nice to have. honestly if we weren't so thick with centers (another nice problem to have) I could see Barby centering the 3rd line honestly. he got to show much more 'offense' when he played with ROR last year, and when he plays up the lineup in general
He is better suited to wing. His poor defensive zone coverage is real issue at center.
The fancy stats may not back this up, but to me he and Sunny seem to work best when Barby is at C and Sunny is getting dirty in the corner and behind the net on the forecheck. But you're right, he doesn't seem the same to me at C without Sunny riding shotgun.
They're essentially replacement level unless they're top 15 in the world at their position. You can get an average goalie for basically nothing whenever you want. They're the least valuable prospects by a large margin because they take the longest to develop and unless they're truly exceptional, they make no real impact on the team. If Binnington went down with an injury, getting an adequate replacement would cost like a 3rd round pick. Now try to get a second line center. Only chance you're getting one for that cheap is if they have a terrible contract. Goalies should have their own rankings because even a guy with an outside chance of being a third liner is a better prospect than a good goalie prospect because their potential impact is so much higher.
That sounds like Carolina’s line of thinking … just find a goalie when you need one off the scrap heap. Suppose it’s similar to the draft philosophies some NFL teams had about running-backs … no need to waste a premium asset on one …they’re a dime a dozen.
