Enter Search Term. If they sign someone like Bozak or Bonino as a stop-gap until a prospect is ready, they should be in good shape. He is succeeding while playing with Tyler Pitlick and Antoine Roussel, who have a combined 19 points. There have already been a number of big trades. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Video: Scheifele places 12th on the top 20 centers list. Recently, Wayne Gretzky suggested that if any player could surpass Connor McDavid as the leagues best player, Hughes would be the one to do so. Fortunately, hell have some interesting options available to him both externally and internally. MacKinnon, 26, is the superstar of this group. 1. by Hes also an outstanding penalty-killer and would provide a young group of Devils forwards with a veteran voice. NHL and MLB. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Once Smith came back his numbers went back up. With that said, here are the current top 10 centermen in the NHL based on their play to this point in the 2022-23 season. Bergeron ranked fourth in the NHL in face-off winning percentage (57.9 percent; minimum 750 draws), tied Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres for seventh in face-offs taken (1,311), and was fifth in face-offs won (759). Blueger made the jump to the NHL at the end of the 2018-19 season. NHL Power Rankings: Looking at top 2021 unrestricted free agents: We take a look at the top unrestricted free agents for the 2020-21 offseason. Perhaps, but hell need to find more offense, so a fourth-line role may be where he settles in. One spot in their lineup that's been specified is the third-line center position. There has been speculation that he is battling an injury which could explain things, but to this point, he hasnt been a top-three centerman in the league like we can normally expect. With that said, he did struggle quite a bit. 1 or even no. A superb playmaker and an underrated two-way forward and penalty killer, the 24-year-old fits seamlessly alongside Matthews or Tavares. Enter Search Term. Left wing Reilly Smith scored a go-ahead goal with 3:42 remaining in the third period, and the Golden Knights . "When you're a good player, what you want is the puck," NHL Network analyst Mike Johnson said. Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, WPG34. He had 29 multipoint games, scored at least one point in 53 of 69 games, and was plus-13. "They didn't just find someone, they found one of the best players in the world. Since his 34-goal breakout performance in 2016-17, he's fifth in total goals among NHL scorers with 183. But starting as a 3rd-line center is an option to consider. THE TOP 30: Realistic Trade Candidates, Ranked by Potential Impact. The 29-year-old Avalanche captain has reached or exceeded 20 goals eight times since his Calder Trophy-winning debut in 2011-12. The fixture on this line is Aho, who's been their leading scorer in every season since 2017-18. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. Matty Beniers, C, Seattle. That's not surprising for the six-time 30-goal scorer. As one of the best transition forwards in the NHL today, and certainly one of the fastest, Barzal nearly cracks the top 10 because of his excellence in the middle of the ice. He was leading the NHL in playoff scoring with 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in 15 games when the Avalanche were eliminated by the Stars in the 2020 Western Conference Second Round. ", Video: Ryan O'Reilly places 15th on the top 20 centers list. Third-line centers are asked to play some of the most difficult minutes on a roster, often receiving the worst zone starts while matching up against prolific scoring lines. 10) Mathew Barzal, Islanders 2020-21 Stats: 17 G, 28 A in 55 GP Barzal has led the Islanders in scoring each of the last four seasons, and he's likely to do so again in 2021-22 barring injury. Rakell's offense has fallen off sharply in recent . Tavares scored at least 60 points for the ninth time in 10 full NHL seasons and won 55.3 percent of his face-offs, the sixth straight season he won at least 50 percent. Mercer is one of two wild cards for the Devils in figuring out this position. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C/LW, EDM44. Hes well above replacement level offensively but also holds his own defensively at even strength. It is usually built around the club's best scorer or playmaker. But Stastny makes up for it with his performance on the power play, an area the Devils need to improve too. BUF L1: Jeff Skinner -- Tage Thompson -- Alex Tuch (+4), 20. Ovechkin is the greatest goal scorer of his generation and among the all-time greats with 752 career goals. Over that period, Marchand leads all Bruins with 368 total points, with Pastrnak second at 325 and Bergeron third with 269 points. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. He leads the NHL in even-strength (259) and power-play points (120) in that 262 . But the Devils do have to figure out wholl be lining up behind them as a 3rd-line center. Nick Suzuki, C, MTL48. Bonino has quietly earned a reputation as one of the better 3rd-line centers in the NHL. 97 on a nightly basis is simply incredible, and has some suggesting he may be the best player to ever play the game. Draisaitl won the Hart Trophy voted as NHL MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award as most outstanding player as voted by the NHL Players' Association last season, when he led the League in points (110; 43 goals, 67 assists), points per game (1.55), assists and power-play points (44). Recognize Future with Be A Pro in NHL 21. Tim Sttzle, C/LW, OTT28. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. NHL Network producers and analysts chose the top 20 centers in the League right now, and they were revealed Sunday in the third of a nine-part series. He doesnt have the same kind of two-way prowess as Bonino, but hes had a positive impact on offense and defense at even strength:EV & PP RAPM Type (per 60), Standardized, 18-21 (via Evolving-Hockey). A few thoughts before we dive in: Jason Dickinson has had a really good season for the Blackhawks but he's banged up right now. He scored 100 points (35 goals, 65 assists) in 2018-19, his sixth straight with least 84 points. The combination of center Sebastian Aho flanked by wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen was first formed during 2019-20. Breeders' Cup; Horse Racing Odds; Horse Racing Picks; NBA Betting So thats something to consider. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, Boninos play has been worth a GAR of 31.7. Aho scored an NHL career-high 38 goals last season and led the Hurricanes in points for the second straight season with 66. In fact, theres a strong argument his upside favors him being a top-six winger in the NHL, so the Devils will have an interesting decision to make with him. He was voted winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2017-18, when he scored 85 points (22 goals, 63 assists) in 82 games. TOR L1: Michael Bunting -- Auston Matthews -- Mitchell Marner (+1), 2. In a list based on overall talent, he is a top three centerman in the league, but that hasnt been the case to this point in 2022-23. The fact the Devils have him locked up for seven more seasons at a cap hit of just $8 million after 2022-23 is truly remarkable. This is a team who struggles to play with any sort of consistency on a game-to-game basis, while also truly lacking depth scoring. best third line centers in nhl 2021. With the marquee names on the Jets roster, Lowry is a name that flies under the radar, but is one that remains a major part of the team. His ice time has fallen this year, but he is producing at a higher rate per 60 minutes than at any point in his career. Robert Thomas, C, STL32. TBL L1: Ondrej Palat -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov (-5), 10. Bo Horvat, C, VAN43. 2021-22 Stats: 11 G, 11 A in 41 GP. BOS L2: Taylor Hall -- Erik Haula -- Marc McLaughlin / David Pastrnak (DTD) (-5), 16. Eichel scored an NHL career-high 36 goals in 68 games last season and had 78 points, four below his high set in 2018-19. "Auston Matthews has proven to be one of the best 5-on-5 goal-scorers we have seen in years," Johnson said. The 28-year-old Gaudreau has been their top producer for years, leading all Flames in total points since his 2014-15 rookie season with 523. He finished the season with nine goals and 15 points in 52 games a 14-goal, 23-point pace over 82 games. Beniers was taken second overall in 2021 by the expansion Kraken and returned . Time will tell, but he also seems more suited to be a fourth-line center. Get a complete list of current starters and backup players from your favorite team and league on CBSSports.com. Mathew Barzal, C, NYI40. He scored 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 23 games in the 2020 playoffs to help the Lightning win the Cup. Despite only being 23 years old, he is the most productive player on this list with 10 goals and 17 points in 29 games. Roope Hintz, C, DAL33. Mark Scheifele, C, WPG19. Many never stay together for a full campaign. He helped the Bruins allow the fewest goals in the NHL (167; 2.39 per game) and win the Presidents' Trophy with the best points percentage in the League (.714; 44-14-12). Re-Live The First 50 Goals By Auston Matthews From The 2021-22 NHL Season 3. Second Period . A three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017), Malkin has scored at least 25 goals in 10 of his 14 NHL seasons and at least 70 points in 11 of the 14. Nathan MacKinnon, C, COL 5. #10 Christian Wood Julius Randle is obviously going to win the Most Improved Player Award. DAL L1: Jason Robertson -- Roope Hintz -- Joe Pavelski (-2), 18. All Rights Reserved. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. "He's got great hand-eye, the stick skills He is really gifted with the puck in tight spaces. 1:43 p.m. Golden Knights-Blackhawks deal. 1 centermen the Canucks have been looking for for a really long time, and he's going to be really good and on this list for a really long time. 1. Centered by leading scorer Chandler Stephenson, veteran wingers Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone have overcome early-season injuries to boost their club back into the thick of the playoff race following a slow start. March 1, 2023 - 9:51 pm. Vincent Trocheck, C, NYR39. Barzal has led the Islanders in scoring in each of his three full NHL seasons, with a total of 207 points (59 goals, 148 assists) in 234 games. He is great at creating space for himself, has good hands in tight spaces, isnt afraid to go to the net, and can win faceoffs. 3rd: NHL Trade Deadline . "We know the offensive game is there despite the crazy-weird curve on his stick, but it's all the other stuff that he does beyond point production that makes him so valuable. Sebastian Aho, C, CAR12. In his second NHL season, Pettersson scored 66 points to match his total from 2018-19, when he won the Calder Trophy after leading NHL rookies in goals (28), assists (38) and points. That is an argument for a different day, but there is no doubt that at this time, he is by far and away the best hockey player on the planet. Its chased a fair amount of good players out of town. He was strong on the puck with a plus-20 turnover margin and the Blues controlled over 51 percent of scoring chances with him on the ice. He finished this season with seven points in 28 games, a slight step up from the four points in 35 games he had in 2019-20. When on the ice, the Stars have a 53.35 percent Corsi, are controlling 51 percent of scoring chances, including 57 percent at high danger, and have a plus-13 high-danger goal differential. In some cases, a team might be blessed with three scoring stars on the same line. 1. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. His production has been consistent, but hes been a much more valuable player than his point totals indicate. Miller for most on the Canucks, and he tied Miller for the Vancouver lead with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 17 playoff games. 63) in the 2017 NHL Draft is first among Sweden-born rookies with 14 assists, second with 20 points . At six-foot-five and 210 pounds, Lowry is the ideal size teams look for in a third-line center. His 107 points in the postseason since 2011-12 lead the NHL. He ended the 2020-2021 season with a faceoff win percentage of 62.25 to go along with 23 goals and 25 assists for 48 points. Winning important face-offs, leading rushes up the ice, and setting up teammates are hallmarks of an elite center. CAR L1: Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis (SAME), 7. This isn't surprising at all, as the nobody on Edmonton has been able to cement themselves in the role. Matthews set NHL career highs in goals (47), points (80) and power-play points (25) in 70 games last season, increasing his goal and point totals for the second straight season. Winning important face-offs, leading rushes up the ice, and setting up teammates are the hallmarks of an elite center. One of. Had he not suffered an upper-body injury that forced him to miss time earlier in the season, Nathan MacKinnon may have found himself in the No. While starting in the defensive zone over 59 percent of the time, he has managed to win 53.8 percent of his faceoffs. NHL.com ranks the top 25 forward lines in terms of fantasy hockey upside for the rest of the 2021-22 season. 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