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Top-5 centers in the Eastern Conference?

November 4, 2020, 1:18 PM ET [25 Comments]
HockeyBuzz Hotstove
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In this edition of the hotstove, we rank the top-5 centers in the Eastern Conference.

Todd Cordell

1. Auston Matthews - Matthews is the best 5v5 goal scorer in the league – AM34 has averaged 1.53 per 60 over the last three seasons – and he has averaged at least a point per game in three consecutive years. His defensive game is noticeably improving as well.

2. Brayden Point - I love everything about his game. He is tenacious with and without the puck. He is responsible defensively. He has high-end puck skills, and he has developed into one of the game’s best dual-threat offensive players. No center in the East was worth more Goals Above Replacement this season, according to Evolving-Hockey.com.

3. Sidney Crosby - I feel gross ranking Sid here but I think it says a lot that the 33-year-old is still in the conversation for top center. I’m not sure he is as explosive as he once was but he’s still one of the best in-zone players in the league. If you give him the puck down low, or along the wall, he’ll pick you apart.

4. Jack Eichel - Elite in transition. Elite finisher. Elite passer. His play away from the puck, although not special, is probably better than he gets credit for. I can’t wait to see what he does alongside Taylor Hall in 2021.

5. Sean Couturier - He is probably the best defensive center in the league and his offensive game is starting to catch up. Coots has averaged 30.5 goals per 82 games over the last three years. He is a stud.

Honorable mentions: Patrice Bergeron and Evgeni Malkin. I still love Bergeron’s game but the 35-year-old is starting to (slowly) show signs of decline. His expected goal and chance generation rates have dropped three consecutive years. The Bruins have also allowed 5v5 goals at a higher rate with him on the ice than without two years in a row. That wasn’t the case in seven of eight seasons prior. He is still awesome, but his numbers are slowly heading in the wrong direction and I think having David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand better insulates him than most other teams would.

As for Malkin: he just had his most efficient point producing season (at 5v5) since 2011-12, his best play-driving season (in terms of expected goals) since 2010-11. He is still elite and as good as anyone on his best nights.

Sean Maloughney

1) Brayden Point - Has surpassed Stamkos as the top centre on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Over the past three years no centre in the Eastern Conference has produced more at 5 on 5 than Brayden Point with 57 goals and 141 EV points. At only 24 years old, there is still room to see Point improve.

2) Auston Matthews - A dominant goal scorer, only Alex Ovechkin has produced more goals at 5 on 5 than Auston Matthews over the past three years (83 vs 79). A deadly sniper who is dangerous at all areas of the ice.

3) Patrice Bergeron - Still remains the best two way centre in the NHL. Of any centre who played at least 2000 minutes over the past three years, Bergeron leads the way with a CF% of 56.93%. Bergeron is always a positive influence whenever he is on the ice and produces high offensive numbers to boot.

4) Steven Stamkos - His most recent injury and the emergence of Point has had some sour a bit on #91 but he remains an elite producer. Stamkos produces well over a ppg pace and would have cracked 90 points again had the season not been suspended.

5) Aleksander Barkov - Florida has not been great over the past few years yet Barkov has still managed to be an elite producer. With a weaker roster, Barkov has the exact same number of points as Sidney Crosby over the last three years. Not including Sid on this list hurt but with Barkov only 25 years old versus Crosby at 33 I have to go with the big Finn.

Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com and Evolving-Hockey.com

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