When the Sens got White I thought of him as a garbage collector. That's not an insult that's a compliment. My favorite garbage cleanup man was Steve Schutt back in the day. Don't leave a loose rebound puck around him or it's in your net. It's not that he was a big body he just moved quickly into position with great anticipation as to where the puck would end up.
He's a different body type but I'm sure Tkachuk didn't ask permission to own the front of the net. It doesn't mean he's not polishing up his game too but I dare any coach to tell him he can't go there. White has to be like that imo but I believe the responsibilities of a centre at both ends of the ice won't allow him do that as effectively. It wouldn't hurt to try him at RW with a young play making centre and a shooting LW (not mainly checking types) and see how he does around the net with those types of guys. I think there is a lot more scoring ability there than we've seen so far.
If they want an all round centre that sacrifices offense like Pageau did then White can also be that man but expect him to be centering the 3rd line and that means the cost will always appear too high to those who value offense.
He's a different body type but I'm sure Tkachuk didn't ask permission to own the front of the net. It doesn't mean he's not polishing up his game too but I dare any coach to tell him he can't go there. White has to be like that imo but I believe the responsibilities of a centre at both ends of the ice won't allow him do that as effectively. It wouldn't hurt to try him at RW with a young play making centre and a shooting LW (not mainly checking types) and see how he does around the net with those types of guys. I think there is a lot more scoring ability there than we've seen so far.
If they want an all round centre that sacrifices offense like Pageau did then White can also be that man but expect him to be centering the 3rd line and that means the cost will always appear too high to those who value offense.