Ian Esplen: My top-5 Third line centres

Good blog

NYI soon-to-be 3rd line center - Frans Nielsen. Sooner or later Brock Nelson will play 3rd line center and move up to 2nd line center...Frans is one of the most under-rated defensive forwards whostill puts up 30-45 points and has the best shootout percentage! That back is amazing!!

Ian Esplen: My top-5 Third line centres
- IanEsplen

I think come February ROR will be a Flame...

Can we get a list of who you have as 3rd line Cs? Curious to see the pool of players your picking from.

I definitely think Patrik Berglund should be on that list above someone like Darren Helm.

As of right now, O'Reilly is a first line left winger, he is getting moved there to start the season. MacKinnon is our 3rd line center for the momemnt

I think come February ROR will be a Flame...
- whipper334

And what do you think the Flames will be giving up for something like that?

Oh yeah? Well the Preds have 8 third line centers on their roster...TOP THAT!

Love Esplen snubbing Bolland because his Sedins continually are victimized by Bolland

Pretty bad when you leave the only 3C in the league with two stanley cup rings off the list

Its no surprise to see your bias, just like heading into the playoffs you had the Canucks with high cup odds than the Hawks

As of right now, O'Reilly is a first line left winger, he is getting moved there to start the season. MacKinnon is our 3rd line center for the momemnt
- DDM-Coga

Would be very dumb to start a very high ceiling offensive rookie center as a defensively responsible 3C role to start the season. Could really stunt his development in the NHL and hurt his confidence.

He needs to be your 2C and Stastny needs to be the new 3C, regardless of how overpaid he is

ROR is supposed to move to the wing on the 2nd line so Mackinnon can centre the 3rd. Someone affiliated with COL said that on oiler now a week or two ago.

Love Esplen snubbing Bolland because his Sedins continually are victimized by Bolland

Pretty bad when you leave the only 3C in the league with two stanley cup rings off the list

Its no surprise to see your bias, just like heading into the playoffs you had the Canucks with high cup odds than the Hawks
- FourFeathers773

Bolland is not that good. He was pretty average playing with top players.

I'm pretty sure Martin Hanzal isn't a 3rd line centre, given that he had the most even-strength and power play ice time of any centre on the team, and also led all centres in scoring in spite of missing almost 1/4 of the season.

Would be very dumb to start a very high ceiling offensive rookie center as a defensively responsible 3C role to start the season. Could really stunt his development in the NHL and hurt his confidence.

He needs to be your 2C and Stastny needs to be the new 3C, regardless of how overpaid he is
- FourFeathers773

Roy said to start the season his projected line up before training camp starts is

O'Reilly Duchene Parenteau
Landeskog Stastny Tanguay
McGinn MacKinnon Downie

Its not like Mac will be playing with scrubs, I think its a good way for him to get used to playing in the NHL, getting used to the speed of the game, and he will have McGinn and Downie watching his back and getting into the tough areas.

And what do you think the Flames will be giving up for something like that?
- AvsFanYeaa

I doubt Flames get him, but his price wouldn't be as high as Avs fans would like IMO. I think most GM's would look at him as a rental, because no one is going to offer the 6.5 million per year it would take to make him a RFA instead of UFA.

Sounds like you know a lot about the Eastern Conference!! NOT

None of the five are from the Eastern Conference. Wow, huge shocker!

And what do you think the Flames will be giving up for something like that?
- AvsFanYeaa

It would probably start with Gio...after that no idea.

Bolland is not that good. He was pretty average playing with top players.
- TheNugeIsHuge

He has also had a slew of injuries the past few years ever since trying to play on the second line. He is no doubt best suited for the 3rd line, but he has had a myriad of head, ankle, and back issues the past 2 years when they have tried to put him as 2C

Im just saying, if Esplen can put Helm (when healthy) on here, then Bolland being snubbed out of the top 5 is stupid

Zach Smith ..... best in the league by far .....

In fact vancity should make a trade for him ... straight up for Edler

I love ROR but I think he is going to be shipped out fairly soon. Unless he is phenomenal on duchenes wing in which we could resign him and just play him as a winger permanently, while giving us the flexibility to really juggle lines with all the centres we have. Statsny is going to be moved at the deadline unless the avs are a playoff team at that point. If I am Greg Sherman I look to Buffalo and try and trade one of the aforementioned centres for Vanek. O'Rielly would obviously be the preferred option seeing as he's younger and has higher value than stazz. Whichever centre doesnt get moved for a winger, has to be traded for a top 2 dman.

Give Mika Zibanejad a couple seasons behind Spezza & Turris in Ottawa, he'll be on this list.

It would probably start with Gio...after that no idea.
- whipper334

I dont think they want to get rid of O'Reilly now, Roy and Sakic have been pretty vocal about him since they have taken over, see him playing with Duchene like how Forsberg and Sakic used to play together in key situations.

Stastny is going to get shipped out for sure, his numbers are going to improve this season with actually good linemates, watch him get shipped off to the Sabres or even Columbus who have an excess of dmen.

Zach Smith ..... best in the league by far .....

In fact vancity should make a trade for him ... straight up for Edler
- GadesnSens

I didn't realize that Credit Union's could make trades on behalf of the Canuck's organization?