Centres of the 2019 Draft

[Judas Tavares]

Last year, it seemed like we were starving for elite centres and this year it looks like there is an abundance of them.

Jack Hughes
Dylan Cozens
Kirby Dach
Raphael Lavoie
Alex Turcotte
Alex Newhook
Ryan Suzuki

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, and there's always the chance some become wingers.

With that said, a few questions.

Which ones will likely be wingers?

Is this centre crop better than 2017 (10 of first 13 picks were centres)?

Would it be considered the best centre crop since 2013 (Mack, Barkov, Lindholm, Monahan, Horvat)?

Any comps for these guys?

Thanks

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[Pavel Buchnevich]

Missing: Zegras, Nikkanen

Likely Wingers: Hughes, Lavoie, maybe Zegras

Better than 2017: I think its similar in that there's a lot of really good depth without any McDavid tier or Eichel, Matthews tier centers. The top-end might be slightly better though.

Best since 2013: Yes

Comps:

Hughes: Better Kane
Zegras: Cross between Keller and Barzal
Cozens: Eric Staal
Dach: Jumbo Joe
Turcotte: Hischier
Suzuki: Can't think of a good one. Better skater than his brother, worse goal scorer. Similar, otherwise.
Lavoie: Can't think of a good comparison.
Newhook: Haven't seen enough to come up with a good comp.
Nikkanen: This'll sound lazy, but the typical Finnish style center. Something of a cross between Koivu and Kotkaniemi.

Edit: Completely forgot about Krebs.

 

[Daximus]

Last year, it seemed like we were starving for elite centres and this year it looks like there is an abundance of them.

Jack Hughes
Dylan Cozens
Kirby Dach
Raphael Lavoie
Alex Turcotte
Alex Newhook
Ryan Suzuki

I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, and there's always the chance some become wingers.

With that said, a few questions.

Which ones will likely be wingers?

Is this centre crop better than 2017 (10 of first 13 picks were centres)?

Would it be considered the best centre crop since 2013 (Mack, Barkov, Lindholm, Monahan, Horvat)?

Any comps for these guys?

Thanks

Peyton Krebs is also playing center. Kakko may be converting to center from what I've heard. Plus there is Zegras, Betuzzi, Guskov, Murray, McMicheal, Zaitsev, Grewe and Nikkanen.

I believe Lavoie, Zegras, Grewe and Cozens have played some wing as well this year. As for comps.

Hughes - Reminds me of Kane
Cozens - Scheifele
Dach - Thornton is a good comp above.

 

[Frk It]

Pretty sure Lavoie mostly plays winger, no?

Otherwise I agree, this center class looks excellent, and the comps listed so far are solid.

I’d say Getzlaf for Dach, but that’s probably just because of handedness. Thornton works just as well.

Both of the Suzuki bros kind of remind me of Claude Giroux.

 

[cg98]

Lavoie reminds me of Jeff Carter. I would love for my Jets to get their hands on one of these guys. Draft is just filled with centers.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Pretty sure Lavoie mostly plays winger, no?

Otherwise I agree, this center class looks excellent, and the comps listed so far are solid.

I’d say Getzlaf for Dach, but that’s probably just because of handedness. Thornton works just as well.

Both of the Suzuki bros kind of remind me of Claude Giroux.

Lavoie pretty much played center all last season. He has been on the right wing for the last little bit this season though. I think he would be more then capable of being a center in the NHL. Though a team could decide that his size and speed coming off the rush on the wing is a better use of his talents.

 

[Tube Skates]

Lavoie is great on face offs. Plays really well at centre and could develop into a good NHL centreman. He's an absolute beast on left wing driving the net though. Scores a bunch from the slot but doesn't have the same driving ability on the right side. He's out growing the Q league rapidly. He has all the tools.