What's more important, 1C or 1D?

[135ace]

What's the more important piece to build a stanley cup contender? To me it's clearly a 1C as plenty of teams have won without a true 1D, but a bonafide 1C seems to be essential.

Click to read more...

 

[koyvoo]

Nine times out of ten it’s a 1C

 

[The Macho King]

What's the more important piece to build a stanley cup contender? To me it's clearly a 1C as plenty of teams have won without a true 1D, but a bonafide 1C seems to be essential.

Canes and Ducks each won without a "bona fide" 1C (Getzlaf wasn't one yet).

Meanwhile - what, the 17 Pens are the only ones I can think of to win without a 1D (and actually the Canes as well - that was a weird year).

Edit: Wait - I forgot that Eric Staal was actually really good in 06. 100 points (and somehow a -8).

 

[Advanced stats]

1c ainec.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Think of it like this, a team's best center is generally more valuable and harder to find than that teams best defenseman.

 

[Mighty Makar]

Center

 

[Regal]

It's easier to build a quality defense around good but not elite defensemen than it is to build a quality forward group without an elite player.

 

[34]

1 C

 

[Ctrain2k]

You can’t make the playoffs without a 1C but you can’t win a cup without a 1D

 

[The Abusement Park]

1C easily. Every team that's won the cup since like 96 has had a 1c except for the Ducks in 07 and the Devils of the early 00's. But both those teams were also incredibly stacked on defense and are the exception.

 

[Mighty Makar]

You can’t make the playoffs without a 1C but you can’t win a cup without a 1D

The Pens won the cup in 2017 without a #1 dman.

 

[Zamuz]

Center

however if the D is incredible like Lidström I'd take him over almost any center.

 

[koyvoo]

The Pens won the cup in 2017 without a #1 dman.

The pens won a cup without a #1D but they had two superstar #1C

The ducks won the cup with a #1C but they had two superstar #1D

These are very much exceptions to the rule.

 

[JaegerDice]

I'd say they're equally important.

You're not winning the ultimate prize without both, unless you have at least TWO of one to compensate.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

Pitt won 2 cups with a #3 D playing #1D minutes.


There you go.

 

[Ctrain2k]

The Pens won the cup in 2017 without a #1 dman.

The pens had insane goaltending in that playoff run and got lucky with all their D playing better than they were.

 

[Ainec]

former dmen specialist here

gotta go with centers

aslong as the dmen can move the puck they don't have to be great at defending 1 on 1s like some of the best #1 dmen in the leagues. Pens taught me this

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Canes and Ducks each won without a "bona fide" 1C (Getzlaf wasn't one yet).

Meanwhile - what, the 17 Pens are the only ones I can think of to win without a 1D (and actually the Canes as well - that was a weird year).

Edit: Wait - I forgot that Eric Staal was actually really good in 06. 100 points (and somehow a -8).

Eric Staal was legit in 2006, but so was Rod Brind’Amour.

Many would argue that John Carlson wasn’t a legit #1D last year either. Outside of playoff production, he didn’t bring much of anything at a #1D level. If you’re calling John Carlson a #1D, then you probably have to call one of Getzlaf or Andy MacDonald from Anaheim a #1C as well.

No matter how you slice it, it’s pretty clear that a #1C is more important and correlates more with playoff success.

 

[The Great Weal]

Pitt won 2 cups with a #3 D playing #1D minutes.


There you go.

Pens also have 2 generational centers. Put 2 generational defensemen on the same team without a #1 center, and I think they could win the cup depending on the rest of the depth.

 

[Machinehead]

Hard to say because teams that win the Cup tend to have two 1C's.

Is that because the position is more important, or is simply due to the volume of players at that position?

 

[Ainec]

Pens also have 2 generational centers. Put 2 generational defenseman on the same team without a #1 center, and I think they could win the cup depending on the rest of the depth.

2 generation dmen

so let's say past 20 years

Lidstrom and Pronger over Josi and Subban, hmm who knows

 

[koyvoo]

Pens also have 2 generational centers. Put 2 generational defenseman on the same team without a #1 center, and I think they could win the cup depending on the rest of the depth.

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Won't be easy without 1D even if you have Crosby and Malkin.

 

[Ainec]

Won't be easy without 1D even if you have Crosby and Malkin.

pens made it look easy as easy as a cup win could be (not the 2nd b2b run)

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

pens made it look easy as easy as a cup win could be (not the 2nd b2b run)

They did have a 1D in 2009 and 2016.