Pirri is not a center in this league. He's a pure winger, and not even a good one at that. I think Europe is the next stop for him, unless an AHL team brings him in to be a high end scorer.
Ryan is Bozak-lite. He's a 3C who does not play defensive minutes at all and does not really put up a ton of points either. I was surprised; I thought he played more defensive minutes, but I was wrong. I do not know where he would fit if that is the case, but it could be tough for him to find a job, and I think Lindholm is a much better option given he is great at both ends.
I do not see how a team does not give Nash a 3C job with term and dollars. The top 9 C options this year are so slim (Tavares, Stastny, Bozak, maybe Ryan and then him are really the only ones). If we were looking for a Bozak replacement, he makes sense, but he's looking for more than we would give him otherwise. Beagle may be the best option, but I think Washington will work something out to bring him back. I have been wrong before, but call it a gut feeling. Then really besides the past two or three years, Beagle has not been a 4C would be dying to get. He was average at best, and the type of guy you could get for cheap in FA every year. What if he pulls a Moore and regresses? It wouldn't be bad if it was a one year deal, but he's likely getting more than that.
I am trusting Lindholm and Aaltonen. The only uncertainty is transferring over to North American ice (for Lindholm), but if that is a problem then we still have Aaltonen, who in many ways has followed the same path as Derek Ryan before he made the NHL but is younger and much better defensively. If both of those AND Gauthier (who should be a depth forward next year at least, and still could very well put it together in the NHL) fail, then maybe the Leafs just have to invest in a 4C later on. You shouldn't be spending a 2nd round pick on a 4C at the TDL anyways.
