Value of: Hardest position to trade for?

[cgf]

Being a preds fan I think the absolute hardest position to acquire a top player for is a centreman. Is this true? I think goalies are easier to acquire than a top line centre. What about a top pairing defenseman?
I mean Nashville has never had to worry about that because we draft the crap out of amazing defenseman, but do other teams struggle with this more so than a top line centre?

Basically it would come down to this:
Who would be the hardest to acquire out of Carey price, John Tavares or drew doughty??
I am not talking about team needs or weaknesses, I just mean what is the hardest position to trade for? Picture those three on any given team.

I mean I see centres as the hardest to get but we traded a top defenseman for a top centre straight up with the Johansen for jones deal.

Are centres the hardest to acquire or no? I can't imagine it being a goalie, but I can definitely see top defenseman.

As an Avs fan I feel like it's a #1 dman who's already shown he can play at that level. Seth Jones for RyJo is really the last true #1 we've seen traded with that expectation and he wasn't yet the Norris-caliber dman he's become...kinda like where Seguin was at the time he was traded. Whereas RyJo had already had an exceptional season as a #1C under his belt at the time of the trade. Similarly ROR had already had multiple seasons playing at a top line level at both C & LW when he was traded for a potential top pairing dman, a non-bluechip forward prospect, a reclamation project and the 31st overall pick. Matt Duchene will eventually be traded while having a PPG season under his belt, years as one of the elite ES producers in the league, and a 30 goal season just a year ago...a goal tally he was on pace to better this past season, until his game fell apart after new years and he slumped to a career worst campaign.

Going back further we see guys like Carter being traded after having played as a #1C in the NHL successfully, but we don't see the same with #1 Dmen except for the Subban - Weber trade where one proven #1 dman was traded for another. So while #1Cs are expensive, they seem to be traded more often than #1 dmen who have already broken out. Those are the guys you just can't trade for and either need to get before they break out, or develop yourself.

 

[cobra427]

As an Avs fan I feel like it's a #1 dman who's already shown he can play at that level. Seth Jones for RyJo is really the last true #1 we've seen traded with that expectation and he wasn't yet the Norris-caliber dman he's become...kinda like where Seguin was at the time he was traded. Whereas RyJo had already had an exceptional season as a #1C under his belt at the time of the trade. Similarly ROR had already had multiple seasons playing at a top line level at both C & LW when he was traded for a potential top pairing dman, a non-bluechip forward prospect, a reclamation project and the 31st overall pick. Matt Duchene will eventually be traded while having a PPG season under his belt, years as one of the elite ES producers in the league, and a 30 goal season just a year ago...a goal tally he was on pace to better this past season, until his game fell apart after new years and he slumped to a career worst campaign.

Going back further we see guys like Carter being traded after having played as a #1C in the NHL successfully, but we don't see the same with #1 Dmen except for the Subban - Weber trade where one proven #1 dman was traded for another. So while #1Cs are expensive, they seem to be traded more often than #1 dmen who have already broken out. Those are the guys you just can't trade for and either need to get before they break out, or develop yourself.

Agreed, great examples. 1D is harder to get and more valuable then a 1C. The Coyotes wouldn't have traded OEL straight up for Mathews a year ago. Developing or trading for a 1C is easier then developing or trading for a 1D, history proves this out. D also take longer to develop which requires more patience, 1C's can develop and peak much more quickly.

 

[Redline]

Agreed, great examples. 1D is harder to get and more valuable then a 1C. The Coyotes wouldn't have traded OEL straight up for Mathews a year ago. Developing or trading for a 1C is easier then developing or trading for a 1D, history proves this out. D also take longer to develop which requires more patience, 1C's can develop and peak much more quickly.

Yet the team you mention, despite all the high picks can't seem to pull it off.