Most important position on a team

[Captain Lindy]

After disagreeing in another thread with a poster who doesn’t believe goaltending is the most important position on a team, I decided to post this thread to see what my fellow posters think!

They're all important but when you compare center to goaltending....goaltending can save you games and keep you in games; can't win games like forwards can. GOALS win games and goaltenders have to be there so the goals you get count. Goaltenders cannot, I repeat, CANNOT do it all themselves.

Make me pick between drafting and elite Center or an elite Goaltender, I'd pick the Center every time, all day long.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

I'd take Hasek or Roy over Messier.

 

[ecemleafs]

A superstar defenseman imo. Can play half the game.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

I'd take Hasek or Roy over Messier.

Why on Earth would you do that in hindsight?

I mean if I voted for goalie as the most important position, and then I wanted to troll myself by using the worst example of winning:goaltending dominance ratio in hockey history, I’d say “I’d take Hasek anyway AINEC!”

I mean you’ve presented a paradox nearly equivalent to being awesome at drafting as Mike Milbury was, winning as many cups as the Florida Panthers , being as much of an immediate impact player as Alexander Daigle, or spending wisely as the Rangers did during the Dark Ages.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

A superstar defenseman imo. Can play half the game.

And?

 

[Say Hey Kid]

And?

You're so right. Orr and his 8 consecutive Norris trophies had no impact on games.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

You're so right. Orr and his 8 consecutive Norris trophies had no impact on games.

You still haven’t answered your own posts coherently, so don’t sully others.

The 1970’s Bruins right?

Espo, Orr, Cheevers. The 3 pivots[my OP] were able to be better than the Rangers in that Montreal dynasty era.

And neither the Rangers nor the Bruins were cup winners until 94 and 2011 respectively after that stupid Esposito trade.

If you want a Bruins defensemen counter example, how about Raymond Bourque?


What is your argument at this point ?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I'd take Hasek or Roy over Messier.

I'd take Gretzky over Hasek.

 

[Captain Lindy]

I'd take Hasek or Roy over Messier.

You crazy.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

Scoring 5 goals is meaningless when you give up 6.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Scoring 5 goals is meaningless when you give up 6.

Counterpoint: stopping every shot is just as meaningless if you don’t score any goals

 

[Edge]

How many cup winning teams have centers considered to be among the best at their position and goaltenders who weren't?

How many cup winning teams have goaltenders considered to be among the best at their position and centers who weren't?

Ideally you'd love to have both, but I also think one of those is a lot more common that the other.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

How many cup winning teams have centers considered to be among the best at their position and goaltenders who weren't?

How many cup winning teams have goaltenders considered to be among the best at their position and centers who weren't?

Ideally you'd love to have both, but I also think one of those is a lot more common that the other.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Goaltending has the most impact but it's by far the easiest to find. Just about everyone has a competitive goaltender.

It's the runningback of the NHL.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

How many cup winning teams have centers considered to be among the best at their position and goaltenders who weren't?

How many cup winning teams have goaltenders considered to be among the best at their position and centers who weren't?

Ideally you'd love to have both, but I also think one of those is a lot more common that the other.

To me, it's either D or C. It's really not close, either. The idea that a goaltender would be the most important position is laughable, frankly. I lean in the direction of C since you're truly just more of an impact than a franchise defenseman.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Counterpoint: stopping every shot is just as meaningless if you don’t score any goals

Lol, you guys are really enjoying these hilariously easy dunks on this dude.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Lol, you guys are really enjoying these hilariously easy dunks on this dude.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Lol, you guys are really enjoying these hilariously easy dunks on this dude.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

The idea that a goaltender would be the most important position is laughable, frankly.

Except to the franchise whose board you are commenting on right now for the last decade and a half

On average yeah I 'd say it's center but when you have a talent like Henrik it can easily by goalie

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

difficult question. An elite goalie can cover up a team's flaws more than an elite Center can. plenty of bottom dwellers boast an elite 1C like McDavid, Tavares, Barkov, Seguin but an elite goalie like Lunqvist or Price can take a team that lacks any real elite skaters and bring them deep into the playoffs. Having an elite 1C is sexy and as Rangers fans we have been dying for one for so long, but a lot of you are really spoiled by Lundqvist. Once he retires, you'll see what you've been taking for granted. Say Chytil actually develops into a 80+ pt center, but if we get average or below goaltending from Shest or whomever the next starter will be, you'll see that it won't do us much good.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

difficult question. An elite goalie can cover up a team's flaws more than an elite Center can. plenty of bottom dwellers boast an elite 1C like McDavid, Tavares, Barkov, Seguin but an elite goalie like Lunqvist or Price can take a team that lacks any real elite skaters and bring them deep into the playoffs. Having an elite 1C is sexy and as Rangers fans we have been dying for one for so long, but a lot of you are really spoiled by Lundqvist. Once he retires, you'll see what you've been taking for granted. Say Chytil actually develops into a 80+ pt center, but if we get average or below goaltending from Shest or whomever the next starter will be, you'll see that it won't do us much good.

The hard part about that is the argument that an okay goalie can get hot and then if the team built around, say that center is firing on all cylinders that it could work. Any elite goalie can go cold and any blah goalie could get hot. I really think in reality it's too hard to pinpoint just 1 individual as the most important in most cases, even though I voted center as well.

 

[Off Sides]

I went with Center,

However what I really think is important is having some group of skaters who are among the best in the league.

It just allows the lesser skaters on that team to play... less.

Given that there are probably like 3-5 really top elite goalies at any one time, along with like 15 or so who are not all that far behind, and in any given stretch could play just as well as the goalies who are more thought of as elite, I'm voting for the skaters being a bigger contribution.

Between center and D for me is a little tougher, however it seems the top elite Center are mostly drafted at the top of their draft classes where it seemingly is more likely to get some elite D later on in the draft.

However on the flip side you do not see elite level D traded very often, however quite a few elite level centers have been moved. (sans elite for elite)

So out of all that rambling, I go Center, D then Goalie (And goalie is kind of tied with wing)(which brings me more reservation about who I think the Rangers are likely favoring to draft)

 

[Edge]

I think we're all going about this the wrong way.

The most important position is clearly "The Tigress."

That's a rewarding position.

 

[Machinehead]

I'd take Hasek or Roy over Messier.

Messier was the third best player on the 94 team.

 

[Machinehead]

Except to the franchise whose board you are commenting on right now for the last decade and a half

On average yeah I 'd say it's center but when you have a talent like Henrik it can easily by goalie

The franchise that didn't win the Cup over that decade and a half?