Obviously, I will some times go into contrarian mode for the heck of it.
But while being rather critical of the HBK line, the religious notion from many here that it had to persist this season, and Bonino in particular... I think we're also harping on too much somewhat due to the enormity of strength we have at C compared to other teams.
We have the best 1st and 2nd line C's in the league. Cullen is certainly also a good shout for best 4C. Then there's Erik Fehr for cover and we have Sundqvist in the minors.
Bonino is tied for 75th in points among C's in the league, and he is tied for 77th in ES points. That's 3C territory alright.
What this does not account for is that he easily has better linemates than most 3Cs do, and the line at least ought to be a net positive on most nights. They're not. He is a primary reason as any eye test or graph will show, but his linemates certainly have blame also because Bonino IS a third line C, and they're the ones who will have to elevate him.