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*all rankings listed are amongst North American centers. Will cover International in next blog. I stopped at Calum Ritchie (predicted to go 13th) and skipped the top 2 picks. This list goes from “long shot to very attainable… IMO. Let me know your thoughts.
I’m going off of ESPN for Center rankings. I’m obviously going to start after the predicted first and second overall and list out some candidates. What I really want to see is how and/or who you all see as the best fit (if available) at 9 and 18.
There’s little doubt that many of you agree that there is a need for a “stud center… in the pipeline. I feel like Detroit has a good group to work on this. Centers and defensemen work a lot together and Yzerman and Lidstrom aren’t too bad to have brainstorming. Zetterberg has been doing some more communication with the Red Wings and he was certainly someone who (in his prime) worked his way up the depth chart. Datsyuk is still my favorite Detroit center in the “modern… era (though he was around for the 2002 cup). He was just such a treat to watch. Unfortunately, he’s not necessarily a player you can “replicate…. His skill set and work ethic and just all out strength and creativity were highlights for a long time.
That being said, we have hall of fame players and now a GM who has recently built a contender (who happens to be both a hall of fame player and GM). I feel that there is a heavy amount of European scouting, but there is a purpose there. I’ve said before that European clubs give young players a chance to play with former NHL talent and more experienced talent. Even though the ice dimensions change the game, it’s an opportunity that I wish was more prevalent in North America. We have “exemption status… for the major junior level, but what about the ECHL? Finding a way to let young players who absolutely dominate to get a chance to play in that league if appropriate. That’s probably a debate best left for another day. So, here is the list of some of the top centers available (again, after first and second overall) per ESPN.
Will Smith is a player I talked a little bit about a few days ago.
Gabe Perrault’s highlight reel was filled with assists to Will Smith. Will is ranked as high as 3rd and no lower than 9th so this would be a stretch at best. Will is 6’ and a right shot center with 51 goals and 76 assist (127 points) in 60 games for the US U18 team as well as 9 goals and 11 assists in 7 games at the WJC. I can’t see Will falling to 9, so this is a bit “pie in the sky….