Top 20 Centers - EP Rinkside

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Sandman

If I remember correctly, wasn't Zibanejad shown to be an illusion according to his advanced stats? Doesn't drive play, horrible defensively, etc...

Also, am I the only one who thinks MacKinnon is better than Matthews?

I am taking MacKinnon over Matthews ALL DAY. And I am taking both of them before Draisaitl.

And yeah, I think Zibanejad gets a little over-rated too.

Hughes is a weird one - maybe the most over-rated on that list.

[Enoch Root]

If I were ranking them in tiers:

1: McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby*

2: Matthews, Draisaitl

3: Barkov, Point, Bergeron*

4: Stamkos, Eichel, Malkin

5: Aho, Lindholm, Zibanejad, Kuznetsov

6: Barzal, Hughes, Larkin, Thomas, Zegras, Miller, Pettersson, Pavelski, Tavares

7: Kadri, Horvat, O'Reilly, Scheifele


* ranked for past accomplishments, but not really there anymore

[AustinL_NHL]

I understand Toronto media is the absolute worst, but in what world is Matthews not in the conversation for best player in the game, let alone best center?

No one even touches his 5v5 goal scoring abilities or is even in the same realm.

[Vinny01]

Since Lindholm came to Calgary he has 261pts in 289 games and 117 goals. That averages out to 74pts and 33 goals per 82 games. He is the perfect example of a top 5 pick fully living up to his potential when he received a change of scenery.

For a long time it appeared the future of this team was tied to a 2013 drafted center and 2011 drafted winger and that remains the same today. Instead of Monahan and Gaudreau we now have Lindholm and Huberdeau leading this team forward.

We will see what Kadri does in Calgary. From an outsider perspective it looks like he has evolved as a player since his younger days and really took strides in his game during his run with the Avs. I am not sure he will be above a ppg in Calgary but I assume he will play with Mangiapane or Huberdeau and will get every chance to produce at a high level here.

With Lindholm turning 28, Kadri 32, and Backlund 34 now is definitely the time for this team to make a run. I have really only been a hardcore fan of this team since the 04 run but in those 18 years this team has never had the center depth they do today.

[activeStick]

Yeah ironically, I think that Matthews is overlooked by the constant focus on Mcdavid and Mackinnon's exciting style of play. Matthews is the best goal scorer of the three and also the best player defensively.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

I understand Toronto media is the absolute worst, but in what world is Matthews not in the conversation for best player in the game, let alone best center?

No one even touches his 5v5 goal scoring abilities or is even in the same realm.

If you were picking in an open draft, and you had first pick overall, would you take Matthews? I would pick him 3rd, personally. And I really don't see that as any kind of slight against him, it isn't like the first 2 are reaches.

[JackIsBack]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

If I were ranking them in tiers:

1: McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby*

2: Matthews, Draisaitl

3: Barkov, Point, Bergeron*

4: Stamkos, Eichel, Malkin

5: Aho, Lindholm, Zibanejad, Kuznetsov

6: Barzal, Hughes, Larkin, Thomas, Zegras, Miller, Pettersson, Pavelski, Tavares

7: Kadri, Horvat, O'Reilly, Scheifele


* ranked for past accomplishments, but not really there anymore

Your list does make more sense - but his list is just really someones opinions as well and it only seems more legit because he happens to have the ability to have it published (in EP Rinkside). I think people like to add "future progress" to certain people on the list... and subtract "previous help" from other certain individuals on the list with no rhyme or reason to doing so... for example, Gaudreau and Tkachuk helped Lindholm, but all the centers on the list had teammates that helped them... hockey is not an individual sport - Lindholm also helped them - Gaudreau would have gotten zero assists if not for someone else on the team scoring the goal - and likewise for everyone else... so you need to look at the individual play and create a list according to that (which I think you made a better attempt at doing then the original lists author).

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

If you were picking in an open draft, and you had first pick overall, would you take Matthews? I would pick him 3rd, personally. And I really don't see that as any kind of slight against him, it isn't like the first 2 are reaches.

I think it's a toss up between him, McDavid, and Makar.

Have no issues taking him 3rd, but Matthews is still very much in the top tier with both of them with very little gap.

[Erick Estrada]

Boy is Barzal ever overrated. No way he should be put above Lindholm or some of the centers left off his list.

[N-E-B]

I have a hard time putting Malkin that high, especially at this point in his career.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Boy is Barzal ever overrated. No way he should be put above Lindholm or some of the centers left off his list.

I don't understand the love affair with Barzal, and I like him enough to have picked him in pools a bunch of times (which may be why I have watched him a bit more closely). He scores, but not at an elite level, his D is suspect, and when a coach like Trotz pushes him to pay more attention his offence suffers even more.

Maybe it's because he was PPG as a rookie. But he was second to Brock Nelson on his own team last year, at only 59 points in 73 games. But he's clearly below Lindholm at both ends of the ice IMO.

[The Yen Man]

I'm making the prediction now that Lindy is breaking the 90 point barrier this coming year and next. He is going to be motivated this year and next so he can capitalize on his UFA deal.

[Unknown]

Maybe not the right thread, but what did EP Rinkside had to say about Flames' left and right wingers? I thought that they already ranked TOP20 wingers, so curious to know about it...

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Yeah ironically, I think that Matthews is overlooked by the constant focus on Mcdavid and Mackinnon's exciting style of play. Matthews is the best goal scorer of the three and also the best player defensively.

True, but zero playoff round wins doesn't help his case much

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by dino7c

True, but zero playoff round wins doesn't help his case much

Is it his fault he plays for a team that spent half its cap on four forwards and never has anything left for D or goalies?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Is it his fault he plays for a team that spent half its cap on four forwards and never has anything left for D or goalies?

His teams have been good enough to win a round. If we are talking a top 3 player in the league his playoff stats aren't up to that standard....they are decent but the other guys in the convo blow him away.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by dino7c

His teams have been good enough to win a round.

His teams have had enough offence to win several rounds. But they never have, because they are garbage defensively and can't hold a lead when it counts. That's not on Matthews, that's on the guys who assembled the roster.

[dino7c]

He has 33 points in 39 playoff games...that needs to improve before I put him up there with Nate who has 93 in 70. McDavid has 55 in 37.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Is it his fault he plays for a team that spent half its cap on four forwards and never has anything left for D or goalies?

The Leafs Blue Line is fine.

Their goaltending hasn’t been their real issue since Reimer left.

It’s entirely between the ears.

Oh, and they’re not 3-deep at centre. They’re 2-deep, when Tavares isn’t getting violently concussed 6 minutes into game 1.