Do we have our 1-2 punch down the middle?

[WTFMAN99]

You can have playmaking wingers also, and most players have more assists than goals in their stat totals. Can you think of many players that have more goals than assists in a year?

Kessel as more assists then goals every year, but it doesn't make him a center even though he was drafted as one and played it in junior and at college. He is considered a finisher and goal scorer first and foremost as he is among the NHL leaders in shots on net in a year.

Assists and puck distributing is only a part of the offensive side of the game.. To be a center face-off ability and winning % is vital to play the position.. If you can't win 45-55% of your face-offs in comparison to other centers then your simply giving the opposition puck possession in all zones. A player that plays wing regularly doesn't take draws and as such is not getting better at that skill. Becoming proficient in the dot comes with practice, experience and through repetitions. Its not a skill set that all players can master to be effective at winning them. Becoming a #1C requires you not only to win them but doing it against the best in the business when you go head to head.

Defensive zone coverage and responsibility is night and day between a center and a winger also, so you have to be highly motivated to play well without the puck and aggressively backcheck to help out your defense or they will be outnumbered on the attack. You most often have to be the 1st forward back on the play when puck possession is lost as your main defensive responsibility in our own zone is the opposition center on the attack. So good 2-way centers hustle back defensive without the puck as well as they play with the puck offensively.

Kessel isn't a one dimensional offensive threat - he can pass with the best of them., but it's not about Kessel...

Nylander is pretty good with face-offs. He was fine defensively on the wing, centre is a different story though, so we'll have to see how he handles that on the smaller ice. We really won't have an answer on this until next season.

 

[Paneerboy]

Such a waste of Nylander's skill and talent if he was a second-line centre.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Such a waste of Nylander's skill and talent if he was a second-line centre.

The same way Malkin is a 2nd line center or P Kane a 2nd line winger or Datsyuk a 2nd line center etc.

Spreading out the talent is not the same as limiting it.

 

[ACC1224]

Such a waste of Nylander's skill and talent if he was a second-line centre.

Not at all, this really makes no sense.

As Leaf fans wouldn't we want the Team to be stacked with great players?

 

[Paneerboy]

Not at all, this really makes no sense.

As Leaf fans wouldn't we want the Team to be stacked with great players?

Wouldn't you want a player with his skill up with Marner, just skating around everybody?

 

[thewave]

The same way Malkin is a 2nd line center or P Kane a 2nd line winger or Datsyuk a 2nd line center etc.

Spreading out the talent is not the same as limiting it.

They should really follow the elite pairs structure.

A forward line must always have 2 players of high skill level, which are compatible with one another. The third man is irrelevant so long as he is able to stay with the play and not be a liability. A good forecheck and possession stats are a must.

Some leaf examples

Lupul Kessel
JVR Kessel
JVR Kadri (usually works well)

Ideally you want a good playmaking 2way C. Pairs is better than triplets because you can spread cap 3lines deep.

 

[ULF_55]

Such a waste of Nylander's skill and talent if he was a second-line centre.

The same way Malkin is a 2nd line center or P Kane a 2nd line winger or Datsyuk a 2nd line center etc.

Spreading out the talent is not the same as limiting it.

Not at all, this really makes no sense.

As Leaf fans wouldn't we want the Team to be stacked with great players?

Wouldn't you want a player with his skill up with Marner, just skating around everybody?

There are 60+ minutes of center ice to be played, and centers aren't like the elite defender who can play 25-30 minutes a night.

Need more than 1 top line to win.

 

[Paneerboy]

There are 60+ minutes of center ice to be played, and centers aren't like the elite defender who can play 25-30 minutes a night.

Need more than 1 top line to win.

I see your point.

 

[Mess]

I have to say.

This thread is ironic, we could have drafted an outright Center this draft. The only way today to get a possible #1 franchise Center. And we are still having these debates of where is our #1 and #2 Center. Draft them.

Some of us made a case for Strome, Barzal, Zacha, and last year even Larkin. And sure Mcdavid, Eichel and Strome were picked before we got a shot at taking them. But it looks like we will be talking about drafting that ellusive number Center till next draft all over again.

Now for people saying Marner or Nylander are sure fire Centers in the NHL, just remember Kessel and JVR played Center in College before they were drafted. There are No guarantees.

This is why I rate Centers higher in drafts. They are hard to find. So if they are available, you get them.

There is always a premium put on centers at all times as the position is considered a primary one where wingers are secondary.

Columbus GM Jarmo Kekäläinen who was a great scout and talent evaluator before becoming a GM was interviewed recently on Leaf Lunch and said he would always take the center over the winger to break ties of players considered close in rankings on their draft board. You can always move centers to the wing but seldom can you move wingers to center because of the difficulty of the position to play and the responsibilities that come with it.

In Leafs defense however Hunter never had the opportunity to decide between the big #1 Strome and his boy Marner the highly skilled winger. So staying at his position in the draft and sticking to BPA evaluation and wanting to take a forward played out as is and now the only hope is that Leafs turn the OHL all-star RW into a future NHL center.

The good part is that Hunter owns the Knights so they do have full control of what happens in London this year and so grooming Marner as a OHL center is phase 1 of converting him.

 

[ACC1224]

Wouldn't you want a player with his skill up with Marner, just skating around everybody?

Premature to worry about. Who else is on the Team?

 

[BertCorbeau]

I think you have to give both Marner and Nylander every opportunity available to develop into a centre. I have to think at least one of them will be able to.

 

[one77]

Would've loved to draft Crouse as well. He would look fantastic with Nylander

JVR - Marner - X
Crouse - Nylander - Brown
Komarov - Kadri - Leipsic
X - Gauthier - X

 

[Tak7]

Would've loved to draft Crouse as well. He would look fantastic with Nylander

JVR - Marner - X
Crouse - Nylander - Brown
Komarov - Kadri - Leipsic
X - Gauthier - X

I don't think there was a more polarizing player heading into this draft than Crouse.

Every mock draft / scout you read, was either super in love with Crouse or just hated him and mocked the idea of him being 11th.

He is definitely an interesting prospect and one that I think lots of people will keep an eye on.

I preferred trying to hit on the high potential guys. It's hard to figure out what his Crouse's upside is.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

You can have playmaking wingers also, and most players have more assists than goals in their stat totals. Can you think of many players that have more goals than assists in a year?

Kessel as more assists then goals every year, but it doesn't make him a center even though he was drafted as one and played it in junior and at college. He is considered a finisher and goal scorer first and foremost as he is among the NHL leaders in shots on net in a year.

Assists and puck distributing is only a part of the offensive side of the game.. To be a center face-off ability and winning % is vital to play the position.. If you can't win 45-55% of your face-offs in comparison to other centers then your simply giving the opposition puck possession in all zones. A player that plays wing regularly doesn't take draws and as such is not getting better at that skill. Becoming proficient in the dot comes with practice, experience and through repetitions. Its not a skill set that all players can master to be effective at winning them. Becoming a #1C requires you not only to win them but doing it against the best in the business when you go head to head.

Defensive zone coverage and responsibility is night and day between a center and a winger also, so you have to be highly motivated to play well without the puck and aggressively backcheck to help out your defense or they will be outnumbered on the attack. You most often have to be the 1st forward back on the play when puck possession is lost as your main defensive responsibility in our own zone is the opposition center on the attack. So good 2-way centers hustle back defensive without the puck as well as they play with the puck offensively.

It's always been mind boggling how little people appreciate his set-up game. He's great at it. Despite being a winger, he has better assist totals than most of the league's centres most years. Those numbers would be even better if he had better quality linemates. His first year with TO he should have easily had another 10-15 points if Bozak had have been able to handle a puck.