If you had three star centres...

[beaterson]

Hypothetically, if you had three star players at centre, would it be that crazy to not dress a fourth line C?

Three really good centres could easily split 60 minutes (~22, ~20, ~18), it would add around 1.5 million (+) to the team's cap space, and the team would always have a scorer on the ice. Is there a reason no one has done this? I could see this as a possibility for the Oilers down the line, or for Pittsburgh five years ago.

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[Wayne Primeau]

Hypothetically, if you had three star players at centre, would it be that crazy to not dress a fourth line C?

Three really good centres could easily split 60 minutes (~22, ~20, ~18), it would add around 1.5 million (+) to the team's cap space, and the team would always have a scorer on the ice. Is there a reason no one has done this? I could see this as a possibility for the Oilers down the line, or for Pittsburgh five years ago.

If you had three star centres, you could probably go without a fourth line.

But seriously, why not just play each centre almost exactly 15 minutes? If you had Crosby, Stamkos, Toews and Bergeron, why not play Sid 18, Stammer 16, Toews 13, and Bergeron 13? As long as you don't have a ton of scrubs playing the bottom two lines aside Tazer and Bergy, then you should be fine.

But looking forward to the reactions here.

 

[McTrashBoat]

I would still have a 4th center if just for chemistry.

Not to mention different roles, like using your 4th line for defensive starts.

 

[flamesforcup*]

I would still have a 4th center if just for chemistry.

Not to mention different roles, like using your 4th line for defensive starts.

defensive starts is what ur defensive star player in ur top 3 such as toews or bergeron is there for

 

[Club]

I'd go with a 4th line. Just in case

 

[Ducks in a row]

3 star centers still have a 4th so if you need a shift from 4th line you have a center for it and also in case of injuries you wont be down to just 2 centers.

 

[McTrashBoat]

defensive starts is what ur defensive star player in ur top 3 such as toews or bergeron is there for

So you're going to add two or three minutes each game to each guy?

Not to mention if you have one guy injured you're ****ed

 

[LT]

Hypothetically, if you had three star players at centre, would it be that crazy to not dress a fourth line C?

Three really good centres could easily split 60 minutes (~22, ~20, ~18), it would add around 1.5 million (+) to the team's cap space, and the team would always have a scorer on the ice. Is there a reason no one has done this? I could see this as a possibility for the Oilers down the line, or for Pittsburgh five years ago.

I've gotta disagree with you on the cap space. I'd assume you'd have a fourth line center, he simply wouldn't dress in this case, so he'd still count against the cap. You've also got the increase in pay from typical second and third line centers to legit first line centers - that's gonna be a lot more than 1.5M.

In theory, its a good idea, but I feel like this wouldn't work well in reality. Chemistry, defensive match-ups, injuries, etc. are all reasons to dress a fourth center.

Not playing a winger, like what Tampa is doing, is much more efficient - you then have six players who can fill that empty hole instead of just three.

 

[boredmale]

What if one of your 3 centers gets injured in a game? Now what if they get injured for a long period of time.

I might only dress 11 forwards, but I still would have 4 centers(and find ways to get all 4 centers icetime either at center or on the wing)

 

[WarriorofTime]

You should trade 1 if not 2 for balance.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Couldn't you say the same thing for a stacked national team say like Canada in the Olympics, why would they bother putting out a fourth line?

 

[iFishyHD]

Couldn't you say the same thing for a stacked national team say like Canada in the Olympics, why would they bother putting out a fourth line?

Because there 4th line has a high chance of being better then the other teams 1st?

 

[Hospy]

Couldn't you say the same thing for a stacked national team say like Canada in the Olympics, why would they bother putting out a fourth line?

Because instead of having three star centers, they have four star centers.