Quote:
Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan
I think that type of player is obsolete now.
You can win without them. I would rather have a guy that is 1-2" shorter and 20 lbs lighter but can skate.
Treliving and Burke keep talking about heavy hockey, but if you look at teams like ANA and LA, they have guys that are bigger but can skate.
The big question is can Ritchie keep up with Kane, Hall, Ducshene, Seguin, etc..
Second point, you look at all the championship teams from 1980 onwards and most of them, if not all of them have a solid 1-2 punch up the middle.
Gretzky/Messier
Lemiuex/Francis
Nieuwendyk/Gilmour
Yzerman/Fedorov
Sakic/Forsberg
Nieuwendyk/Modano
Lecavalier/Richards
Kopitar/Richards
Towes/Kane (although Kane played the wing too)
Getzlaf/MacDonald
Krejci/Bergeron
You win with a 1-2 punch up the middle.
IF we get a chance to snag one of Bennett, Reinhart, or Draisaitl you have to take him. This way Monahan can slide down to line 2 where he may be better suited.
Reinhart/Bennett/Draisaitl
Monahan
I think it will go down like this:
FLA-Ekbald
BUF-Bennett
EDM-Draisaitl
CGY-Reinhart
To have Reinhart and Monahan moving forward is a much better plan than Monahan and Ritchie.
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Ritchie isn't slow. I don't know why you think he is slow. A better question is could Reinhart keep up with those guys.
These players are NOT obsolete. The best teams, especially in the west, are physical and have size dispersed throughout the line up. LA is no exception as they are one of the biggest and most physical teams in the NHL.
Yes you need C depth, but they are rare. I did some research on another site. There are about 1.6 top centres drafted each draft (and they are almost exclusively acquired in the draft). You are right that the best teams usually have two of them. But I am not convinced a top C will be found in this draft. Bennett projects better as a winger, Reinhart lacks the tool set, and that leaves Draisaitl. He has a chance, but he is no Mackinnon.
Ritchie fits more needs on our team that any other player except Ekblad. Though I would still take Bennett over either.