The NHL network's top 20 centers

[Peggy]

What makes Eichel better?

What makes Matthews better than Bergeron? 40 goal? But what about over all play?

 

[Reality Check]

I have nothing to add towards this list. Other than proclaim that the NHL Network sucks.

#HotTake

 

[Brian McDavid]

Bergeron outside the top ten is a crime against humanity.

A player who hasn't cracked 70 points since 06-07 is not a top 10 in any forward position. He's also averaged 22G per year (excluding lockout). Those are not elite numbers. Great defensive player, would love him on my team, but not a top 10 guy.

 

[Peggy]

A player who hasn't cracked 70 points since 06-07 is not a top 10 in any forward position. He's also averaged 22G per year (excluding lockout). Those are not elite numbers. Great defensive player, would love him on my team, but not a top 10 guy.

He also shuts down your best player tho

 

[Brian McDavid]

He also shuts down your best player tho

I agree, as I said, great 2-way guy. I think he's fairly rated on the list... perhaps a bit high

 

[CupofOil]

Having Matthews at 4 is utterly insane. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw their list and thought it was some kind of joke or that it was a TSN list.

He obviously has the potential to be a top 5 center and could very well be there in a year or two but right now, I can't see any justification for putting him in the top 10.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

I haven't really been that impressed by Stamkos the past 2-3 years. I'd definitely rank him lower.

 

[firstemperor]

Eichel should be #5 if Matthews is #4

Eichel should be a lot higher. And Getzlaf and Bergeron are debatably right there as well.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Had this debate with some friends the other night.


This was my personal list using the 20 players used by the NHL list(Personally I have 4 guys out and 4 others replacing but it's close enough that not a big deal IMO)

McDavid
Crosby
Malkin
Scheifele
Seguin
Backstrom
Getzlaf
Stamkos
Tavares
Bergeron
Kopitar
Eichel
Matthews
Johansen
Toews
Barkov
Carter
Kuz
Draisaitl
Monahan




I'm probably in the minority but I really truly think Scheifele is that good of a Center. He produced at a PPG+ this season on a non playoff team, and was over a PPG pace the 2nd half of the 15/16 season as well. The guy just is just fantastic and really does a great job carrying the Jets offense. With Laine on his side I see him being PPG+ going forward and last season was just the beginning for him.


I also pretty clearly value established talent over the young kids who have had just 1 good season like Eichel, Matthews, Kuz, etc.


I dont think Carter, Monahan, Draisaitl, and Kuz belong in the Top 20 right now either but they're right around the border. Along with the likes of Stepan, Mackinnon, Couture, Zetterberg, and Giroux.

 

[Jenkins]

What's the context of the list? Was it:

-based on 16/17?
-projections for 17/18? or
-how good they actually are taking in a scope of work (ie over the past few years etc)?

Matthews seems high no matter how you look at it.

 

[Cotton]

How can Eichel be too high if he's better than #4?

Um... because he isn't, at all.

It's also 13 points less than 82

Weak argument

He's not top 10

Bergeron and scheiefele are better than matthews

Crosby put up more goals and put a better scoring rate than McDavid
Yet McDavid is number 1

Your argument will never be consistent with rankings like that

Oh stop it, you don't even watch him play. Many of you whining about Matthews don't beyond the few times he's playing your team. When McGuire, Ferraro and Mackenzie said Matthews was a top 25 player in the NHL at about the mid point of the season alot of you were the same posters throwing a tantrum and calling BS. Now you do the same because you can't wrap your head around differing opinions... mostly because you are unfamiliar with the player from lack of exposure, and reading stats fails at providing context.

If this were a draft he's likely going 4th or 5th, why? Because the 6'3 220 19 year old is a complete player who just potted 40 centering two other rookies, he was one of the best at stripping pucks, was better than many of those C's defensively and better than guys like McDavid, Eichel and Scheifele on the draw - which I hear is a pretty important skill for a pivot. 69 points might not look amazing but within context it's hella impressive, and alot better than many of those C's rookie campaigns.

 

[mpp9]

I'm not getting the Stamkos love. Dude's barley played recently. And is far removed from his 60 goal season. Tampa fans were fine moving on from him if he was getting double digit millions. Tavares is a better player.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

What makes Eichel better?

He plays for his favourite team

 

[Peggy]

Um... because he isn't, at all.



Oh stop it, you don't even watch him play. Many of you whining about Matthews don't beyond the few times he's playing your team. When McGuire, Ferraro and Mackenzie said Matthews was a top 25 player in the NHL at about the mid point of the season alot of you were the same posters throwing a tantrum and calling BS. Now you do the same because you can't wrap your head around differing opinions... mostly because you are unfamiliar with the player from lack of exposure, and reading stats fails at providing context.

If this were a draft he's likely going 4th or 5th, why? Because the 6'3 220 19 year old is a complete player who just potted 40 centering two other rookies, he was one of the best at stripping pucks, was better than many of those C's defensively and better than guys like McDavid, Eichel and Scheifele on the draw - which I hear is a pretty important skill for a pivot. 69 points might not look amazing but within context it's hella impressive, and alot better than many of those C's rookie campaigns.

Lol who cares

I watch scheifele and I know he generates more offense just by looking at his scoring total

Stop trying to argue that a 69 point rookie is better than a over ppg player

 

[HammertownHockey]

I fully expect Matthews to prove he is the best centre behind the obvious 3. As I said last year I believed by the end of this season McD would be seen as the best player on earth... I think the writers are going off of who is the best centres right at this moment and I would agree that Matthews is #4 but hasnt had the opportunity to prove it, which is why I can understand the criticism of his ranking on this list... I do however believe he will be widely regarded as the fourth best C by the end of this season as he showcases his talent to the league for a second season.

 

[Peggy]

I fully expect Matthews to prove he is the best centre behind the obvious 3. As I said last year I believed by the end of this season McD would be seen as the best player on earth... I think the writers are going off of who is the best centres right at this moment and I would agree that Matthews is #4 but hasnt had the opportunity to prove it, which is why I can understand the criticism of his ranking on this list... I do however believe he will be widely regarded as the fourth best C by the end of this season as he showcases his talent to the league for a second season.

If he hasn't had the opportunity to prove it then it's not the case

Potential is just something that hasn't happened

 

[The List Of Jericho]

According to the NHL network:

1. Connor McDavid
2. Sidney Crosby
3. Evgeni Malkin
4. Austin Matthews
5. Nicklas Backstrom
6. John Tavares
7. Steven Stamkos
8. Tyler Seguin
9. Ryan Getzlaf
10. Mark Scheifele
11. Patrice Bergeron
12. Jonathan Toews
13. Anze Kopitar
14. Jack Eichel
15. Leon Draisaitl
16. Ryan Johansen
17. Aleksander Barkov
18. Jeff Carter
19. Evgeny Kuznetzov
20. Sean Monahan

Toews shouldn't be that high any more

 

[Laineux]

You guys do realize that in the end these rankings are subjective, it's impossible to accurately rate the best players in a team game and the HF consensus (based 90% on points and parrotting popular opinions) isn't the only way to rank them.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

Yup. I am 100% positive if he played for the Yotes he would be lower on this list. No chance he's the 4th best center in the league. What has he done so far to be rated higher than Backstrom? Or pretty much most of the people he's ahead of? He will be the next Toews mark my words (I don't know about the three cups though lol) most overrated player right now by a lot.

How many of those guys scored 40 goals as a rookie on a 30th ranked team the year before, you answered your on question. Him and Toews are no where close in terms of skill set, Matthews is more a Malkin/Kopitar type.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

Lol who cares

I watch scheifele and I know he generates more offense just by looking at his scoring total

Stop trying to argue that a 69 point rookie is better than a over ppg player

Ya it just took him 4 NHL seasons to do it, Matthews is twice the player Scheifele was at his age and it isn't close...34 points lol.

 

[Regal]

If he hasn't had the opportunity to prove it then it's not the case

Potential is just something that hasn't happened

Not quite. Potential is about the capacity to turn into something. If Matthews is already that level of player, even if he hasn't proven it, it's no longer potential. If, say Matthews scores 90 points this year, that doesn't make him a top 5 center after the fact, he would have been the whole time. It's the problem with analyzing players' progression/decline. Proof is always after the fact.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

Having Matthews at 4 is utterly insane. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw their list and thought it was some kind of joke or that it was a TSN list.

He obviously has the potential to be a top 5 center and could very well be there in a year or two but right now, I can't see any justification for putting him in the top 10.

I'll give you one....40 goal rookie in the NHL, hasn't been done in 11 years not even by a lot of those suppose better centres.

 

[jetsjetsjets]

Um... because he isn't, at all.

Oh stop it, you don't even watch him play. Many of you whining about Matthews don't beyond the few times he's playing your team. When McGuire, Ferraro and Mackenzie said Matthews was a top 25 player in the NHL at about the mid point of the season alot of you were the same posters throwing a tantrum and calling BS. Now you do the same because you can't wrap your head around differing opinions... mostly because you are unfamiliar with the player from lack of exposure, and reading stats fails at providing context.

If this were a draft he's likely going 4th or 5th, why? Because the 6'3 220 19 year old is a complete player who just potted 40 centering two other rookies, he was one of the best at stripping pucks, was better than many of those C's defensively and better than guys like McDavid, Eichel and Scheifele on the draw - which I hear is a pretty important skill for a pivot. 69 points might not look amazing but within context it's hella impressive, and alot better than many of those C's rookie campaigns.

What do you think is more likely:
1) Leafs fans watching small market teams with limited national coverage
or
2) Small market fans watching the Leafs who have virtually every game broadcasted nationally?

You act like you watch every one one of Getzlaf, Backstrom, Scheifele, Eichel, Stamkos, etc. games when in reality it's more likely other fans watch the Leafs play. I've seen Matthews enough to say he was the best rookie this year and had one of the top rookie seasons of the past decade. That said, he's still a rookie, which is irrelevant in the context of his standings within this list. Your need to compare his rookie season to other C rookie season to figure out who is better RIGHT NOW really takes the cake though . Finally, he isn't nearly as good defensively as you make him out to be and is not a top 5C in the league after one season.

 

[The List Of Jericho]

Matthews has quickly become the most overrated player in hockey

Are we just going to ignore that he was 129th in assists last year?

How about 1st in even strength goals or the guy with the most opening goals in the league...how's that?

 

[Regal]

I'll give you one....40 goal rookie in the NHL, hasn't been done in 11 years not even by a lot of those suppose better centres.

And what exactly do their rookie years have to do with how good they are right now? He arguably had a better rookie year than Malkin, so maybe he should be 3rd, right?