Take a look at St. Louis cup team. Fabbri (21st) Thomas (20th) and Schenn (5th) were first round. O’Reilly was selected 33rd. No centers picked higher than 5th

Ivan Barbashev - 33rd
Tyler Bozak - undrafted
Robby Fabbri - 21st
Jordan Kyrou - 35th
Jordan Nolan - 185th
Ryan O’Reilly - 33rd
Brayden Schenn - 5th overall
Oscar Sundqvist - 81st overall
Robert Thomas - 20th overall
- Jeremy Laura

And they haven’t been a good team since.

Last year, Tampa’s only center that is listed as a first round draft is Stamkos (first overall). Here is their listed centers and where they were picked

Tampa Bay 19/20 centers draft position
Stamkos (only played one game in cup final) first overall
Blake Coleman - 75th
Anthony Cirelli - 72nd
Corey Conacher - undrafted
Barclay Goodrow - undrafted
Yanni Gourde - undrafted
Tyler Johnson - undrafted
Cedric Pacquette - 101st
Brayden Pointe - 79th
Mitchell Stevens - 33rd
Carl Verhaege - 82nd
- Jeremy Laura

Out of all those centers (not counting Stamkos), only Brayden Point could bump Larkin to 2C. It is possible (with the examples Kooleus gave and Point) but you need a lot of luck. It's like they always say "if we knew how good this guy would become, we would have drafted him earlier".

And they haven’t been a good team since.
- Feds91Stammer

But, did they win a cup without a top 3 center? That’s the point, right?

Out of all those centers (not counting Stamkos), only Brayden Point could bump Larkin to 2C. It is possible (with the examples Kooleus gave and Point) but you need a lot of luck. It's like they always say "if we knew how good this guy would become, we would have drafted him earlier".
- dcz28

The past three cup winners haven’t had a center selected in the top 3. (Tampa has Stamkos but he only played one game the entire series). Regardless of who could bump Larkin, the point is that you can put together a cup winning team with out a center being taken at 1 through 3. Pittsburgh was the 2 years before and Crosby and Malkin are the ideal top pick centers. Before them? L.A., Boston? Toews was third overall, but there are plenty of teams in between Chicago and Pittsburgh that won without needing a center that high to carry the torch.

Finally Washington’s top

Capital 17/18 centers draft position
Nick Backstrom - 4th overall
Jay Beagle - undrafted
Travis Boyd - 177th overall
Lars Eller - 13th overall
Tyler Gradvac - 191st
Evgeny Kuznetsov - 26th overall
Liam O’Brien - undrafted
T.J. Oshie (sometimes plays center) 24th overall
Chandler Stephenson - 77th overall

The past three cup winners haven’t had a center selected in the top 3. (Tampa has Stamkos but he only played one game the entire series). Regardless of who could bump Larkin, the point is that you can put together a cup winning team with out a center being taken at 1 through 3. Pittsburgh was the 2 years before and Crosby and Malkin are the ideal top pick centers. Before them? L.A., Boston? Toews was third overall, but there are plenty of teams in between Chicago and Pittsburgh that won without needing a center that high to carry the torch.

Finally Washington’s top

Capital 17/18 centers draft position
Nick Backstrom - 4th overall
Jay Beagle - undrafted
Travis Boyd - 177th overall
Lars Eller - 13th overall
Tyler Gradvac - 191st
Evgeny Kuznetsov - 26th overall
Liam O’Brien - undrafted
T.J. Oshie (sometimes plays center) 24th overall
Chandler Stephenson - 77th overall
- Jeremy Laura

Boston had Seguin, but he was a scratch for the first chunk of the playoffs. He wasn’t the go to guy

The past three cup winners haven’t had a center selected in the top 3. (Tampa has Stamkos but he only played one game the entire series). Regardless of who could bump Larkin, the point is that you can put together a cup winning team with out a center being taken at 1 through 3. Pittsburgh was the 2 years before and Crosby and Malkin are the ideal top pick centers. Before them? L.A., Boston? Toews was third overall, but there are plenty of teams in between Chicago and Pittsburgh that won without needing a center that high to carry the torch.

Finally Washington’s top

Capital 17/18 centers draft position
Nick Backstrom - 4th overall
Jay Beagle - undrafted
Travis Boyd - 177th overall
Lars Eller - 13th overall
Tyler Gradvac - 191st
Evgeny Kuznetsov - 26th overall
Liam O’Brien - undrafted
T.J. Oshie (sometimes plays center) 24th overall
Chandler Stephenson - 77th overall
- Jeremy Laura

You're getting stuck on semantics. The Caps had Backstrom at 4. Not top 3, but close enough. Kuznetsov is another example I could have listed. You can find a 1C like him beyond the top 5 or 10 but you have to get lucky. The Caps did. It also helped to have the greatest winger of our generation. So not a center, but an ELITE player that doesn't exist anywhere on Detroit's roster.

The teams that won Cups or came close without elite centers (like the St.Louis example) compensated for that with superior depth and typically with 2-3 stud d-men, like Norris-worthy performances, and a Vezina type goaltending. The Blues won with Pietrangelo and Parayko dominating on defense and Binnington playing out of this world. Boston did that with Chara, Rask, and superior depth. LA did that with Doughty, Quick, and depth.

So if you want to win a Cup without a 1C star, you better have a Norris candidate, a Vezina candidate, and superior depth.

But, did they win a cup without a top 3 center? That’s the point, right?
- Jeremy Laura

Sure but I want sustainable success.

Sure but I want sustainable success.
- Feds91Stammer

So, no cup but more in season success? A cup run is something everyone wants, and if the team falls off, they’re still happy with the cup. In the end, that’s what they’re complaining about when it doesn’t happen. STL had a huge stretch of post season appearances and no cups. This success means more than those appearances. It’s just the reality of how much it means to win one

You're getting stuck on semantics. The Caps had Backstrom at 4. Not top 3, but close enough. Kuznetsov is another example I could have listed. You can find a 1C like him beyond the top 5 or 10 but you have to get lucky. The Caps did. It also helped to have the greatest winger of our generation. So not a center, but an ELITE player that doesn't exist anywhere on Detroit's roster.

The teams that won Cups or came close without elite centers (like the St.Louis example) compensated for that with superior depth and typically with 2-3 stud d-men, like Norris-worthy performances, and a Vezina type goaltending. The Blues won with Pietrangelo and Parayko dominating on defense and Binnington playing out of this world. Boston did that with Chara, Rask, and superior depth. LA did that with Doughty, Quick, and depth.

So if you want to win a Cup without a 1C star, you better have a Norris candidate, a Vezina candidate, and superior depth.
- Kooleus

If you’d followed the thread, I was making the point that not getting a top 2 selection didn’t equate to not getting a top center. I made that point. It was within those literal parameters of when you have to draft a top center

If you’d followed the thread, I was making the point that not getting a top 2 selection didn’t equate to not getting a top center. I made that point. It was within those literal parameters of when you have to draft a top center
- Jeremy Laura

There are two points happening.

First, can you find a stud 1C outside of the top 2 or 3 picks? Answer is of course. Why is this a debate. There are many examples. But you have to get lucky.

Second point, can you win a Cup without a superstar at 1C? So Backstrom-Kuznetsov. Both very good. But a huge notch down from say Crosby-Malkin. Bergeron-Kreijci. O'Reilly-Schenn. In every one of those cases, these lower tier centers relied on multiple Norris/Vezina performances. So if Larkin is your 1C then you need a Norris/Vezina combo, not to mention an Ovechkin/Kane-type of winger.

There are two points happening.

First, can you find a stud 1C outside of the top 2 or 3 picks? Answer is of course. Why is this a debate. There are many examples. But you have to get lucky.

Second point, can you win a Cup without a superstar at 1C? So Backstrom-Kuznetsov. Both very good. But a huge notch down from say Crosby-Malkin. Bergeron-Kreijci. O'Reilly-Schenn. In every one of those cases, these lower tier centers relied on multiple Norris/Vezina performances. So if Larkin is your 1C then you need a Norris/Vezina combo, not to mention an Ovechkin/Kane-type of winger.
- Kooleus

This particular thread was an answer to a question about not getting a top 2 pick. One reader was a bit concerned that it would be very difficult. I was just making the point. That’s all. You are right that you need excellence in the roster. If your scoring isn’t elite, your goaltending better be, etc. for sure good points, my back and forth was just addressing one person’s specific questions/concerns