NHL network top 20 centers segment

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DarkLeftHand

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Kopitar absent this list, supplanted by the likes of Robert Thomas, Elias Pettersson, Jack Hughes, Ryan O’Reilly, Aho, Point, etc. To add insult to injury, the two honorable mentions were Scheifele and Stutzle. Discuss!
 
DarkLeftHand said:
Kopitar absent this list
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Well, many folks around here think he is now a good second line Kings center. 32 teams with first line centers so I would guess he wouldn't make many top 20 lists even from fans in this group. But considering he was probably on the list way back 14 years ago, is that really surprising?
 
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Kopi was ranked 20th in 2020 on the same list, so it makes sense he would have fallen a few spots back since then. All the same, when you get outside the top 5 it becomes more and more subjective and opinion based as the list rolls all the way to 20. I really wouldn't put a whole lot of stock in it.
 
Kopitar is no longer that one guy to take the team to the promised land. Yes, he had the one magnificent, resurgent season before the pandemic when he should have won the Hart. But the Kopi we saw in the past 2 seasons is a very different player. Kings now have 2A/2B centermen...:16smile:
 
so, a playoff team from last season does not have a top 20 center on their team. That is OK with me.
 
I don't think they are taking into account his defensive play enough. No doubt he is no longer a premier scorer,but it should be an all around evaluation. Some of the guys ranked ahead of him are not very good defensively.He's still very good at faceoffs and still a good passer. He's probably not top 10 any more,but definitely top 20.
 
kingrussell said:
I don't think they are taking into account his defensive play enough. No doubt he is no longer a premier scorer,but it should be an all around evaluation. Some of the guys ranked ahead of him are not very good defensively.He's still very good at faceoffs and still a good passer. He's probably not top 10 any more,but definitely top 20.
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Don't forget to factor in where he plays.

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kingrussell said:
I don't think they are taking into account his defensive play enough. No doubt he is no longer a premier scorer,but it should be an all around evaluation. Some of the guys ranked ahead of him are not very good defensively.He's still very good at faceoffs and still a good passer. He's probably not top 10 any more,but definitely top 20.
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His defensive play really declined last year, likely the reasoning behind his slip out of the top 20. Reasonably, he could be on this list in one of the last 4 or 5 spots.
 
I don't think it declined that much. apparently you didn't watch the playoffs. It made a difference when he was guarding McDavid compared to others.
 
He's slow-ish by modern NHL standards, declined a bit recently, not very flashy and the soon-to-be 35yo is also playing in a non hockey market.

Of course he's not in the top 20 NHL ranking.
 
These rankings are typically points-centric so whatever. However this thread made me look up Kopi’s stats again and he ranked 26th in points among centers. Better than I’d thought.

Considering he was a ppg player the first half I’m excited to see what happens now that he’ll have a legit finisher on both wings.
 
Clif said:
These rankings are typically points-centric so whatever. However this thread made me look up Kopi’s stats again and he ranked 26th in points among centers. Better than I’d thought.

Considering he was a ppg player the first half I’m excited to see what happens now that he’ll have a legit finisher on both wings.
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At training camp, I hope McLellan at least takes a look at Danault centering Kempe and Fiala.
 
VCRW said:
At training camp, I hope McLellan at least takes a look at Danault centering Kempe and Fiala.
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I think that’d be an amazing line. The effect on the rest of the lines is what would worry me though. Past Iafallo, who else would fit with Kopi?
 
VCRW said:
At training camp, I hope McLellan at least takes a look at Danault centering Kempe and Fiala.
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Considering the abundance of chemistry he had with Arvi and Moore I'd rather see him try Fiala and Kempe with Byfield. Hopefully that "kickstarts" his path to stardom.
 
Bollocks said:
Considering the abundance of chemistry he had with Arvi and Moore I'd rather see him try Fiala and Kempe with Byfield. Hopefully that "kickstarts" his path to stardom.
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Maybe they can get Kopi some motorized skates… or switch Kempe back to center…

But seriously, you are correct that Byfield should be the real answer… or even Turcotte… problem is neither may ever be that guy…
 
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