The line scored goals. We had what, 5 players in the top 20 or 30 scoring ?
So would you be happy if Monahan was a 15 goal scorer that got 40-50 points each year? We already have that in Backlund. How many games have we watched that Chucky set up Backlund beautifully & he missed the net or hit the goalie in the crest?
You get a guy with hands & a shot that scores, you do not worry about making him a defensively responsible back checking forward, you put him out when you think you can score goals!
- Kevin R

I would trade a few goals for a better defensive game. He's a career minus player. Last year was his best year by quite a bit and he was plus 7. Not trying to convert him into a shut down players like Backlund but there is quite a bit of room for improvement on the defensive side of his game.

I would trade a few goals for a better defensive game. He's a career minus player. Last year was his best year by quite a bit and he was plus 7. Not trying to convert him into a shut down players like Backlund but there is quite a bit of room for improvement on the defensive side of his game.
- tincup

That will come with time, no doubt. Hell, look back at Toews' and, further back, Stevie Y for comparison. A lot of young centres excel in one area of the game and, through effort and time and commitment, begin to round themselves out.

I'm comfortable slotting him ahead of Toews, given that for the 3 seasons prior to last year, he was in a downward trajectory. His most successful offensive season was (one of) Chicago's least successful seasons in the last 5 years. I have the sense that he turned up one phase of his game out of necessity for the team.

Kopitar is an odd guy to gauge. Very solid all around #1C, but not producing at the elite level like some other guys on the list. Hot and cold year to year as far as his counting stats go too. Wouldn't call either he or Toews fleet of foot either, so it's a bit of a coin flip for me as far as taking either guy over Mony (salary/term agnostic)

Kopitar is an odd guy to gauge. Very solid all around #1C, but not producing at the elite level like some other guys on the list. Hot and cold year to year as far as his counting stats go too. Wouldn't call either he or Toews fleet of foot either, so it's a bit of a coin flip for me as far as taking either guy over Mony (salary/term agnostic)
- rmull905

A lot of Kopitar's hot and coldness comes from the fact that he plays with guys who aren't top line players. Who do you think would score more goals next year, Kopitar playing with Gaudreau or Monhanan playing with Iafallo and Brown?

A lot of Kopitar's hot and coldness comes from the fact that he plays with guys who aren't top line players. Who do you think would score more goals next year, Kopitar playing with Gaudreau or Monhanan playing with Iafallo and Brown?
- Hunkulese

I think Monahan would get more goals with Gaudreau then Kopitar would

A lot of Kopitar's hot and coldness comes from the fact that he plays with guys who aren't top line players. Who do you think would score more goals next year, Kopitar playing with Gaudreau or Monhanan playing with Iafallo and Brown?
- Hunkulese

Fair.

I think Monahan would get more goals with Gaudreau then Kopitar would
- numbear

Yeah, maybe. But that's not the point. Monahan is a pretty one-dimensional player, and if all you're bringing is goal scoring, you need to be consistently getting 40 and occasionally threatening 50 if you want to be viewed as an elite top of the league centre. Monahan can still get there, but breaking down and turning into nothing every year isn't going to get it done.

Kopitar gives you everything else you want from a centre, he could be quicker, and there's a 90 percent chance he'd get 30 goals playing with Gaudreau.

It doesn't really matter though. It's going to be impossible to get a better number one centre than Monahan without winning the lottery. Monahan is a decent number one centre, but with what he's done so far, he's more of a top 30, top 40 guy than a top 20 guy.