Also C/RW)
6. Domi (14th overall)(Also C/LW)
7. Wennberg (18th overall)
8. Gauthier (19th overall)
9. Klimchuk (21st overall)(Also C/LW)
10.Horvat (22nd overall)(Also C/LW)
11. Lazar (24th overall)
12. Compher (27th overall)
13. Hartman (29th overall)(Also C/RW)
Thirteen centres currently have first-round grades. Taking anything but a centre in the first, given where we will likely draft and who will be available, is inexcusable.
Centre depth in hockey is like having a franchise quarterback in the NFL. They hide most of the weaknesses on a team. The Patriots secondary might as well be called a tertiary, but the Patriots are always Super Bowl contenders because Tom Brady is one of the three best people in the world at what he does.
To contend for a championship, you need two number one centres. Much like in the NBA, you need a big 3, or you aren't winning anything. You need those centres because they can play with anyone; they keep your winger salaries down. You can play a great centre with Lee Stempniak and all will be well.
There are eight players on the Calgary Flames who make more money than any centre on the roster. That's why the team won't make the playoffs for a fourth straight year. Until we fix this issue, the ending is going to be the same.
So go forth and git er done, Feaster. Or whoever is in charge at the draft.
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A lot of those c/w players will end up as wingers in the NHL IMO. Converting junior centres to wingers is a frequent phenomenon as we know from tanguay, cammalleri, horak, etc.
If we're drafting top 5-6 then I say yes, force a centre this year. Otherwise it still makes sense to draft the best player available. No point turning down a top pairing defencemen to force drafting a 2nd/3rd line centre. Don't get me wrong I'm desperately hoping like every year that we finally find our franchise centre. But you can't ignore the other positions if we're drafting outside the top 5. We need to get the best asset available.