Jovofan said:
I personally don't like Toews as a fit in Pittsburgh. I know that he'd be a great 2-way center and everything but with Crosby and Malkin he'd be their 3rd line Center and I don't see him living up to his promise only getting 3rd line minutes and that would essentially be a wasted pick with the 2nd overall selection. You want a pick that high to be a superstar instead of a depth forward which Toews would likely become if he went to the Penguins. I think if he goes to a team where he can assume a top six role he'd develop the way we all expect him to.
Kessel on the other hand I agree with you about. Something about Kessel leads me to believe that if he's expected to be the go-to guy on a team that he won't succeed in the NHL. However, if he's in a supporting role like he would be in Pittsburgh he would thrive. It's weird because if Kessel goes to the Hawks and Toews goes to the Pens I don't see either meeting expecations, but if you flip those picks then I think both will be stars. It's amazing what a situation and a team will do to a player's potential development.
Third-line minutes? Sort of like Rod Brindamour? Toews will be on powerplay, killing penalties and playing against the other team's top line - he'll be getting more minutes than anyone other than Crosby and perhaps Malkin in a couple of years if he ends up in Pittsburgh. Not to mention that he's more than capable of being put on the wing on occasion, especially on the PP.
Carolina's an example of a team that can have three centers in Weight, Staal and Brindamour; they seemed to be able to get all of them enough ice time. Look at the other Cup finalists with Stoll Horcoff and Peca; is Peca not a valuable piece in his "third-line role?" Primeau in his third-line role in Philly - often with the most ice time when he was playing well. Briere, Connolly, Drury, Roy...Drury was on the defensive line...but he didn't lack ice time. Tell me Sammy Pahlsson wasn't one of the Ducks' most valuable players in the playoffs, and a major reason why they came within two wins of a Stanley Cup berth.
People need to find roles, and on a good team sometimes that role isn't always one of glory - from all accounts Toews is not going to be a 100-point scorer, but if he can become a 70-point man while shutting down the other teams top players and play a pivotal part of the power play (they'll find him a spot) on a contending team......
Would Mark Messier not have been a number one center on the majority of NHL teams in the 1980s? He was given his role as second-line center on perhaps the greatest team of all time behind perhaps the greatest center of all-time. Pretty hard to complain, and he didn't.
Drury, Sakic, Forsberg when Colorado last won. Arnott, Gomez, Holik and Madden - does New Jersey win its last Cup without those four centers being rolled?
Crosby, Malkin, Toews....could be the heralded as the best trio of centers ever some day. Now all the Pens would need is for a couple more Colby Armstrongs in the system to finally develop.
I think the Pens will pick either Backstrom, Kessel or Toews, even though many will have Staal ranked ahead of those three on their lists IMO. the other possibility is that the Pens trade down a couple of slots and pick up another pick or a winger. I could see Washington coveting Staal - perhaps the Pens could flop picks and pick up a Gordon or Fleischmann to compete for top six wing positions. Pittsburgh adds a winger and can still select Kessel or Toews.