Is Mika Zibanejad a top 10 C in the NHL?

[MrOT]

Last 3 seasons from Mika:
2018-19: 74 points in 82 games
2019-20: 75 points (41 goals) in 57 games
2020-21: (After returning from COVID recovering and no pre season) 42 points in 34 games
(3 points his first 15 games while recovering from Covid)

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[AB13]

When on form, he is a top 5 center and absolutely unplayable. When not on form, he absolutely isn't top 10. Would say he is top 10 overall though, for sure. Amazing point production and goalscoring numbers for three straight seasons with great defensive play and a superb work ethic off the puck.

 

[MrOT]

When on form, he is a top 5 center and absolutely unplayable. When not on form, he absolutely isn't top 10. Would say he is top 10 overall though, for sure. Amazing point production and goalscoring numbers for three straight seasons with great defensive play and a superb work ethic off the puck.

Something about him reminds me of Peter Forsberg, what's your take on that?

 

[BrockLobster]

Against the sabres flyers and devils he is.

 

[AB13]

Something about him reminds me of Peter Forsberg, what's your take on that?

He is physical and incredibly skilled and better than most in the league defensively, so I know what you mean. Obviously not on the same level in any aspect though, especially not in terms of passing and creativity.

 

[MrOT]

He is physical and incredibly skilled and better than most in the league defensively, so I know what you mean. Obviously not on the same level in any aspect though, especially not in terms of passing and creativity.

Yeah obviously a more than poor man's version of Forsberg, but there is a reminiscence.

 

[AvroArrow]

McDavid, Matthews, Draisaitl, Mackinnon, Crosby, Barkov, Bergeron, Kopitar, Scheifele are my top 9

And then a few guys competing for 10th, Zibanejad, ROR, Stamkos, Point, Aho, Tavares, Barzal

I say just misses, but wouldn't argue anyone who has him in their top 10. Top 15 for sure, the gap from 8th-15th isn't very big, so somewhere around there.

 

[MysticLeviathan]

he’ll have these streaks where he’s overwhelmingly dominant, but also has these major droughts. He’s very inconsistent. But he’s a goddamned monster when he’s on.

 

[Captain97]

McDavid

Mackinnon
Draisaitl
Matthews
Crosby

Bergeron
Barkov
Scheifle
Eichel

Aho
O'Reilly
Tavares
Malkin** when healthy is much higher.

Assuming a healthy Malkin I have Zibanejed at 14.

Even though some of these players have been putting up similar numbers they've been doing it more consistently/longer so I have them ahead.

Also i grouped them, exact order not exact.

 

[BKarchitect]

I think everybody can agree he's in the conversation. But center is such a deep and loaded position in the NHL right now and there are so many ways to go about "ranking" guys...how fans choose to interpret a "top 10 list" is completely subjective...how do you weight the following:

- Actual "right now" play or "form"...like literally how have they played for a month or two
- Overall season profile or consistency
- Effectiveness or experience in a playoff series
- Linemate/team strength
- Short term past history or consistency through multiple seasons
- Longer term historic ability and production and reputation
- Future or projected production
- Two-way ability or defensive usage
- Corsi/possession metrics versus traditional "counting" stats

There's no right answer. I'd say right now he is clearly a top 10, top 5 center by recent form. I'd say he definitely needs to considered if we are looking at the past two years and maybe the next two years as a window. But if the task is to just rank your top 10 centers by whatever criteria, he still falls just short of the top 10 for me - and I don't think that's a slight on Ziba.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Last 3 seasons from Mika:
2018-19: 74 points in 82 games
2019-20: 75 points (41 goals) in 57 games
2020-21: (After returning from COVID recovering and no pre season) 42 points in 34 games
(3 points his first 15 games while recovering from Covid)

Nope. He lands somewhere between 15-20.

The top 10(in my opinion) are:

1. McDavid
2. Mackinnon
3. Matthews
4. Draisaitl
5. Crosby
6. Kopitar
7. Barkov
8. Bergeron
9. Scheifele
10. Tavares

Then Stamkos, Point, ROR, Barzal, Aho...........and THEN Zibanejad.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Yeah, no. Last playoffs hurt his case imo.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Falls somewhere between 15-20 for me.

 

[Rangerfan4life90]

Yeah, no. Last playoffs hurt his case imo.

Lol, what? He had two points in 3 games. The whole team was also bad. I don't think a 3 game playoff set in a covid year means anything.

And yes, when healthy and in form, he's for sure top 10-12.

 

[topshelf15]

I knew he was a good shooting center,but he has really taken off in NY ...As far as the OP,s question I would think he would be viewed a good number 1 center for sure

 

[bobholly39]

3 years ago he had 74 points in 82 games. Not bad, but nothing special. He was also a -12. That same season, Max Domi had 72 points and was +20 as a comparison. Kucherov won the Ross at 128 points, or 54 more points than Zibanejad. Again, nothing special.

Last year he had 75 points in 57 games. He also had 41 goals in 57 games. That translates to a pace of 108 points in 82 games, and 59 goals over 82 games. That's certainly behind the Edmonton duo, and even behind Mack in Colorado, but outside of that he was as good as anyone, but with a few less games played.

Then this year - he had 11 points in first 27 games. Which is pathetic. That's a pace of 33 points in 82 games.
But then he had that famous 6 points game in a 9-0 win against Philly. Since that game, he has 34 points in 22 games. That's a pace of 127 points in 82 games, and he also has 16 goals in those 22 games, which is back to a pace of 59 goals in 82 games.

If it hadn't been for his horrible start, and if instead he had done as good all season as he has the past ~22 games, I'd have him in the top 10, and possibly even close to the top 5. But, I'm unsure. I heard covid maybe affected his play this year.

If he's that center scoring at a ~55+goal clip in 82 games, and at a ~110 point pace - he's definitely top 10, and good chance he's top ~5-6.

I voted "just barely". I want to see what his pace and consistency looks over a bigger sample.

 

[Machinehead]

Absolutely not.

He's a good player but he's honestly bad at even strength.

A guy who treads water 5v5 and is elite on special teams is nice but not top 10.

 

[King Karl]

I'm so happy we traded him for Derrick Brassard. That was a real winner.

 

[Crow]

Over the last two short seasons he has been or very close. Going forward he isn’t consistent enough to bet on so the logical answer is no. I would respect anyone’s answer depending on the time frame they are evaluating. Personally I’d say he is in the top 20, maybe even 15th.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Against the sabres flyers and devils he is.

And last year when he wasn't playing those three teams as much? I'm sure Barzal doesn't do better against bad teams as does every player in the NHL.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

He got f***ed up by COVID early on and had a horrible start, something like 3 points in 20 games. He’s now closing in on a PPG which is astonishing. Had he not had the unfortunate start he’s be putting up similar numbers to last year and this wouldn’t even be a question.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Yeah, no. Last playoffs hurt his case imo.

3 game sample that no one played well in. He was probably better than Panarin.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

What I learned on HF is that the Rangers and Oilers are the only two teams to have bad teams in their division and only those two teams and no other in their divisions inflate their stats. The Islanders never played the Sabres, Flyers, and Devils, only the Rangers.

 

[Fataldogg]

If he can do what he is doing now and what he did last season with consistency, then yes he would be.

The first half of the season puts all of that into question. He has 19 goals this season, 9 of them came in 3 games. He has 10 goals in his other 46 games. He salvaged his season, but the first half of it makes his ranking as a top-10C questionable. I understand he was recovering from COVID but I need to see more from him next season.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

If he can do what he is doing now and what he did last season with consistency, then yes he would be.

The first half of the season puts all of that into question. He has 19 goals this season, 9 of them came in 3 games. He has 10 goals in his other 46 games. He salvaged his season, but the first half of it makes his ranking as a top-10C questionable. I understand he was recovering from COVID but I need to see more from him next season.

I know this thread is about Mika but Gaborik had a season like that but in like 60 games, two hat tricks and one 4 goal game, and he had like 12 goals in the other 60 games. But Mika's goal scoring being down this year has a lot to do with Covid to start the season when he had like 1 or 2 goals in 15 games.