Best True 2c in the League

[Pierre from Orleans]

Turris

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Everyone just saying their team's #2 center. I say Bergeron.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

It depends on a persons list of True #1C's.

For me, my list of #1 C's right now would be as follows in no particular order


Duchene
Datsyuk
Malkin
Crosby
Stamkos
Tavares
Getzlaf
Krejci
Bergeron
Eric Staal
Seguin
Spezza
Kopitar
Thornton
Couture
Backstrom
Toews
Johansen
Giroux
Sedin
Carter


So, that would leave these guys as the top #2C's left IMO:

Koivu
Stastny
Mackinnon
Plekanec
Bozak
Stepan
Backes
Little



Of that group, IMO its between Little, Backes, and Plekanec for the best. With nod going to Plekanec.


EDIT: I forgot Kesler, who is arguably a #1C, but if he's not, then he's definitely the best #2C in the league.

 

[AtlasRust]

If we're talking about players who play centre on the 2nd line, the answer is Malkin. It's not even debatable. I don't know why people are saying anything else. If we're talking about "Who is the 31st best centre in the NHL?" that's different (and the answer would likely be some teams #1C), but if we're asking who the best 2C is, it's Malkin. End of thread.

 

[wintersej]

It depends on a persons list of True #1C's.

For me, my list of #1 C's right now would be as follows in no particular order


Duchene
Datsyuk
Malkin
Crosby
Stamkos
Tavares
Getzlaf
Krejci
Bergeron
Eric Staal
Seguin
Spezza
Kopitar
Thornton
Couture
Backstrom
Toews
Johansen
Giroux
Sedin
Carter


So, that would leave these guys as the top #2C's left IMO:

Koivu
Stastny
Mackinnon
Plekanec
Bozak
Stepan
Backes
Little



Of that group, IMO its between Little, Backes, and Plekanec for the best. With nod going to Plekanec.


EDIT: I forgot Kesler, who is arguably a #1C, but if he's not, then he's definitely the best #2C in the league.

This.

 

[Gliff]

If we're talking about players who play centre on the 2nd line, the answer is Malkin. It's not even debatable. I don't know why people are saying anything else. If we're talking about "Who is the 31st best centre in the NHL?" that's different (and the answer would likely be some teams #1C), but if we're asking who the best 2C is, it's Malkin. End of thread.

Its because we actually read the OP.

Kesler
Krejci
Couture
Bozak

 

[AtlasRust]

Its because we actually read the OP.

Kesler
Krejci
Couture
Bozak

Saying "Malkin doesnt count because he's too good" is dumb. He's a 2C. Bozak is a 1C, so does that make him invalid? Krejci, Couture and Kesler would be 1Cs on certain NHL teams... so do they not count? Where is the talent cutoff of "too good to be a 2C"? Doesn't that invalidate the entire point of the thread?

 

[Choralone]

Saying "Malkin doesnt count because he's too good" is dumb. He's a 2C. Bozak is a 1C, so does that make him invalid? Krejci, Couture and Kesler would be 1Cs on certain NHL teams... so do they not count? Where is the talent cutoff of "too good to be a 2C"? Doesn't that invalidate the entire point of the thread?

And that's why we read the posts after the OP that already covered this.

 

[AtlasRust]

And that's why we read the posts after the OP that already covered this.

I read them to. It still doesn't make sense. That's like asking "Who is the best #1 defenseman" and then saying you can't include Keith, Weber, Doughty or Suter. It's a dumb question, because the right answer is the one that no one admits. Especially considering that using these parameters, we'd conclude the "Best 2C" is a player who plays 1C...

 

[Viqsi]

If we're excluding players like Malkin 'cause of depth minutes, then Dubinsky has a chance. Otherwise...

 

[gretskidoo]

It depends on a persons list of True #1C's.

For me, my list of #1 C's right now would be as follows in no particular order


Duchene
Datsyuk
Malkin
Crosby
Stamkos
Tavares
Getzlaf
Krejci
Bergeron
Eric Staal
Seguin
Spezza
Kopitar
Thornton
Couture
Backstrom
Toews
Johansen
Giroux
Sedin
Carter


So, that would leave these guys as the top #2C's left IMO:

Koivu
Stastny
Mackinnon
Plekanec
Bozak
Stepan
Backes
Little



Of that group, IMO its between Little, Backes, and Plekanec for the best. With nod going to Plekanec.


EDIT: I forgot Kesler, who is arguably a #1C, but if he's not, then he's definitely the best #2C in the league.

Did Zetterberg die or do you just think he sucks?

He's 32nd in faceoffs taken. If you consider Seguin a center with his 195 faceoffs, I'd say Zetterberg with his 504 should be considered one.

 

[AtlasRust]

Did Zetterberg die or do you just think he sucks?

He's 32nd in faceoffs taken. If you consider Seguin a center with his 195 faceoffs, I'd say Zetterberg with his 504 should be considered one.

Sorry. Based on the parameters of this conversation, Zetterberg is too good to be included in this list.

 

[Ace36758]

Kyle Turris.

Seriously? Take off the homer glasses for a second.

 

[QJL]

Stebrass

 

[aufheben]

I don't understand your parameters..... I can't say Malkin, who is clearly a 2nd line C because he's too good? So it has to be someone that is better than every other 2nd line C, but not as good as the 30th best C in the league?

I'm gonna reject your silly rules and say Malkin. =)

Malkin isn't a #2C calibre player.

If we're talking about players who play centre on the 2nd line, the answer is Malkin. It's not even debatable. I don't know why people are saying anything else. If we're talking about "Who is the 31st best centre in the NHL?" that's different (and the answer would likely be some teams #1C), but if we're asking who the best 2C is, it's Malkin. End of thread.

Read the OP.

Malkin is actually a perfect example of how this logic doesn't work.

 

[AtlasRust]

Malkin isn't a #2C calibre player.


Read the OP.

Malkin is actually a perfect example of how this logic doesn't work.

Then using the same logic the best 2C is actually playing 1C for their NHL team. Unless we're including Jeff Carter or Henrik Zetterberg, in which case why arent we including Malkin...

 

[tony d]

Yeah, Malkin

 

[FoppaForsberg*]

Malkin doesn't count. Bergeron.

 

[AtlasRust]

Malkin doesn't count. Bergeron.

Bergeron doesn't count. Manny Malhotra.

 

[Palffy3314]

I read them to. It still doesn't make sense. That's like asking "Who is the best #1 defenseman" and then saying you can't include Keith, Weber, Doughty or Suter. It's a dumb question, because the right answer is the one that no one admits. Especially considering that using these parameters, we'd conclude the "Best 2C" is a player who plays 1C...

It's not stupid, because everyone already knows Malkin is the best 2C in the league…and the 2nd best player in the world at that. Including him basically means there's nothing to discuss. I guess the OP could have titled this thread "Best 2C After Malkin" since it apparently wasn't obvious to begin with.

 

[Paul4587]

Its because we actually read the OP.

Kesler
Krejci
Couture
Bozak

Krejci and Couture are 1Cs by the OPs definition and Kesler is arguably a 1C as well.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

It depends on a persons list of True #1C's.

For me, my list of #1 C's right now would be as follows in no particular order


Duchene
Datsyuk
Malkin
Crosby
Stamkos
Tavares
Getzlaf
Krejci
Bergeron
Eric Staal
Seguin
Spezza
Kopitar
Thornton
Couture
Backstrom
Toews
Johansen
Giroux
Sedin
Carter


So, that would leave these guys as the top #2C's left IMO:

Koivu
Stastny
Mackinnon
Plekanec
Bozak
Stepan
Backes
Little



Of that group, IMO its between Little, Backes, and Plekanec for the best. With nod going to Plekanec.


EDIT: I forgot Kesler, who is arguably a #1C, but if he's not, then he's definitely the best #2C in the league.

Stepan is the Rangers 1C.

 

[InfinityIggy]

For those confused take the best 30 centres in the league, remove them from the discussion. Who is the best remaining Center?

 

[AtlasRust]

It's not stupid, because everyone already knows Malkin is the best 2C in the league…and the 2nd best player in the world at that. Including him basically means there's nothing to discuss. I guess the OP could have titled this thread "Best 2C After Malkin" since it apparently wasn't obvious to begin with.

But that's my point. It's one of the only questions that we could ask that has a concensus "right" answer, and by dismissing the only correct answer we invalidate the entire premise of the conversation. And since everyone is hell bent on changing the question from best 2C to 31st best centre we end up with a centre that doesn't play 2C at all (because you have players like Malkin, Carter, and Zetterberg who are their teams "2C", but who are better than most teams 1C), further invalidating the premise of the conversation.

 

[AtlasRust]

For those confused take the best 30 centres in the league, remove them from the discussion. Who is the best remaining Center?

Not a 2C.