Is Paul Stastny still a true #1 center?

[KevinRedkey]

I doubt a team could win the Cup if he's their best center.

This is why I never considered him a "True #1 Center".

I mean, unless your D is stacked, and you're riding a Vezina caliber goalie (Think New Jersey with Brodeur, Stevens, Neids)... You're not winning a cup with him as your best center.

I still think the Blues would have been better off trading for Spezza. He's soft but creates his own offense and does what they need more than Stastny does. That, and the cost would have been one of the guys they are likely to move now anyways.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Or is he overrated? I think this season proved that hes a grossly overpaid #2 center (at 7M), with only 46pts in 74 games. Hes a great guy to have as your secondary scoring, but will never be a guy to lead the charge offensively. He doesnt make his linemates better, but instead his linemates make him better.

His career high is 78ts with the Avs in his first year, but his production has dropped every year since. Cant believe the contract this guy was able to get. I just dont think he has the skill and vision to be a #1 center. I do think he can put up top line production, if he has star wingers (ex. Benn, Tarasenko, Perry, etc), but hes not a guy who can carry a line on his own.

He had the potential when he first came into the league, but hes already going into his 10th season and is exiting his prime. Its hard to believe that hes finished his 9th season already. This guy had massive hype after his rookie year, many saw him potentially putting up his dads numbers and being a future HHOF'er.

WHen he signed with the blues, I thought he was in for a career year. I was expecting 80+ pts.

Hitchcock never put him in a situation to succeed.

Stastny is a great setup man but you are asking for trouble when you make him the only player on his line with offensive ability.

I'm sure with the changes made this offseason he will see a bigger role and he will be back to around .8 ppg.

He's also phenomenal on the dot and good defensively.

 

[wintersej]

Ehhh a 1b centre

This. You need two Stastny's, the other being a little more offensively focused. Think Krejci/Bergeron with Stastny playing the Bergeron role.

Problem is that STL already has a center playing the Bergeron role, and Stastny probably isn't the best guy to play the Krejci role.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Was he ever? I don't think so.

78 points in 82 games in 06-07.

71 points in 66 games in 07-08.

79 points in 81 games in 09-10.



Me thinks that's a top 30 center.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Here is the problem with your logic let's say we could all make a list of the top 30 centers that we can agree upon and say Stefan ends up 30th on the list. Next year nobody does anything to change where we would rank them on the list with one exception, Connor McDavid does enough for us to rate him 20th. Does that all of a sudden make Stefan a 2nd line center because he is the 31st ranked player?

....yes.

 

[Esq]

Other than a slow transition and lost time around his shoulder injury, coupled with the emergence of Lehtera, I think Stastny has been almost exactly what most Blues fans on the HF board thought they were getting.

So you are OK with paying him $7M/year?

 

[tfong]

He is a #1 center. Just not an elite.

 

[John Eichel da GOAT]

Absolutely not! Teams where he would take over hte 1C spot:

Coyotes
Sabres (until Eichel/Reinhert take over)
Flames (could argue with Monahan)
Devils (could argue with Henrique)
Senators (could argue with Turris)
Maple Leafs (could argue with Bozak)
Jets (could argue with Little)

 

[TheOrganist]

So you are OK with paying him $7M/year?

Yes. The term was always the best part of that deal. Getting arguably the best FA on the board last summer to sign for only 4 years was an impressive stroke by Armstrong.

But I won't lie and say I wasn't disappointed in Stastny last year. I was. But he was both subtly and not so subtly critical of the way the Blues play under Hitchcock throughout the season and I think we'll see a more consistent contributor if and (god willing) when the Blues and Hitch part.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Yes. The term was always the best part of that deal. Getting arguably the best FA on the board last summer to sign for only 4 years was an impressive stroke by Armstrong.

But I won't lie and say I wasn't disappointed in Stastny last year. I was. But he was both subtly and not so subtly critical of the way the Blues play under Hitchcock throughout the season and I think we'll see a more consistent contributor if and (god willing) when the Blues and Hitch part.

I think that's what people are missing. Too focused on the 7 million a year and ignore that it was signed for only 4 years.

Great contract. Colorado should have signed him even if it was a little too much. I've heard rumours he wanted out or too much. But man is he a great player. Personally a team with there top 6 as 2 Stastny s would probably be a good team

 

[JBear]

This is how I breakdown Centres

Elite Centre (top 10 (fluid number)): Tavares/Crosby/Stamkos/Seguin/Backstrom/Sedin
Top Centres (from 10-20)
1B Centres (from 20-40)

True top second line centres: Kesler/Ennis/Stastny/Nielsen
True bottom second line centres

Colorado really needed Stastny but honestly at $7M/year that's way too much money for him. That puts him in Stamkos, Sedin, Kopitar, Thornton money.

 

[Stories]

There hasn't been much talk about how Stastny truly excels at board and cycling the play. He's excellent in the lower third of the offensive zone from the hashmarks and lower where his puck possession and playmaking skills can come to light and his slower speed doesn't really matter.

While Stastny is a good all around player and can create plays on the rush, he can turn a lot of nothing, hemmed in the zone plays into offense with superior puck control.

I didn't pay much attention to him after leaving Colorado, did any linemates he play with have this good cycling ability?

 

[CraigsList]

2nd line center.

 

[Note Worthy]

So you are OK with paying him $7M/year?

He was making 6.5M with the Avs. So we took the best UFA on the market and signed him to a four year deal making 500K more than he was making the year before.

I'd say the Blues made out pretty good.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

So you are OK with paying him $7M/year?

For the best available UFA center, and getting him to agree to shorter term (4y) than he was looking for....um, yeah. Its overpayment, but that's how supply/demand work in UFA. The Blues had/have the cap room, so its not a tricky decision.

Who's the best upcoming UFA center this next season....let's see what kind of salary and term they command.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Absolutely not! Teams where he would take over hte 1C spot:

Coyotes
Sabres (until Eichel/Reinhert take over)
Flames (could argue with Monahan)
Devils (could argue with Henrique)
Senators (could argue with Turris)
Maple Leafs (could argue with Bozak)
Jets (could argue with Little)

Monahan, Turris and Little wouldn't give up their spot to Stastny, but Desharnais would.

 

[TNT87]

I've never thought he as a 1C.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

never considered him one....

yes i know the point totals, but he doesn't impact games like a true number 1 guy, i find him to be a top tier number 2, but if he's your 1 you will never win anything

 

[FoppaForsberg*]

He never was one. Very solid #2 center

 

[Vashanesh]

I've always looked at Stastny similarly to Koivu.

Can he be a first line center? Sure, but ideally, he's not.

He's better in a situation where he's not expected to be the guy. That's not to say he isn't a great player, but, if I'm building a team, he's a good ways down the list for centers I would pick.

I'd say he thrives in a situation where he can be a 1B to a 1A, or a proper 2.

 

[Reversi]

Nope

 

[ClydeLee]

Never viewed him as a real #1 center in Colorado, especially when it was a mix up of him vs Duchene battling around that. Then even less so when O'Reilly got in the mix

 

[klozge]

He never was one. Very solid #2 center

He at least looked like one in his first NHL years but I see him as a #2 center, too. A very good one who can do a lot of things besides creating scoring chances.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

So you are OK with paying him $7M/year?

Yes.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Never was. He is however a very good second line centreman.