OK Sheldon. You must be a joy at parties. If you ever got invited to one that is.

- MBFlyerfan

Probably not your kind of parties. I doubt I would be a joy there.

You can do better than this but his point is correct. You repeatedly claim that Couturier is an average 1C in a veiled attempt to downplay Couturier as a player. Apparently not realizing that being an average 1C makes a player a really, really good player.
- MJL

Annnnnnnnd flyers have been really really good for last 3 years right? You per usual don’t understand average at 1c doesn’t cut it. I get it. You don’t watch hockey. You watch and defend and make excuses for flyers. Surely almost all the outside publications and “experts” for it wrong. Philly is an average slow not skilled enough team. Coots does have value because he’s good defensively. That’s why you move that asset. I pray he gets traded.

Well, Price played well yesterday. The <.92 is an artefact of how few shots Vegas took.

That series blows.
- PT21

Hey swami don’t care how many shots. If price .920 above that game habs up 3-1 😂

Annnnnnnnd flyers have been really really good for last 3 years right? You per usual don’t understand average at 1c doesn’t cut it. I get it. You don’t watch hockey. You watch and defend and make excuses for flyers. Surely almost all the outside publications and “experts” for it wrong. Philly is an average slow not skilled enough team. Coots does have value because he’s good defensively. That’s why you move that asset. I pray he gets traded.
- Stayin alive

if there are 10 good #1C, i guess only those teams can win the cup? How do you supposed we get one....all in for Eichel? Or is he not elite? I think mckinnon is elite, and has a great supporting cast, but they got bounced early. I think Syd is elite, bounced early, matthews...mcdavid??

Its not "my argument". It is the conventional one.

The designation 1c is usually an informal one, and it usually implies the line with the most scoring potential, and the center on it is not the same by definition as the center who has the most mins 5 on 5 (though usually the two will be the same).

Examples abound, honestly.

Your argument is not with me. It is with all the sites who mention Schenn as the 1c in that playoffs and the conventional usage of that term. This year, Nelson has played more 5-on-5 than Barzal. Barzal is listed as 1c.
- PT21

This is incorrect on many levels. It is not a informal designation. Nor is your argument the conventional one. The designation is normally give to the team's top center and not due to who the coach decides to play a center with. Now to be fair the way I like to look at it is at what level the player plays at. There have been some teams that don't have a center that plays at a 1C level. There are teams that have two 1c's. For example, if Malkin doesn't play on what is considered the Pens top line, does that mean that Malkin is not a 1C? Of course not. So your premise doesn't pass the test. It fails miserably. In the anecdotal evidence you provided, articles are calling a line the top line based on all 3 forwards and not based on strictly who the center is.
The 1C on the team is typically the team's best center and the center that gets the most ice time. That is the true conventional argument

As far as your example of the Islanders. The discrepancy in ice time between Barzal and Nelson in ice time per game is 25 seconds. In the case of the Blues, the year they won the Cup, the difference in ice time between O'Reilly and Schenn was about 2:20. One difference is significant, the other is not.

Let me know when you figure out that the post that you replied to, is not commenting on wanting to move him. It is commenting on the level of player that Couturier is.

Speaking of comprehension, each team has 4 centers in the lineup. If we stipulate that Couturier is an "average" 1C, that would rank him around 15th in the league among centers. 15th out of over 120 players in the league. So how is it that Couturier is average at the center position? If need be, I'll supply the math for you. This is keeping at it, my man
- MJL

Slot the players… would you rather have coots as an average1c or great top 3 2c?

Do you get the point.

No one is knocking coots. But accepting average at g 1c top d pair you aren’t going far. Yes you can once in a blue moon catch lightning in a bottle. No one want to try to use that as a plan.

You keep defending coots as top center in league or saying even if he’s average it’s good enough. Well look at the last 25 years and see how many average 1c cup winners. 2 maybe. 3? Exactly

I believe Schenn played 1c between Schwartz and Tarasenko throughout the 2019 playoffs. Maybe I misremember and you can correct me.

The problem with dismissing external opinions is that too often the dismissal is a prelude to offering one's alternative one.

When things are kinda ambiguous, one's opinion might be as good as another. But when there is a mass of external opinion, as well as stats. that all lean the same way, and you go against it simply because nothing in life is infallible, well, then, you are teetering on the edge of Trump supporter land.
- PT21

He did. Oreilly had more minutes because he plays heavily in defensive situations. He does occasionally play top line role tho.

I just checked. Schenn was indeed the 1C.

https://www.stanleycupofc...Vaw3N2ex7C5NqX-WKH4aQVL5o

https://www.nbcsports.com...gs-bruins-vs-blues-game-1

https://www.nbcsports.com...irings-stanley-cup-finale

https://www.bostonherald....the-stanley-cup-playoffs/

https://www.cbssports.com...een-the-bruins-and-blues/

Every single one of the links above explicitly mention Schenn as the 1c.

I am happy to clear this up for you this time, and I can sense how grateful you must be, but please understand that my time is not free, and future elementary corrections will understandably entail prior proof of payment to Doctors without Borders or posted medical record of a recent mental health exam, or else will be regretfully ignored.
- PT21

He doesn’t watch nhl. Just flyers. That’s why he can’t comprehend what speed and skill mean at 1c. He’s clueless. A basic conservative longing for 1950 and binders full of women. Have to excuse mjl

He doesn’t watch nhl. Just flyers. That’s why he can’t comprehend what speed and skill mean at 1c. He’s clueless. A basic conservative longing for 1950 and binders full of women. Have to excuse mjl
- Stayin alive

why cant you just have a discussion instead of resorting to insults all the time?

It is extremely uncommon for a checking center to play more that a 1C over the course of a 23 game playoff sample. Now you're implying that O'Reilly is a checking center rather than the 1C that he is. The value of having a 1C like O'Reilly and Couturier is that they can play as 1C's and matchup against other teams top lines. Digging a deeper hole. Now by all means, if you can supply the statistical data that shows that it's not uncommon for a checking center to play more than a 1C in a significant sample of games, I'd be glad to take a look at that.
- MJL

Lmao digging a deeper whole? How many cups they got? Give me the speedy skilled 1c over your coots/oreilly everyday of the week to play 1c role

Shows what everyone knows. Couturier is a monster at ES. If he ever is able to put up points on the PP consistently, he'd shoot right up that list on NHL.com.

I'm not sure why they waste time playing the games in the playoffs. Why don't they just go with who NHL.com predicts to win the Cup?
- MJL

That’s the point John… “if he ever puts up the points”. He’s been in the league 10 (frank)ing years. He’s not fast. He’s at best slightly better than average offensive skill. He’s got 2 70+ point seasons. He’s not shooting up any list. Not nhl networks. Not tan’s not the hockey news. The only list he’s soaring on is hb mjl list.

so Couts is an Average 1C for points, and top 5 defensively. So overall grade above average 1C
- bradster

For your stated reasons:
Average 1c
Great 2c

For your stated reasons:
Average 1c
Great 2c
- Stayin alive

fanstasic 3c

fanstasic 3c
- bradster

Hall of Famer as a 4C.

id like to see a team of mcdavids vs a team of couts, and see what would happen

id like to see a team of mcdavids vs a team of couts, and see what would happen
- bradster

I think Couts would be the better goaltender.

I think Couts would be the better goaltender.
- MJL

we'll give them goalies. They both get JArry

I also wish G and Jake could score goals like Couts. Couts isnt the problem, him not having a 30 goal scorer on his line is the problem

I also wish G and Jake could score goals like Couts. Couts isnt the problem, him not having a 30 goal scorer on his line is the problem
- bradster

Maybe he'll play with Farabee at some point. He has 30 goal potential as does Travis Konecny.

if there are 10 good #1C, i guess only those teams can win the cup? How do you supposed we get one....all in for Eichel? Or is he not elite? I think mckinnon is elite, and has a great supporting cast, but they got bounced early. I think Syd is elite, bounced early, matthews...mcdavid??
- bradster

Look at the last 25 cup winners and their 1c.
The first step is solving a problem? Admit you have a problem. We have a problem at 1c. Your odds of winning a cup go through the roof with a legit 1c the debate over how to get one is the big question. Trade assets? Tank? Draft in middle rounds or later and hope? Personally I think there’s too much young skill on team to tank. They’d still win too much. Do we try free agency? Who’s available? These all the golden questions. As far as eichel is concerned I’ve seen him a lot as I live in Buffalo area. Skill wise if healthy he’s top 5 center. Buffalo pp stats alone bear that. #1 pp with him #22 without. At least last i checked maybe worse than 22 without him. Injury is a question but no talk of career threatening that I’ve seen reported. Who else is available? Trade or Fa? All questions.


Just for thought…. What do you give up for eichel? What do you lose?

What do you get for coots?

How does it offset what given up for eichel?

Maybe he'll play with Farabee at some point. He has 30 goal potential as does Travis Konecny.
- MJL

i used to think that about TK. We'll see, im not sold anymore. Bee does and Im excited about Forester and Allison

Look at the last 25 cup winners and their 1c.
The first step is solving a problem? Admit you have a problem. We have a problem at 1c. Your odds of winning a cup go through the roof with a legit 1c the debate over how to get one is the big question. Trade assets? Tank? Draft in middle rounds or later and hope? Personally I think there’s too much young skill on team to tank. They’d still win too much. Do we try free agency? Who’s available? These all the golden questions. As far as eichel is concerned I’ve seen him a lot as I live in Buffalo area. Skill wise if healthy he’s top 5 center. Buffalo pp stats alone bear that. #1 pp with him #22 without. At least last i checked maybe worse than 22 without him. Injury is a question but no talk of career threatening that I’ve seen reported. Who else is available? Trade or Fa? All questions.


Just for thought…. What do you give up for eichel? What do you lose?

What do you get for coots?

How does it offset what given up for eichel?
- Stayin alive

ID do Couts and TK and a 2ndfor Eichel. ....does that work?

why cant you just have a discussion instead of resorting to insults all the time?
- bradster

I don’t resort to insults? I’m a conservative longing for 1950 and would love binders full of women😂

i used to think that about TK. We'll see, im not sold anymore. Bee does and Im excited about Forester and Allison
- bradster

He had 3 straight 24 goal seasons before a down year last year. Everybody pretty much had a down year. I expect a bounce back.

fanstasic 3c
- bradster

Can’t pay 3c what coots m
Will be making. 😂 unless your tb circumventing the cap