TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
Yes, definitely. It's plausible that Apps/Schmidt were just part of a generation that lacked great centers altogether. I feel like we ran into this problem a bit in the goalies project, where one slight over-rating led to a domino effect down the line.
I think it's worth pursuing C58's concept of changing expectations at the position (as well as any other interpretations that might be out there) at this stage of the voting, before we push these guys too far down the ladder. Maybe it turns out that they just aren't all that impressive, and their generation goes down as a low point in the history of centers.
I'm not sure what C58 means by changing expectations for centers. In the 40s, you had Schmidt and Kennedy who were loaded with intangibles of all kinds, Apps who was a legendary leader but rarely backchecked, and then guys like Cowley and Bentley who were fantastic offensive players and little else. Seems like you had the full gambit of skillsets to me.