Best True 2c in the League

[InfinityIggy]

Not a 2C.

Yes it is.

 

[AtlasRust]

Yes it is.

Malkin, Zetterberg and Carter play in the 2c position and all of them are better than Bozak, Ennis and Ribero - Toronto, Buffalo and Nashville's #1Cs. If we take all the #1Cs and automatically assume they're 1 through 30, and then add in Malkin, Carter and Zetterberg in the equation as better overall centres than those 3, which they are, you end up with a #1 center in the #31 spot. So no, you don't get a #2C.

 

[MadFerIt95*]

Scott Laughton AINEC

 

[jdatb]

Malkin, Zetterberg and Carter play in the 2c position and all of them are better than Bozak, Ennis and Ribero - Toronto, Buffalo and Nashville's #1Cs. If we take all the #1Cs and automatically assume they're 1 through 30, and then add in Malkin, Carter and Zetterberg in the equation as better overall centres than those 3, which they are, you end up with a #1 center in the #31 spot. So no, you don't get a #2C.

Yeah that's what I was thinking.

 

[Insulin]

Malkin, Zetterberg and Carter play in the 2c position and all of them are better than Bozak, Ennis and Ribero - Toronto, Buffalo and Nashville's #1Cs. If we take all the #1Cs and automatically assume they're 1 through 30, and then add in Malkin, Carter and Zetterberg in the equation as better overall centres than those 3, which they are, you end up with a #1 center in the #31 spot. So no, you don't get a #2C.

What is so difficult to understand that you need to exclude a player if a guy is playing 2C on his team, but he is better than most guys playing 1C on their team?

 

[CanadienShark]

Plekanec ought to be in the discussion. SJ doesn't really have one, as Thornton, Pavelski, Couture or Marleau are/could be legit 1st line centres.

 

[Phil McKraken]

What you're really asking is "who's the 31st best center in the league?". Why even discuss this?

 

[jacks*]

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. =)

So I guess the question is, who is the 31st best center in the league?

31 best,Like he said Malkin .Going against the rules and agree with him.

 

[AtlasRust]

What is so difficult to understand that you need to exclude a player if a guy is playing 2C on his team, but he is better than most guys playing 1C on their team?

It's not difficult to understand, it just makes the conversation pointless.

 

[AtlasRust]

What you're really asking is "who's the 31st best center in the league?". Why even discuss this?

It's a dumb premise for a conversation. Malkin is the obvious answer but he's excluded because he's too good. Zetterberg and Carter are also excluded... but apparently Bergeron and Krejci aren't? I don't know the rules. But I know the answer, and it's Malkin.

 

[CanadienShark]

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.

I'd say you pretty much nailed it. Off the top of my head, no real big omissions except Tyler Johnson in the 2nd category. I'd arguably have him at the top of that group. Him or Plekanec for me.

 

[supsens]

jeff carter?

 

[The Wizard of Oz]

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.

Around the league it seems to be general consensus that Z is a LW, I don't know why. I've always thought of him as a C even on Datsyuk's wing. Z and Datsyuk have been centering their own lines the majority of their careers.

 

[ProspectsSTC]

Why do people keep saying Malkin? He's a #1C.

 

[MrClutch86]

Johnson

 

[AtlasRust]

Why do people keep saying Malkin? He's a #1C.

He's played 2C his whole career.

 

[Infinitum Vitae*]

Brassard

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

Homer vote for Turris

 

[nowhereman]

Evgeni Malkin is the second best player in the NHL. He's only a 2nd line center (or 2nd anything) on literally ONE team in the NHL and that happens to be the team that drafted him. It's the same way Suter was #2 on Nashville but a #1 on every other team but maybe 4-5.

I'll vote for Kesler. Everything I want in a 2nd line center, especially if my #1 is an offense-first, finesse player. After that, I'll go with Backes, Turris or Plekanec.

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

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.

Turris is being criminally underrated in this thread.

 

[Karlsson2Turris*]

He's played 2C his whole career.

He produces the same whether Crosby is there or not to be 1C.

 

[WeeBey]

It's a dumb premise for a conversation. Malkin is the obvious answer but he's excluded because he's too good. Zetterberg and Carter are also excluded... but apparently Bergeron and Krejci aren't? I don't know the rules. But I know the answer, and it's Malkin.

The question is basically "who is the best #2 C who would still be a #2 C on most other teams". Therefore, the answer is not Malkin. Not that complicated. No need to get all bent out of shape.

 

[roquay]

He's played 2C his whole career.

He's playing 2LW at the moment lol

 

[HanSolo]

Kesler and Bergeron for me.

 

[Vipers31]

He's played 2C his whole career.

That's incorrect. Apart from the extended stretches he's played as the #1C for the Pens in Crosby's stretches of absence, and apart from that, at times in the past, it has been hard to tell whether the Crosby line was always ahead of the Malkin line, Malkin has always had a role more indicative of his ability than the "#2C" label on the powerplay.