Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Keep in mind that Gaudreau is a pretty big liability with respect to zone exits. Sure, if they can get the puck to him in the neutral zone, then he is elite at zone entries. But having him on your line, with respect to zone exits, is a liability.
This is an example of why stats have to be taken in context.
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I will give you that Gaudreau is weak at "stationary exits" - those plays where the winger has to find the outlet man from the boards. However I would also say that he is more likely to execute this play finding a streaking Brodie or Giordano (defenseman) or Lindholm (far side winger) than he is to find Monahan(the guy you'd actually expect to be getting open down the middle). This is a pretty fundamental breakout play here and I don't think Monahan pulls his weight regularily enough relative to the top end guys Jore mentioned. If Monahan were centering Tkachuk and Frolik, would I trust their ability to break the puck out the way I do Backlund? I wouldn't. If someone like Jack Eichel were centering Gaudreau and Lindholm, would I expect their breakouts to be far more consistent and efficient? I think I would, and I would have said that long before seeing the above chart.
I think it's valid to say that Gaudreau is weak in some defensive areas, but you're really deflecting some pretty valid criticism off Monahan's defensive/transition game. His go-to breakout play is making a stretch pass from behind his hashmarks hoping to catch his wingers... sometimes it's a good play too but sometimes you need something more too. I believe that the vast majority of centers on this top 20 list, as well as a handful missing from the list are far more capable of escaping pressure and generating controlled breakouts through the middle as is typically expected of the position - even if Gaudreau has a weakness WRT stationary breakouts. Despite being taller, Patrick Kane has pretty much had all the same issues that Gaudreau has in the defensive zone. Yet he's had success with Toews that extended to the postseason because of Toews' more dynamic 200 foot game. Toews has also had success away from Kane with more stationary wingers because of his speed.
Ideally our top line wingers might be Tkachuk and Lindholm allowing Gaudreau to wreak havoc on line two - but can Monahan be the guy down the middle for those wingers? Barkov can. Eichel can. Aho can. Toews can.