Relative Positional Value

[snipes]

I was going to post this on the mains. But it's the mains. Posters who flock here tend to be more knowledgable, intelligent, and reasonable in their analysis.

Why is that the wing position, relatively speaking is the lowest value of the non goalie positions?

I mean C/D you could argue as being 1/2. Personally I rank having a Franchise D (outside of generational talents like Gretz, Crosby, etc.) as being the highest relative value due to Dmen being able to play 30 mins/game every other shift. Then Centre, then Wing last.

It seems C or D are interchangeable for highest relative value, but wing ends up last. Is there any historical reason for that other than ice time? Or the fact that centres can flip to wing with ease and have extra responsibilities with face-offs/play making responsibility?

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[Sens Rule]

Howe, Bobby and Brett Hull, Lafleur, Jagr, Ovechkin disagree. Even Dan Sefin and St. Louis and Iginla disagree.

There are many wingers that were the best player in the league.

Now the best forwards are more often centres. But the list above shows that is not always the case.

I agree that a top echelon centre or Defenceman is often more valuable then a winger. But heck my Senators are realizing Stone is our best forward now. Alfredsson is the franchises best player as a RWer.

I think you need to look at specific players over positions.

 

[snipes]

Howe, Bobby and Brett Hull, Lafleur, Jagr, Ovechkin disagree. Even Dan Sefin and St. Louis and Iginla disagree.

There are many wingers that were the best player in the league.

Now the best forwards are more often centres. But the list above shows that is not always the case.

I agree that a top echelon centre or Defenceman is often more valuable then a winger. But heck my Senators are realizing Stone is our best forward now. Alfredsson is the franchises best player as a RWer.

I think you need to look at specific players over positions.

Yeah that's the part that confuses me. If you look historically so many dominant players have played on the wing. But in today's game, it seems to be undervalued relative to a player of the same calibre playing C or D.

 

[overpass]

Canadian hockey in the last 30 years has had very few elite wingers relative to other positions. Since Mike Bossy, who were the best Canadian wingers?

America, Russia, and the other top hockey nations have had more balance among their stars. I think the answer to your question lies in the modern Canadian minor hockey system.

 

[snipes]

Canadian hockey in the last 30 years has had very few elite wingers relative to other positions. Since Mike Bossy, who were the best Canadian wingers?

America, Russia, and the other top hockey nations have had more balance among their stars. I think the answer to your question lies in the modern Canadian minor hockey system.

Interesting point. Any reasons for why you think it's been this way? Maybe coaches placing talented players at a young age at the D or C position?

 

[Canadiens1958]

Bobby Orr

Canadian hockey in the last 30 years has had very few elite wingers relative to other positions. Since Mike Bossy, who were the best Canadian wingers?

America, Russia, and the other top hockey nations have had more balance among their stars. I think the answer to your question lies in the modern Canadian minor hockey system.

Bobby Orr effect. Minor hockey roster sizes have not changed since the days of Bobby Orr and before. Basically a team is limited to three lines and two d-pairings.
So if a team has an elite player playing him on defence gets him, at least half the ice time during a game while rotating the three forward lines guarantees that every player on the team except for the other defenceman pairing gets playing time with the elite player(app 10 minutes each). Rotating the three defencemen with the elite defenceman produces the same effect every three game cycle. So the parents and players are happy.

Center vs winger. Thru minor hockey in Canada, for an elite skater to play wing he would have to be the sixth best skater on the team. Up to the best five players the distribution on the team would be one each elite skater on each of the two d-pairings, one elite skater on each line at center of the three lines. Total five players.Three advantages to this. Every youngster on the team is guaranteed ice time with elite players. The team always has an elite player on the ice. The elite players learn defensive responsibility.

Once you get to the bantam, midget, junior elite levels where the best local players compete for spots on the regional teams, the players are then moved to wing positions.