So does Toronto now have the best centers in the league?

[Doyoulikeapples*]

McDavid >> Matthews
Draisaitl ≤ Tavares

Tavares >>> drai
Look at the trash he played with in Ny and still produced like he did.

 

[Turin]

Crosby has been ~1.1 points per game player for four years now. I don't see how he's that much better than Matthews, who is just incredible at 5vs5 with low ice time.

Crosby has 2 Conn Smythes and a Rocket while missing 7 games in the last 3 years, and played at a 97 pt pace last year. Context lil’ bro.

 

[Killer Orcas]

It is, but it’s better to spend on bluechip assets who are actually worth that money than spreading out the cap on a bunch of B and C level guys.

Your correct but you still need to fill out a capable defense other wise your wasting the league best offence in my opinion right now.

 

[PensandCaps]

Absolutely, not up for debate, Kadri is the best 3rd line center in the NHL

I mean it most certaintly isn't up for debate as Pittsburgh is the clear team with the best Cs.

Both Crosby and Malkin are cleary better than Matthews and Tavares.

Brassard and Kadri are near even, edge to Kadri.

And Sheahan is better than Jooris or whomever makes the roster as the 4C.

 

[MardyBum]

Absolutely, not up for debate, Kadri is the best 3rd line center in the NHL

Unfortunately your top two C's aren't the best in the NHL.

 

[Deedog99]

Until Matthews leave for Phoenix to be the number 1 centre

 

[Killer Orcas]

Makes no sense to move nylander though he’s a winger. Right now we have 3 deadly combos of :
Matthews nylander
Tavares marner
Kadri Marleau

You do but how will you improve the defence without cap space or even trade bait?? Gotta give to get and right now you are stacked upfront but weak on RHD.

 

[Marky9er]

If Sheahan is being brought up in the conversation, just concede.

-signed DRW fans everywhere

 

[Newsworthy]

I dont know a better forward group than the Leafs.

I guess that's a no then.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I mean it most certaintly isn't up for debate as Pittsburgh is the clear team with the best Cs.

Both Crosby and Malkin are cleary better than Matthews and Tavares.

Brassard and Kadri are near even, edge to Kadri.

And Sheahan is better than Jooris or whomever makes the roster as the 4C.

You don't seem to understand we don't care who the 4th line center is right now.

It does not matter

 

[StumpyTown]

Absolutely, not up for debate, Kadri is the best 3rd line center in the NHL

Those rose colored sunglasses are impressive.

 

[MardyBum]

You don't seem to understand we don't care who the 4th line center is right now.

It does not matter

You're in here arguing for C depth you potato, you should care.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I dont know a better forward group than the Leafs.

Winnipeg Jets say hi.

 

[Daeni10]

Crosby and Malkin are both better than Tavares or Matthews so I don't see a world in which Pittsburgh doesn't have the best center depth in the NHL. Let's be real Malkin and Crosby are 2 of the top 3 players so far in the salary cap era and besides McDavid there is probably no other center that will get to this level even though Matthews is obviously an amazing player.

I'm also impressed how underrated Backstrom is no matter what he does. Dude is almost a point per game player over 800 games yet Tavares and Matthews are somehow easily better than him

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Those rose colored sunglasses are impressive.

No when the top 3 are Matthews Tavares and Kadri that's about as good as it gets you can argue Pittsburgh but Brassard is not Kadri

 

[TopT]

Easily, but lets not forget that many people have an irrational hatred of the Leafs so our talent is always downplayed.

Toronto now has TWO #1 elite centres on its team Matthews & Tavares to go along with Marner, Nylander, Marleau and company. I personally don't see a better forward crop than Toronto.

With Andersen's solid goaltending and our D which isn't as bad as people make it out to be the Leafs are now a legitimate contender as much as any other.

Its "rational" "hatred" of their insufferable fan base, not the hockey team; and no Penguins are better

 

[IceBoxHockey]

No when the top 3 are Matthews Tavares and Kadri that's about as good as it gets you can argue Pittsburgh but Brassard is not Kadri

And Matthews/Tavares are no Crosby/Malkin

Give it a couple years and things will change but at this time Crosby/Malkin tip the scales.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

You're in here arguing for C depth you potato, you should care.

When the top 3 are Matthews Tavares and Kadri the 4th line guy doesn't matter, I'd like Brian Gibbons but again the 4th line guy doesn't matter in this case.

 

[Revelation]

You keep holding on to small sample sizes to judge players.


Matthews scores at the same pace as Kuzy but scores much more goals and scores alot better at EV strength. And please don't use "he folds in the playoffs" based off a few games.

Remeber when Kuzy had 2 points in 12 games in a playoff run.

It's all too small of a sample to judge players off of..

Tavares and Backstrom both score at around the same pace. Except one scores more goals and does it with Josh Bailey and Pa Parenteau as his main wings. And Tavares is not a one dimensional C. That's one of the most absurd things ive seen.

All 3 Maple leaf Cs are better than the Caps Cs head to head.

Matthews who has yet to score 70 points and can barely get along with Babcock because of how much he half asses everything else is better than Kuzy... my f***ing sides.

Tavares who has been surpassed by Barzal his rookie season is better than Backstrom, who is good for PPG with anybody and is a shutdown player to boot... sure lol

Pens fans really need to let it go, the playoffs were like 2 months ago

 

[Doyoulikeapples*]

You do but how will you improve the defence without cap space or even trade bait?? Gotta give to get and right now you are stacked upfront but weak on RHD.

No team is built perfectly. We just took a 105 pt team and added John Tavares. We’re much improved. There will be minor improvements on D but the leafs are a big contender.

 

[StumpyTown]

When the top 3 are Matthews Tavares and Kadri the 4th line guy doesn't matter, I'd like Brian Gibbons but again the 4th line guy doesn't matter in this case.

Until your fourth line get's scored on every time they touch the ice...

 

[1specter]

Oh my god this summer is going to be unbearable on these boards...

 

[kk87]

Pittsburgh certainly has the edge here, but I don’t think I trade our forward group for any other in the league personally. Could see an argument being made for PIT, TB, WPG, but that’s about it

 

[Doyoulikeapples*]

I mean it most certaintly isn't up for debate as Pittsburgh is the clear team with the best Cs.

Both Crosby and Malkin are cleary better than Matthews and Tavares.

Brassard and Kadri are near even, edge to Kadri.

And Sheahan is better than Jooris or whomever makes the roster as the 4C.

Massive edge to kadri you mean. Jooris will be on the Marlies, we don’t have a 4C right now so it remains to be seen

 

[Volica]

Pittsburgh and Washington still really high up there. Give this 20 games or so to figure out. It’ll be interesting to see how they manage Kadri’s minutes.

Very high end though. This offence might now be good enough to deal with a very underwhelming backend. Now they can kind of do that Pittsburgh model; that two lines require major defensive work.