Quote:
Originally Posted by Beatle17
Good points but the highlighted part I always get a kick out of. On this board Monahan is not a center because he doesn't carry the puck and drive play, but when Lindholm does the same thing it is because he plays with the talented Gaudreau on his wing. I just find it funny, not your comment but relating it to all the other conversations over time.
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I would say Lindholm is a step above Monahan at carrying the puck, but still a step or two below, for instance Backlund, or typical play driving centres.
Since he is pretty strong defensively, it does mitigate the need to be Pavel Datsyuk or Matthew Barzel, but I do think it would be preferable that our top line centre can produce without an elite offensive winger. I always look back at those last couple of cup einning blackhawk teams and their top six was essentially
Saad - Toews - Hossa
Kane - random nobody - decent middle sixer
I think that is the model you need to be able to deploy. It's even tougher these days since some teams are flatout stacked rosterwise, moreso than that era.
But a 1C should be able to drive his own line. That's not take away from guys like Hossa (IMO a HoFer) or Saad. But can Lindholm play at the level of 2013 Toews or 2019 ROR without Huberdeau/Gaudreau on his wing?
Even the Bruins model, where Marchand and Bergeron play together, is offset by the fact that, often in their most successful years, Krejci outproduced Bergeron offensively, particularly in the postseason.