Top 10 Centers?
by Natesaduck on Jul 25, 2010 1:10 AM PDT
14 comments
Just saw this list of top 10 centers in the NHL. Now, I know I can be a homer sometimes, but I really try to look past my love for this team and take on an objective point of view. But seeing that this is an interactive site, I'd like to get your opinions as well. That's why I made this poll for everyone.
First, I'd like to know if you agree with the list. If you don't, say why in the comments. Secondly, for those of you who don't agree with the list, I'd like to know if you think Jonathan Toews is better than Ryan Getzlaf. To me, this is the biggest issue I had with the list. Not only do I disagree with Dater's rating the Chicago captain higher than Getzlaf, I disagree that he's THAT much better. Having Toews at 4 and Getzlaf at 10 just baffles me.
So What's your take on the list? And what's your list of the top 10 centers in the NHL?
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It’s called “East Coast Bias” and hockey media wears it proudly because they don’t realize it’s actually an STD.
I’m not the smartest guy in the world. I don’t read books or know how "getting pregnant" works. I can’t promise nights filled with intellectual conversation, but if we’re walking past a chain-link fence, you can rest assured that I’m going to try and chew a hole through it.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. After reading the FanPost but before getting to the comments, I thought to myself “it’s because they see Toews and East Coasters more often.” It’s as simple as that. You rate what you are more familiar with higher than those that you are less familiar with. Hockey people living on the East Coast don’t want to stay up til 10pm or 10:30pm for a game to start… I mean… Come on… It would be way to much to ask for these hockey writers that cover the sport to actually stay up late and watch games. After all, their games start at around 7pm their time. That’d be like… Oh my gosh… 6 hours of hockey if you were to watch two games in one night. Holy cow. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!
Anyways, Getzy is better than Toews in my opinion. He’s stronger on the puck, more dominant along the boards, stronger closer to the net, and utilizes his linemates as well as Toews if not better. The only thing hindering Getzy is that he’d rather pass than take the shot. And even with that, he still puts up more PPG than Toews.
Just my two cents. :)
They play in different systems
So I’m not going to immediately give anything to one or the other. Generally, though, on any list of Top centers, Getzlaf should be wherever Mike Richards is, as no rubric preferring one can omit the other unless heavy east coast bias is involved. So, on that list, adjusting for bias, Getzlaf should be as high as Richards, even if that means moving them both south of Malkin.
Statistically, Toews plays on the better team, and so he has the better Corsi relative to quality of competition. No center has a better Corsi relative to quality of teammates than Getzlaf, though— playing in front of Wisniewski and Eminger will do that. They’re also wildly different players. Getzlaf takes penalties while Toews draws them (along with giant concussion causing head checks). Toews plays on a team where they made him the man at a young age. Getzlaf has had, so far, the benefit of veterans. Head to head, on the ice, it’s a prime heavyweight and a prime welterweight, so I’d have to see the rubric before calling out the people who made the list.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jul 25, 2010 11:54 AM PDT reply actions
Toews is the better two way forward hands down, but Getzlaf has the agitator aspect of his game that Toews doesn’t and is way more physical, it’s hard to compare the two. Overall i’d give it to Toews though, his leadership qualities push him ahead by a nose.
As I noted above, Corsi relative to quality of teammates goes to Getzlaf across the NHL, not just against Toews, so it’s hard to automatically give Toews the better two way forward scores based on last season. Toews is better on the draw, and thus more trusted starting in his own zone, but without adjusting for zone starts (which I haven’t looked at), it’s hard to give it “hands down” to Toews.
Full disclosure: I’m a Gophers fan and Toews IS a NoDak piece of garbage to me, but I don’t think that makes me biased. heh heh.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jul 25, 2010 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions
Toews is way better two way player than Getzlaf is.Toews won the award for best forward at the Olympics and I really think he will rack up the pionts this year that is needed with loss of Big Buff, Versteeg, and Ladd. The real odd one on this list is Mikko Koivu.
I think Mikko is a better two way player than Toews. But that doesn’t matter. The list was the top 10 centers, not two way players. In my most objective point of view, Getzlaf is the better overall player and it’s not even close.
There's nothing to see here. And nothing gazes back at me.
tough to put him in as “not even close” best overall when he’s not a great faceoff man, rarely trusted for defensive draws by his coach. If we’re talking best centers, being a faceoff liability is a huge minus. I can’t imagine a rubric for centers that just completely ignores how well they do on the dot.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jul 25, 2010 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions
this is closer than either side thinks unless you’re filtering the weaknesses of one player or the other out of the evaluation.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jul 25, 2010 5:45 PM PDT up reply actions
Sure, he’s got an obvious gaping hole in losing draws. But I still think as an overall player Getzlaf is that much better. And by no means is he a liability in his own end. Just my take
There's nothing to see here. And nothing gazes back at me.
if your coach won’t put you out to take a defensive draw, he’s classifying you as a liability on a defensive draw, which is what I meant by liability in his own end. Center is a two-way position, so there’s nothing wrong with pointing out that his coach doesn’t have as much faith in him starting in the defensive zone.
Toews probably couldn’t bang in a physical system, but he doesn’t play in one, so it doesn’t matter. But winning draws is important in every system, so it’s a huge minus for Getzlaf to not be reliable in that respect. They’re different, but neither is head and shoulders above the other. Hard to compare them, though. If this was a Richards/Getzlaf discussion, it would be much easier.
by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jul 25, 2010 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Crosby is justifyably a top-10 NHL center, but #1 no way. Getzlaf, Datsyuk, H.Sedin and Teows are easily above him. If Crosby and Getzlaf traded teams everybody would realize the reality here. Or, just look at the performance of the 2010 Canadian Olympic team and who firmly established themselves as the #3 center on that team – it wasn’t Teows or Getzlaf.
According to one commenter, Getz is better that Crosby, but not Toews.
We need more Boyntons.
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