Ranking the Top 50 Centers for the 2014-15 NHL Season
Oh, so I get the easy assignment.
In a league full of excellent men in the middle, I've got to be the one to parse them apart, to number them one over—or behind, if you prefer—the other. Is this why I get the big bucks? Oh, OK then.
Look, we all know Sidney Crosby is going to be No. 1 and...well, wait a minute here. You might need to click through every slide to find out, and maybe there will be a surprise at No. 1 instead.
But seriously, the NHL has always had good centers, but this is arguably one of the deepest groups ever. And, mind you, my rankings won't all go down the descending order of scorers at the position. There could be a defensive guy who scores very little or a guy who is just great at faceoffs and that's it. Or it could be a guy who is a little slow afoot but long on character in the room and on the pond.
What I'm most looking for is a combination of talent, hockey smarts and grit. Some that might have a lot of one and not the others? Well, they won't make this list.
So, to quote the late, great Jackie Gleason, "and away we go" with the top 50 centers entering the 2014-15 NHL season.
This is the fourth installment in B/R's positional-ranking series in the lead up to the 2014-15 season. Check out our rankings of defensemen, goalies and wingers. Then the series culminates with our overall ranking of the NHL's top 100 players on Oct. 6.
Nos. 50-46
1 of 30
50. Mike Richards, Los Angeles Kings - After some question as to whether the Stanley Cup champion Kings would even bring him back or buy out the rest of his contract, Richards pledged to general manager Dean Lombardi that he would get in better shape for this season, per Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times. And with his work ethic, I'm not about to doubt him. He potted two goals in his first preseason game, so he's showing he meant it.
49. Antoine Vermette, Arizona Coyotes - He gets no press in the hockey vacuum that is Glendale, but Vermette is a very solid two-way player. He posted 24 goals and 45 points in 82 games for the Coyotes, so he not only scores some, but he's durable.
48. Adam Henrique, New Jersey Devils - Henrique potted 25 goals for a mediocre team, but he wants to really establish himself as a team leader this year, especially with guys like Martin Brodeur finally put out to pasture.
47. Carl Soderberg, Boston Bruins - A few nagging injuries were a bother to Soderberg's last campaign in Beantown, but he still put up pretty good numbers: 73GP, 16G, 32A, 48 PTS, +4. The Bruins need more offense from him this year, especially with Jarome Iginla gone.
46. Cody Hodgson, Buffalo Sabres - He's still young and has all that talent. It's finally time to start seeing more of it on a consistent basis. He still managed 20 goals on a brutal Buffalo outfit, but his play at the other end needs a lot more passion and results.
Nos. 45-41
2 of 30
45. Brandon Dubinsky, Columbus Blue Jackets - He became a 50-point guy for the Jackets in helping lead them to the playoffs for only the second time in team history, and he was a pain to Sidney Crosby in the first round of the playoffs.
44. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers - He was better last season after a mostly awful sophomore season. The pressure is on big time now, though, to show he was worth being the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft. As he gets more physically and emotionally mature, that should happen. He has been terrible defensively since coming into the league, and that's the biggest area that needs improvement.
43. Craig Smith, Nashville Predators - Never heard of him? You're not alone. But he scored 24 goals and 52 points in 79 games last season for the Preds with a plus-16 and a strong relative Corsi rating, according to Behind the Net.
42. Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild - He started to really shine in the postseason for the Wild. The confidence he figures to get from that could be the catalyst for a great season. Expect his goal scoring to go up from the eight he tallied last season. I'd be shocked if he doesn't get at least 18-20.
41. Nazem Kadri, Toronto Maple Leafs - He reached the 20-goal mark for the first time last season and has continued to grow more as a locker room leader for the Leafs. Defense? It's not always so good with him, but the career progression is happening at a good pace.
Nos. 40-36
3 of 30
40. David Desharnais, Montreal Canadiens - A very good, very underrated center, Desharnais posted 52 points last season and scored on 16.7 percent of his shots (16 goals on 96 shots). He's strong in the faceoff dot (nearly 51 percent) and good defensively. Yeah, he's small (5'7") but plays big.
39. Nick Bonino, Vancouver Canucks - The principle player acquired from Anaheim for Ryan Kesler, the pressure is on Bonino in hockey-myopic Vancouver, but the talent is there to deliver. He needs to be better in the faceoff circle (48.8 percent last season), but he's very solid on the puck and could be ready to score 25-30 goals.
38. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning - He played all 82 games and scored 24 goals, good enough to earn a finalist nomination for the Calder Trophy. Not bad for a 5'9" kid who went undrafted. The numbers guys got it wrong with him at least. Sometimes, it's still about heart and desire.
37. Travis Zajac, New Jersey Devils - A nice, solid two-way guy. Zajac doesn't do anything fancy, but he's great in the faceoff dot (more than 54 percent) and puts up some decent offensive numbers with 18 goals and 48 points last season.
36. Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks - Couture had 54 points (23 goals) in 65 games last season, and few players in the league have his speed. All that has eluded him, like every other player in teal, is real playoff success. He'll help get San Jose that far again this year at least.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=256)
Nos. 35-31
4 of 30
35. Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild - Maybe age is starting to catch up with the big Finn (he's only 31 but has some tough mileage on him), yet Koivu remains a top two-way player on a very good team. What he lacks in speed now, he makes up for with extreme hockey IQ. He's one of the top faceoff guys in the league (54.8 percent) and a clutch player.
34. Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks - Will a new lease on life in the California sun get his career back on track? GM Bryan Murray certainly hopes so, having spent the better part of last season trying and finally getting him out of Vancouver. By all accounts, he's anxious to prove he's a top player in the league still, and with guys like Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to play with, that should become easier.
33. Kyle Turris, Ottawa Senators - He finally had something of a breakout season last year with the Sens, posting 26 goals, 58 points and a plus-22 in 82 games. Turris credits everything to just settling down and maturing, per the Ottawa Citizen's Ken Warren, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to improve. He now takes over for Jason Spezza as the team's No. 1 center.
32. Valtteri Filppula, Tampa Bay Lightning - It was a foolish mistake of the Red Wings to let him go, as he proved in his first year with the Lightning (25 goals). He's excellent on faceoffs (52.3 percent) and should increase his numbers with Steve Stamkos healthy again.
31. Derek Stepan, New York Rangers - He'll miss the first few weeks of the regular season with a fractured tibia. It's a bad blow for the Blueshirts, who were hoping Stepan could really take the reins as a top center this year. That can still happen, provided the rehab goes well.
Nos. 30-26
5 of 30
30. Bryan Little, Winnipeg Jets - He's probably the most underrated center in the league. At least in my book he is. He gets no publicity outside of tiny Winnipeg, and the lack of playoffs every year for the franchise has hurt his notoriety. Put him on a better team, and he might be a star.
29. Jordan Staal, Carolina Hurricanes - He'll miss much of the first half of the season with a fractured tibia, but when he returns, he will give Carolina a potent second-half boost.
28. Brad Richards, Chicago Blackhawks - He'll play on a line with Patrick Kane in Chicago, which is a nice assignment for a guy who was drummed out of New York after the season. Richards is slowing down, but on this team he might go for 60-plus points again.
27. Paul Stastny, St. Louis Blues - After several years in Denver, he signed a four-year, $28 million deal. Is he really worth that much? Many are dubious, but Stastny always seems to put up respectable numbers. But he has yet to really be a dominant No. 1 center, and the years are starting to pick up steam in his career. Yet he is a solid player, and nobody is ready to say the Blues overpaid—yet.
26. Tyler Ennis, Buffalo Sabres - Ennis netted 22 goals last season for a brutal Buffalo squad. He, along with the rest of the team, should be better. He's got great speed up the middle. Yeah, he's small, but his hands are among the best.
25. David Backes, St. Louis Blues
6 of 30
By the numbers: He had another solid season last year with 27 goals and 30 assists in 74 games. Late-season injuries hurt his play in the postseason.
Best attribute: Toughness in all areas, leadership and character.
Why he's here: He recently turned 30, and there are some miles on his big body, given the style he's played the last few years. You worry about him breaking down physically at some point soon. But he's got at least a couple more good years in him.
24. Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings
7 of 30
By the numbers: The regular-season numbers were rather pedestrian (50 points in 72 games), but for the second time in three years, Carter exploded in the playoffs and got a second Stanley Cup ring because of it.
Best attribute: Big-game, clutch persona.
Why he's here: One of the biggest centers in the league, he's so tough to knock off the puck. He is a top finisher around the net, and after years of having his heart questioned, he has proved the doubters all wrong since becoming a King.
23. Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
8 of 30
By the numbers: Staal had 21 goals and 61 points in 79 games last season with a minus-13.
Best attribute: Silky-smooth hands, and he's very durable; he's missed only four games in the last four seasons.
Why he's here: It's going to be a much tougher season for the star of the Hurricanes. His No. 2 center and brother, Jordan, is out for what figures to be much of the regular season because of a fractured tibia. Teams will key in heavily on Eric, and while he has the talent to put up plenty of points, it's no fun being the only good center on a team.
Plenty of people think Staal got a bit lazy after getting a huge contract at such a young age (he still has a cap hit of $8.25 million for two more seasons) after winning a Stanley Cup in 2006. I don't happen to share that belief, but it's out there. While he's still young (29), his stock has fallen since those great days of '06.
22. Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames
9 of 30
By the numbers: In his rookie season, Monahan posted 22 goals.
Best attribute: Size and strength around the net, good passer.
Why he's here: I know a lot of people are saying, "Why IS he here, anyway?" Because, this kid has the goods in my estimation. He put on about 10 pounds of muscle over the summer, and he's looked dominant on the puck at times in the preseason. He's my dark-horse pick in all of this. I foresee a 30-goal, 60-plus point season for him.
21. David Krejci, Boston Bruins
10 of 30
By the numbers: The assistant captain of the Bruins posted 19 goals and 50 assists in 2013-14. He was a plus-39 and is considered one of the best two-way centers in the league.
Best attribute: High hockey IQ, excellent defensively and good passer.
Why he's here: If he were a bit more of a pure threat as a goal scorer, Krejci would be in the top 10. Aside from that, there's nothing to gripe about with his game. He's one of the smarter players in the league at both ends and one of the players who really makes Boston tick.
20. Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals
11 of 30
By the numbers: Backstrom has played 495 career games for the Caps and has 494 points. So, in other words, he's consistent. He posted 79 points in 82 contests for Washington last season.
Best attribute: Excellent playmaker, especially from the half-boards on the power play.
Why he's here: He's just one of those guys who puts up points, no matter who's around him or the circumstance. He still doesn't get a lot of recognition, but opponents know he is one of the more feared forwards in the league with the puck.
19. Joe Pavelski, San Jose Sharks
12 of 30
By the numbers: Pavelski is coming off a career year in which he scored 41 goals and 79 points in 82 games with a plus-23, and he won 56 percent of his faceoffs.
Best attribute: Relentless energy, excellent shooter.
Why he's here: The Sharks may be Joey Pavs' team now. With Joe Thornton stripped of the captaincy and other Sharks such as Patrick Marleau nearing the end, Pavelski might be the real team leader moving forward. If so, the Sharks are still in good hands.
18. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
13 of 30
By the numbers: It was another solid regular season for Jumbo Joe, with 76 points in 82 games (only 11 goals, though) and another Sharks playoff berth. Then came the playoffs, where he was a minus-six in seven games and clearly outplayed by Anze Kopitar when it mattered.
Best attribute: Impossible to get the puck away from, brilliant lateral vision.
Why he's here: In the wake of the Sharks' shocking collapse after leading the Kings 3-0 in the first round and losing in seven, Thornton lost his captaincy and was forced to endure more shots at his "No-Show Joe" playoff reputation. Much of it is unfair, but so is life itself. And the critics had more real ammunition this time around.
However, he remains one of the most consistent point producers the game has ever seen (1,194 points in 1,207 games).
17. Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
14 of 30
By the numbers: The NHL's fourth-leading scorer last season with 37 goals and 84 points in 80 games. He's no dynamo defensively, but when he has the puck, look out.
Best attribute: Fast wheels, nose for the net, great vision.
Why he's here: The Boston Bruins thought Seguin was on the wrong track professionally and dealt him away to Dallas last summer. Think they might want a do-over? Yes, the B's got a good player in Reilly Smith and a talented veteran in Loui Eriksson. But as the late Canadiens GM Sam Pollock once said, "Whoever gets the best player in a trade wins." The Stars won the trade.
16. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
15 of 30
By the numbers: The second pick overall in the 2013 NHL draft, Barkov posted 24 points in 54 games for Florida before a knee injury curtailed his season.
Best attribute: Quick hands, good size and mobility.
Why he's here: I know I'll take my fair share of grief for picking him this high. But there's a reason this kid when No. 2 overall just last year, ahead of guys like Seth Jones and Jonathan Drouin. He's a dynamic offensive player who can dominate the puck down low with his size. I see a big breakout year for the young Finn.
15. Jason Spezza, Dallas Stars
16 of 30
By the numbers: Spezza posted 66 points (23 goals) in 75 games for the Senators before being traded to Dallas in the summer.
Best attribute: Good shot, good hands, good patience with puck.
Why he's here: Yes, I'm a little bit worried that there is kind of a mercenary feel to his move to Dallas after so many years in Ottawa. Will he really be motivated to want to turn the Dallas Stars around, despite years of being very well paid and comfortable as a Sen? We'll see, but I have a hunch he's going to have a rejuvenated type of year in Big D, just like Tyler Seguin before him.
14. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
17 of 30
By the numbers: In an injury-shortened campaign, Datsyuk still put up 37 points in 45 games last season for the Wings and five points in five playoff games.
Best attribute: Great stick-handling, great vision, great skating.
Why he's here: The injuries are starting to take a real toll. Datsyuk is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season with a separated shoulder. It seems to always be something new with the 36-year-old Russian. But when healthy, he still gives a major fright to any and all defenders. He's one of the greatest puck-handlers in league history and a very good defensive player.
13. Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche
18 of 30
By the numbers: Duchene, just 23 but already in his sixth season, posted 70 points in 71 games in 2013-14 and went to Sochi with Team Canada. He won a gold in Sochi, but a late-season knee injury limited him to only two postseason games, and his absence was sorely missed by Colorado.
Best attribute: Fast wheels, great stick-handling, hard wrist shot.
Why he's here: Few players in the league are as internally driven as Duchene, who transformed his body with a gluten-free diet before last season and gained even more quickness. He's not a defensive dynamo, which hurts at times. But when he has the puck, he's very often special with it. I expect 85 points this season from "Dutchy."
12. Ryan Johansen, Columbus Blue Jackets
19 of 30
By the numbers: Currently a holdout, Johansen scored 33 goals last year in helping lead the Blue Jackets to the playoffs for only the second time in team history.
Best attribute: Speed, accurate shot.
Why he's here: Assuming the kid signs before long, there's no reason to think he can't get to the next level of scoring—40 goals. He's a special talent, and say what you want about his contract demands, a lot of teams would gladly pay them.
11. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
20 of 30
By the numbers: MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy by near unanimous ballot with a 24-goal, 63-point, plus-20 season as an 18-year-old.
Best attribute: Blazing speed, fast hands.
Why he's here: Some people will think he's rated too low here, some too high. So this might be the right spot for now. However, if MacKinnon isn't in the top five in this kind of ranking list within the next couple of years, something will have gone wrong. He has as much pure talent of anyone in the game not named Sidney Crosby (who just happens to share the same hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia).
He still has to work on his defensive game and faceoffs. Once that happens, he's a potential Hart Trophy winner several times over.
10. Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
21 of 30
By the numbers: Sedin posted 11 goals and 50 points in 70 games for the Canucks.
Best attribute: Stick-handling, vision all over the ice.
Why he's here: OK, so his numbers slipped some last season. So did everybody else's in Vancouver. Playing on a line with brother Daniel and newcomer Radim Vrbata, things seem right again in Henrik's world. With his amazing talent still there, don't discount an 80-plus point season.
9. John Tavares, New York Islanders
22 of 30
By the numbers: Tavares posted 66 points in 59 games for the Islanders before his season was derailed by a knee injury at the Sochi Olympics with Team Canada.
Best attribute: Patience with puck, superb offensive instincts in all areas.
Why he's here: We all need to see how he responds from that awful knee injury in Sochi. He's looked OK in the preseason, but seasoned Isles watchers think he's still not 100 percent yet.
8. Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
23 of 30
By the numbers: Despite being snubbed by Canada for the Olympics, Giroux posted 86 points in 82 games—more than three of the four centers taken before him. He also won 52.9 percent of his faceoffs.
Best attribute: Excellent vision, clutch scorer, fast skater.
Why he's here: He is the leader of the Flyers, a player small in size but huge in every other area of the game. He battles to the death. Mark him down for another 80 points, at least.
7. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
24 of 30
By the numbers: Geno had 72 points in 60 games last season, which for him is average. He did post 14 points in 13 playoff games.
Best attribute: Skating, patience with the puck, creativity in small-space situations.
Why he's here: He's still arguably the game's best stick-handler in traffic, a player who is virtually impossible to knock off the puck. Yes, it has seemed as if he defaults into a "Let Sidney do it" mode at times, which leads to continual speculation that he might be better served leading his own team. But nobody in Pittsburgh wants that to happen. He's too much of an automatic point scorer.
6. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
25 of 30
By the numbers: He posted 30 goals and 62 points in 80 games for the Bruins with a plus-38. He is a Selke Trophy-winning forward as well.
Best attribute: Leadership in all situations, clutch offensively and defensively.
Why he's here: He is absolutely the leader of the Bruins now, a two-way pro who does all the fundamentals so well. Defensively, he's almost flawless, always in the right position. He has upped his offensive production in recent years, too, a clear sign of doing what is necessary on a top team.
5. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
26 of 30
By the numbers: He posted 87 points (31 goals) to rank second in scoring among all centers last season.
Best attribute: Strength around the net, but also a surprising soft touch with the puck in small spaces.
Why he's here: One of the best power forwards in the league, which makes the fact he plays at center all the more interesting. He's deadly around the net, especially when he can pass the puck to Corey Perry. With Ryan Kesler added to the Ducks, he has another dangerous option to pass to on the power play.
4. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
27 of 30
By the numbers: In an injury-shortened season that kept him from going to Sochi for the Olympics, Stamkos posted 40 points (25 goals) in 37 games before returning for the playoffs.
Best attribute: Deadly shot, especially on one-timers around the perimeter.
Why he's here: There is no better pure goal scorer in the game. He's the closest thing the NHL has had since Mike Bossy or Phil Esposito—just pure snipers who pile up the goals.
3. Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
28 of 30
By the numbers: Toews posted 68 points in 76 games, then had a great playoff with nine goals and 17 points in 19 games. His shooting percentage in the playoffs: 27.3.
Best attribute: Leadership abilities, crafty around the net, strong on puck in all areas.
Why he's here: Because, until someone can come along and score all the big goals Toews does, which lead the Blackhawks to big victories most of the time, and until someone can show the kind of grit and passion to go along with all that skill night after night, Toews will remain entrenched as one of the game's greats.
2. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
29 of 30
By the numbers: Crosby won the Art Ross Trophy, along with the Hart Trophy, with a 104-point season in 80 games.
Best attribute: Fast wheels, great shot, great offensive instincts.
Why he's here: If not for that wrist injury that only came to light after the playoffs, we would have seen Sid at his best in the postseason following a tremendous regular season. Crosby still carries the most gravitas with him everywhere he goes, and the numbers show he's still a major force in this league.
1. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
30 of 30
By the numbers: He posted 70 points in 82 games, then put up 26 points in 26 playoff games.
Best attribute: Very strong on the puck along the boards and in front of the net, great passer.
Why he's here: This is the best two-way center in the game. He gets the nod over Crosby because he can play effectively defensively in so many other situations, especially behind the net and in the corners. He gets the nod over Toews because he's just so big and strong down low with the puck.
He is the closest thing the league has had to Peter Forsberg since he left. He's a big, fancy, playmaking power forward. Oh yeah, and he's got two Stanley Cup rings from the last three seasons.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
