More of a passing comment, so obviously not a rumor, but when talking about our huge number of picks in this draft, and how we'll obviously consider moving some (not 3/5) for players, Brent Wallace mentioned how we really need a first line center, and wondered if we'd move any picks for that piece.
I'm not sure what 1st line centers would be available. Duchene is a name I have brought up in this thread, because he doesn't have trade protection, and at one point this season Nashville was listening on everybody. Eichel seems more like fan fiction. I guess we could acquire Stepan after his bonus is paid, and say that he used to be a 1st line center in 2015.....
Maybe Cirelli from Tampa because of their cap situation? If you consider the totality of his game, I guess he could be considered a first line center 18.5 minutes a night on a deep team probably equals like 32 minutes a night if we use the Connor Brown conversion method, 2 way play, can produce, etc. When I use the term first line center, I just mean a guy who is a first line and plays C, not the traditional way people say 1C where they are actually referring to a franchise C like McDavid, Matthews, Crosby, etc.
In the same segment, Garrioch put Stutzle over a lot. He didn't talk a lot about Byfield, but I think it was because he was meaning to establish that the Senators loved their worse case scenario at 3, so whatever happens they are good. That Stutzle is rated 3 in mock drafts, and the Sens love him, so regardless of what happens they are getting a guy they really like at 3. Not that, Stutzle is their guy, so we better hope he drops to 3.