Man is it tough to find a natural center these days. Someone to step right in and produce.
- VanHockeyGuy
The responsibilities of playing C is so diverse it takes a special combo of skills & smarts to be elite or top 6. A 3C can be more of a specialist where as a 4C is a role player. Take Hank for example he drives the play & is/was a great playmaker & puck possession is key. BO albeit still improving is all around making him top 6. In the case of Sutter he can score & play on the PK but lack of playmaking pigeon holes him as a 3C at best. Burmistrov can skate & play smart D & skill enough to chip in goals.
If a C is not a 200' Crosby or phenom McDavid or bull like Kopitar/Draisaitl or sniping Matthews or character leader like Toews/JT it comes down to who can be a Bergeron or Seguin or ROR or Johansson or Monahan type C.
Where does EP project to fit in like the above?
Gaudette the same?
Idk tbh but if they both can great on possession thats a great start. BO is our bull & leader in the making. Our wingers will be the keys for making our prospects be dynamic duos & consistency the goal. I always believed in the 1-2 punch on lines & the 3rd wheel making it all come together. Canucks examples were Smyl Morrison Burrows Hansen. As for snipers Tanti Bure Naslund they have been few but BB is the next one. Who else is to follow him? Dahlen, Goldy or?
Where we have hurt most is we don't draw enough penalties & adding to that we suck at making Ops pay. No point shot since Salo then Ehrhoff has been our forever achilles heal. If no big shot then its a PP QB. Is that OJ? Nobody else is in the system that is realistically an NHLer.
Ending my long winded diatribe off we need a great draft pick on D to be our future threat offensively. Depth down the middle & playmaking to feed wingers to score 3 lines deep is needed & thats a ton to ask for.
