Do we have any hope of winning a Stanley Cup without an elite center?

[DrEasy]

I agree with mcnorth: build another good offensive 3rd line and spread the offense and the ice-time around. Pageau will then work on a great shutdown 4th line. As for who would centre that 3rd line, I think you guys know who I'm thinking of...

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

STEPHANE DACOSTERR COME ON DOWNnnnnnn

 

[Sun God Nika]

STEPHANE DACOSTERR COME ON DOWNnnnnnn

He said elite not generational... RKL always underrating our players...

 

[starling]

Some team this year will win it without elite goaltending, so yeah, why not win it without elite center.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Some team this year will win it without elite goaltending, so yeah, why not win it without elite center.

The Rangers just might do that. Brassard reminds me of Turris and Zbad. Good but not great player that's really just stepping up when he needs too.

 

[pm88]

I think its possible but the more important thing is having guys who have the ability to find another level in the playoffs and find ways to be productive even when the checking becomes tighter and the physical play ramps up even more.

Otherwise we're just gonna be another version of the Blues. A team filled with grinders and 2 way players, but with none of them having the ability to step up when the time calls for it

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Of course we do

We are fine at C, I am puzzled as to why anyone may think we need an upgrade at C

Mind you I said need. Obviously we could use a 90 point C to push down everybody else but it's not something we are missing, we need a big game LW and help on D much moreso

 

[Mr Invidious]

Of course we do

We are fine at C, I am puzzled as to why anyone may think we need an upgrade at C

Mind you I said need. Obviously we could use a 90 point C to push down everybody else but it's not something we are missing, we need a big game LW and help on D much moreso

HFSens Board /w Spezza:
"Man, we'll never win a Cup with Spezza on this team! The guy needs to go!"

HFSens Board /wo Spezza:
"WE DON'T HAVE A #1C! WE BE DOOMED, Y'ALL!"

But yeah, I agree. I'm perfectly happy with our current situation down the middle. Our centers are not our problem right now. Adding another top 6 winger would be nice, but I'm far more concerned with our blue-line.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

In my opinion, you gotta build the way Holland said you build a contender for years to come:

Have your 3 excellent forwards and 3 excellent defenders, one of each preferably near the best in his position. When I mean 3 best forwards I mean they are very good.

Datsyuk
Zetterberg
Hossa/Nyquist/Franzen/

Lidstrom
Rafalski/Kronwall/White
Kronwall/White/Stewart/Ericsson etc...

Ottawa:

Stone
Ryan
Zibanejad

Stone can be one of the best wingers in the league, Ryan too and Zibanejad can be a top 15 C in the league, IMO. We need those to happen. Stone the closest but we can fill it in internally.

Karlsson
Methot
Ceci

Those three should fulfill that requirement. Easily. Ceci could surpass Methot but that will only mean great news. We have it locked on D.

The rest are just fillers and wise management such as signing top 6 forwards and another defender till fill rest of roster which should come with ease once you've built a winning team that UFA's wanna be apart of.

The NYR example not that great since they have top 3 goaltender and best defense in league, it allows them to have not very strong C options.

Even then, Zibanejad and Turris should >> Stepan and Brassard

The great thing is, on offense we have those fillers in Hoffman, MacArthur, Pageau, Lazar, Condra etc... we really look like we have a team built for years of contending when they hit their peak.

We just gotta hope Zibanejad and Ryan elevate their games to top line forwards and the rest should be set.

Nother example is Chicago:

Toews
Kane
Hossa/Sharp

Keith
Seabrook
Hjammer

Getzlaf
Perry
Kesler

Fowler
Lindholm
Beauch

Stamkos
Johnson
Kucherov
Palat

Hedman
Stralman
Garrison?

We don't necessarily have the elite top forward strength of those guys but our goaltending could be better and our defenders top end skill is/should be better and our forward depth could be better having for example Zibanejad and Turris down middle while Chicago only has Toews and Shaw.

 

[Mr Invidious]

In my opinion, you gotta build the way Holland said you build a contender for years to come:

Have your 3 excellent forwards and 3 excellent defenders, one of each preferably near the best in his position. When I mean 3 best forwards I mean they are very good.

Datsyuk
Zetterberg
Hossa/Nyquist/Franzen/

Lidstrom
Rafalski
Kronwall/White/Stewart etc...

Ottawa:

Stone
Ryan
Zibanejad

Stone can be one of the best wingers in the league, Ryan too and Zibanejad can be a top 15 C in the league, IMO. We need those to happen. Stone the closest but we can fill it in internally.

Karlsson
Methot
Ceci

Those three should fulfill that requirement. Easily. Ceci could surpass Methot but that will only mean great news. We have it locked on D.

The rest are just fillers and wise management such as signing top 6 forwards and another defender till fill rest of roster which should come with ease once you've built a winning team that UFA's wanna be apart of.

The NYR example not that great since they have top 3 goaltender and best defense in league, it allows them to have not very strong C options.

Even then, Zibanejad and Turris should >> Stepan and Brassard

The great thing is, on offense we have those fillers in Hoffman, MacArthur, Pageau, Lazar, Condra etc... we really look like we have a team built for years of contending when they hit their peak.

We just gotta hope Zibanejad and Ryan elevate their games to top line forwards and the rest should be set.

I'm all for optimism, but we need a lot of things to go our way in terms of development and just sheer luck to get a line-up looking like the Red Wings did.

Zibanejad needs to become at least a 60 point player.

Ryan needs to score 30 goals a season consistently.

Stone needs to not only sustain his game but probably elevate it even more (I love the guy, but we've seen rookies flare out before after a very impressive season - I don't think that will happen to Stone, but anything is possible).

Karlsson is Karlsson. All good there.

Methot needs to stay healthy.

Ceci has a ton of growth to do. Like, a lot.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I'm all for optimism, but we need a lot of things to go our way in terms of development and just sheer luck to get a line-up looking like the Red Wings did.

Zibanejad needs to become at least a 60 point player.

Ryan needs to score 30 goals a season consistently.

Stone needs to not only sustain his game but probably elevate it even more (I love the guy, but we've seen rookies flare out before after a very impressive season - I don't think that will happen to Stone, but anything is possible).

Karlsson is Karlsson. All good there.

Methot needs to stay healthy.

Ceci has a ton of growth to do. Like, a lot.

True but same thing happened for Tampa last year. Sometimes you just gotta hope your young guys break out. I see Stone becoming a bit better and we better hope Ryan gets better cause he's been playing his worst production of his career while Zibanejad definitely should grow.

That's why our gameplan for summer should be to bring in another top 6 depth forward and top 3 defender so that we can off-balance the still young development of our young guys while still making us competitive and speeding up their development as well.

 

[operasen]

I agree that this is Zibanejad's year to become a dominant player. He needs to become a man, not a prospect. That is the key to our Top 6 development. Turris plays better 2C minutes I think.

I did like Aragon's idea of a Cowen/Lehner + for Draisaitl. Plus could be Smith or Neil. I'd look at Cowen and Lehner for him if that's what it took.

 

[Stylizer1]

I agree that this is Zibanejad's year to become a dominant player. He needs to become a man, not a prospect. That is the key to our Top 6 development. Turris plays better 2C minutes I think.

I did like Aragon's idea of a Cowen/Lehner + for Draisaitl. Plus could be Smith or Neil. I'd look at Cowen and Lehner for him if that's what it took.

The + would have to be Lazar or they wouldn't even listen.

 

[aragorn]

The + would have to be Lazar or they wouldn't even listen.

Really? After watching Draisaitl in a couple of games during the Memorial Cup I would consider Lehner & Cowen an overpayment now. I think Lazar will be every bit as good as Draisaitl, we'll see I guess. I would actually rather not make that move, I would prefer Cole Cassels from Oshawa, now there is a player with tenacity & truculence. Actually, I really like how Oshawa's team is built, big, tough, physical team that scraps & scores, wouldn't mind Ottawa going after a few of their players.

I still think we have the centres to compete for a cup but it's the goaltending that I worry about. Regardless what people on here keep saying about Turris, I think he is a #1 centre & I'm not sure Zibanejad will ever pass him, we'll see. Another big problem we have when we compare our team to others is that some of our offence went dry during the playoffs & Ottawa needs guys like Ryan to step up, he did not. Which is probably why BM thinks this team needs another top 6 forward, a guy who can produce in the playoffs, hopefully a big tough power forward type. That could push Hoffman down to the 3rd line with Michalek & one of Pageau, Legwand, Smith or Lazar at centre. I think Lazar would be my choice to play with those two but it will likely be Pageau.

 

[MainDotC]

HFSens Board /w Spezza:
"Man, we'll never win a Cup with Spezza on this team! The guy needs to go!"

HFSens Board /wo Spezza:
"WE DON'T HAVE A #1C! WE BE DOOMED, Y'ALL!"

But yeah, I agree. I'm perfectly happy with our current situation down the middle. Our centers are not our problem right now. Adding another top 6 winger would be nice, but I'm far more concerned with our blue-line.

Spetsa is an interesting case in the sense that he's a franchise player, but he's not a #1C. A bonafide #1C does not suffer the defensive lapses of which Spetsa was so commonly guilty.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Im quite high on Draisaitl. I'd offer a good bunch. Anderson+Lazar+Greening for Draisaitl and Gordon.

Spetsa is an interesting case in the sense that he's a franchise player, but he's not a #1C. A bonafide #1C does not suffer the defensive lapses of which Spetsa was so commonly guilty.

I agree completely but franchise is too big of a tag, normally that's for a relied upon player. A better word is star play.

But you essentially nailed it.

 

[MainDotC]

Im quite high on Draisaitl. I'd offer a good bunch. Lehner+Lazar+Greening for Draisaitl and Gordon.

FTFY - also I don't think anyone would take Greening unless Sens retain at least half of his salary. And trading Lazar...well this thread is not a "proposal" thread but I just don't think that's a good idea. I remember one of my friends at the time, who owned the AOL screen name "OttawaFan", said to me:

"I don't even know why Fisher is even in the NHL. You just don't take an 18 yr old kid and play him on the 4th line."

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Loooooooooool AOL, Main kills me man.

 

[Benjamin]

Center depth is very important but we don't need an elite center to win. We just need an elite forward of any position.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Center depth is very important but we don't need an elite center to win. We just need an elite forward of any position.

Well if you don't have an elite C, imo you need to have 2 elite wingers at least.

Stone and Ryan could be that. Maybe even Hoffman.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Well if you don't have an elite C, imo you need to have 2 elite wingers at least.

Stone and Ryan could be that. Maybe even Hoffman.

You can make up for a lack of elite centers with depth and high end wingers, but lets be honest, an elite center generally has a greater impact on the game than a winger of equal skill just given the responsibilities of the position.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

You can make up for a lack of elite centers with depth and high end wingers, but lets be honest, an elite center generally has a greater impact on the game than a winger of equal skill just given the responsibilities of the position.

Agreed, that's why I said you need at least 2 elite wingers on a team without elite center.

2 elite wingers plus Zibanejad and Turris could work very well in longrun. Heck, Zibanejad could be elite himself in a sense. I see both of them as clutch in playoffs which is what counts.

 

[Frank8]

I love Zibby and I hope he explodes next year, but why are we blue-skying a guy who's never cracked 50 when our current number 1 had 64 points last year, who's numbers just get better every year, and who's never had the luxury (until recently Stone) of playing solid wingers? No offence to Mac, but he's no Kane or Perry.

Turris 64
Towes 68
Getzlaf 70

He's not far off, let's give our boy a chance.

 

[BigBush*]

I love Zibby and I hope he explodes next year, but why are we blue-skying a guy who's never cracked 50 when our current number 1 had 64 points last year, who's numbers just get better every year, and who's never had the luxury (until recently Stone) of playing solid wingers? No offence to Mac, but he's no Kane or Perry.

Turris 64
Towes 68
Getzlaf 70

He's not far off, let's give our boy a chance.

yes, you are correct. Turris is a decent #1C. I dont see Zibanejad becoming a better player then Turris, but he is "blue-skyed" around here because if he does take another step and is on Turris' level then we will have two good #1Cs

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Tampa-Stamkos
Anaheim-Getzlaf
Chicago-Toews
One of these teams will win the cup.

Looks like a Stepan/Brassard type pairing doesn't cut it.