First, let's put DD in Eller's role right now to see how he does?.....Oh, wait, we did last year and as bad as Eller is right now, DD was worst. (2points in 10 games.....would've been around 8 points in 40 games....)
Second, i never thought Eller would be terrific as a top 6 player.
But face it, DD brought 50pts in 1st line role in the last 2 season and other than that he brought nothing else. I would've take a 45pts player with defensive capabilities, size, speed, grit way ahead of DD's 50pts with nothing else.
I thought that DD would be a 40pts 2nd liner, and he that's exactly what he is right now.....Do you think Eller could get to 40 in a 2nd line role with his steady shift on the PP as a center? I do, he did 30 in 46 games once....with less than that. He had 27 points with nothing at all in terms of offensive situation. So even as 2nd line center i prefer Eller. And it's the same thing as a 3rd liner, i prefer Eller at this point (and it got nothing to do with point production)