Viqsi
"that chick from Ohio"
I think the idea is that while wingers are just as vital to team success as quality centers and blueliners, they're a lot easier to come by than either of the other two so it makes sense to focus on those instead.
The Devils did it with Kovalchuk and Parise pretty successfully. But it took two of them.
I didn't realize they were successful with those guys. I mean if they
were they would most likely still be on the team.
Essentially that looking at Chicago, their two best players are Keith and Toews. If you take those players away the Blackhawks(IMO) are not an elite team in the NHL.(although I'm sure they would still make the playoffs)
Maybe it is a little semantically blurry, but I tend to have a tighter definition of core.
Not if you're goal is to win the cup. Strength on the wings is a luxury and less conducive to winning than strength at any other position.
Just go down the list of Stanley cup champs and you'll see an elite center and strong center depth, a bona fide #1D + a solid D group or 2 other huge minute munchers and timely goaltending are the keys to success, with almost no exceptions.
Not sure if Washington should be listed. They do have a #1C in Backstrom, the guy is a PPG player. He is no slouch. The supporting cast and goaltending is what's hurting them.
The only team that comes to mind to win without an elite centre is the Lafleur led Habs. The most important members of those teams were at right wing, the big 3 on defence and Dryden.
And even in this case Lemaire was no slouch in the middle.
Ovechkin, Nash in Columbus, Kovalchuk in Atlanta, Iginla in Calgary, Hall. I think when a team's far and away best player is a winger, they can have problems.
Not sure if Washington should be listed. They do have a #1C in Backstrom, the guy is a PPG player. He is no slouch. The supporting cast and goaltending is what's hurting them.
The Chicago Blackhawks have one of best #1, #2, #3 defenseman collectively in the NHL:I would argue that their Selke/Conn Smythe winning Center and their two-time Norris winning defenseman are the pieces around which their team is built. But I understand that Kane and Sharp absolutely are key players, and the rest of those guys do a great job rounding out the depth that is their signature.
Ovechkin, Nash in Columbus, Kovalchuk in Atlanta, Iginla in Calgary, Hall. I think when a team's far and away best player is a winger, they can have problems.
Was Calgary built around Theo Fleury back in the day?
Marcus Kruger is one of the best fourth line centers in the NHL especially when you take into account faceoff percentage and penalty killing ability.I'd argue that in some respects, the Blackhawks are built around wingers. A large portion of their core are wingers and beyond Toews, they've been making a go of it with a pretty underwhelming center ice position.
Saying Washington shouldn't be listed is missing the point. Obviously a team with only Ovechkin won't win, nor would a team with only Crosby, only Weber, or only Lundqvist.
The relatively recent run of successful Capitals teams shows that, with the right supporting cast, a really good team can be built around a star winger.
On its own, the fact that Ovechkin has other good players around him doesn't mean he isn't clearly the primary part of the team.
Yes, 3 time 90 point scorer Lemaire was just a defensive centre. It is Krejci, Bergeron, Toews-the players who struggle to score 70 points-who are the real elite.
zetterberg is a C, and rarely plays W.Not strictly another Edmonton thread, but more of an open question.
If we look at the core of the top teams in the league(currently)...
(Disclaimer: these are simply an estimation of the core from my view)
Pittsburgh: Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Fleury
Tampa Bay: Stamkos, Hedman, Bishop
Detroit: Datsyuk, Howard, Zetterberg, Kronwall
Chicago: Toews, Kane, Keith, Crawford
Ducks: Getzlaf, Perry, Fowler
Blues: Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Tarasenko
Now, while you definitely see some impact wingers up there(Perry, Tarasenko, Zetterberg). It definitely seems like these teams prominently feature their centers and defensemen. The only case that immediately comes to mind is Ovechkin.(who was a generational type of scorer when the Caps were dominating)
So the question is, can you build your team in the NHL with the feature piece being a winger?
better to have 2 star C's and no star W's than 1 star C and 1 star W.1 star center 1 star winger 1 star defenseman 1 star goalie would be ideal.
Ovechkin, Nash in Columbus, Kovalchuk in Atlanta, Iginla in Calgary, Hall. I think when a team's far and away best player is a winger, they can have problems.