Best 3rd Line Center

[Pitaya]

Stepan's career PPG average over 82 games is about 53, Zajac's is about 44. Obviously Stepan's numbers will go down more over the upcoming years since Zajac is six years older, but I think offensively Stepan definitely had the advantage. Stepan for a seven season stretch had six seasons over 50 points points and then the lockout season is included as the seventh but that was his best season by far in terms of PPG. He would've easily hit 50 points in that season. He was consistently good for 50-60 points per season in his prime. Zajac only had two seasons above 40 points, although his two best seasons were in the 60 point range. I guess it depends how you define prime. Is it two seasons or seven seasons? And then defensively, both were extremely good defensive centers. It's close. I'll go with Stepan though.

Zajac had the two best seasons, has received far more Selke votes and had the best voting position, and is a far better faceoff taker, by almost 7-10% on average

I really dont think its close and youre including his career totals in an argument over prime. Prime is usually only a 2-3 year span. Zajac had the better prime and hes always been the better center and defensive player. Stepan has always been better offensively and thats it (and even then he never reached Zajac’s prime totals)

 

[heretik27]

Stepan still wins on reputation and career. He was the best of these players in his prime, even if he's declined recently.

Considering the point of the thread is to pick the best two players for 3C duty if the playoffs started now, it really doesn't matter if you think he was the best of the players in his prime. He's not in his prime anymore.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Zajac had the two best seasons, has received far more Selke votes and had the best voting position, and is a far better faceoff taker, by almost 7-10% on average

I really dont think its close and youre including his career totals in an argument over prime. Prime is usually only a 2-3 year span. Zajac had the better prime and hes always been the better center and defensive player. Stepan has always been better offensively and thats it (and even then he never reached Zajac’s prime totals)

Stepan was the only of the two players to ever get first place Selke votes, so it goes both ways. If Zajac gets credit for having a better offensive prime because he has more points in his best offensive season, Stepan gets credit for having a better defensive season because he got a first place Selke vote, which I believe Zajac never got.

Which measure is better as a player’s prime, best season or two or better overall play over the years that are generally considered to be a center’s prime? I think it’s close, but I’ll take Stepan.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Considering the point of the thread is to pick the best two players for 3C duty if the playoffs started now, it really doesn't matter if you think he was the best of the players in his prime. He's not in his prime anymore.

Are you sure? He’s only 29. How can you be sure he won’t score 55 points next season? 29 is generally still considered one’s prime.

 

[Pitaya]

Stepan was the only of the two players to ever get first place Selke votes, so it goes both ways. If Zajac gets credit for having a better offensive prime because he has more points in his best offensive season, Stepan gets credit for having a better defensive season because he got a first place Selke vote, which I believe Zajac never got.

Which measure is better as a player’s prime, best season or two or better overall play over the years that are generally considered to be a center’s prime? I think it’s close, but I’ll take Stepan.

so youre taking an inferior center then? Because Stepan is half the faceoff taker and only received those high end Selke votes in a single season, Zajac had multiple where he saw top-10 votes. Also Zajac’s offensive numbers after his two 60pt seasons werent even from the 1C slot, Stepan has almost always been the 1C on his teams.

Feel free to take Stepan if you think hes the overall better PLAYER, which i disagree with - however theres no argument for Stepan being the better CENTER. Neither in their prime or their career.

 

[snipes]

Lowry

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

so youre taking an inferior center then? Because Stepan is half the faceoff taker and only received those high end Selke votes in a single season, Zajac had multiple where he saw top-10 votes. Also Zajac’s offensive numbers after his two 60pt seasons werent even from the 1C slot, Stepan has almost always been the 1C on his teams.

Feel free to take Stepan if you think hes the overall better PLAYER, which i disagree with - however theres no argument for Stepan being the better CENTER. Neither in their prime or their career.

Telling me he’s inferior is not a convincing argument. Very little of what you’ve said is convincing, but you still think you can say there’s no argument for a player having a better prime than one whose lapping Zajac in this poll.

While I don’t think FO’s are as meaningless as most think, that cannot be the basis for saying someone’s better. And you can keep trying to make a very biased argument for Zajac, but this stuff once again goes both ways. If you want to see Zajac had more overall Selke votes, you then can’t ignore that Stepan’s best offensive season was the lockout shortened season. That season lapped anything from Zajac in PPG.

You are being completely unreasonable and incredibly biased. I could easily say Stepan was better, it’s not even close and any argument you make is irrelevant, which is what you are doing. But I’m not coming here with the only purpose to win an internet argument. I admit, unlike you, that it’s close.

 

[Pitaya]

Telling me he’s inferior is not a convincing argument. Very little of what you’ve said is convincing, but you still think you can say there’s no argument for a player having a better prime than one whose lapping Zajac in this poll.

While I don’t think FO’s are as meaningless as most think, that cannot be the basis for saying someone’s better. And you can keep trying to wiggle a biased argument for Zajac, but this stuff once again goes both ways. If you want to see Zajac had more overall Selke votes, you then can’t ignore that Stepan’s best offensive season was the lockout shortened season. That season lapped anything from Zajac in PPG.

You are being completely unreasonable and incredibly biased. I could easily say Stepan was better, it’s not even close and any argument you make is irrelevant, which is what you are doing. I admit, unlike you, that it’s close.

I mean you started the entire conversation trying to argue if a prime is 2-3 years or across an entire career...

I think youre just an expert wordsmith my friend. I dont think many would agree Stepan had a better prime

Itd be an interesting poll though thats for sure but i dont care much to argue on about it when you simply move the goal posts each time

 

[Nucker101]

Interesting. Stepan pulled away in this poll after it being relatively close between everyone except Bjugstad.

 

[heretik27]

Are you sure? He’s only 29. How can you be sure he won’t score 55 points next season? 29 is generally still considered one’s prime.

He's been downward trending in that regard for the past two years. Obviously one can never be "sure", but expecting him to get better at age 30 isn't as likely as expecting the trend to continue downwards or remain where it's at while playing with Arizona.