They need centers, they traded Schnarr and Gauthier is injured. Those losses exacerbated a major weakness they started the season with.
I don’t believe De Leo even played center with the Gulls. Flynn is C/W too, and he’s certainly not a two-way center (and looking his age). Schmelzer works hard but he’s more a bottom six center (and has been dealing with injuries).
They aren’t overflowing with PPQ either so Walsh being out doesn’t help.
If you recall, I was harping for centers for the entire preseason and into the 1st half ot the year before I just quit. I said all along they were weak in the middle. Real good wingers fall off the track in tough contests when paired with weak centers that can't make plays. Schmelzer, Talvitie, Flynn, Schnarr, and Gauthier, when he arrived, were all bottom 6 centers.
You left Boqvist out of your first sentence.
Boqvist went up and never looked back.
Schnarr was traded for garbage. Even with the weakness they had down the middle, Schnarr basically spent his time here as the #4 center and eventually moved into the #3 spot, and did get a few top 6 games, but was demoted because he didn't do well with them. Instead Deleo started getting games in the middle and when it became clear there was no other solution that could work between the top guys, he stayed there.
A top Calder Cup contender does not ice a #1 wing at center because none of the others can skate with the best, and then a should be #4 Schmelzer, #4 Talvitie, another should be #4 Flynn, #3/4 Schnarr until traded, and finally an ideal #3 Gauthier forced to play #2 until he went down with an injury. All proved to be nothing more than water treaders or less when asked to play above their skill/talent levels. Gauthier at #2 was the exception, but obviously not a real #2. Greer was his lifesaver. The 2 worked like a machine with rebuilt parts and their PK pairing became unplanned offense.
With this less than favorable group in the middle the team sunk to a consistent .500 team in the final 3 months. They actually backed into both the Division and Conference Titles while other teams lost to keep them on top. At last, when Gauthier left the mix, the center position finally deteriorated into the mess they have now.
All the Devils posters told me early on to "give it up. The Comets have good centers for the AHL." Apparently most were not actually acquainted with the AHL. The centers were adequate early on and then at half season the skid began and it has never stopped culminating with the weak shit show we now see in the current playoffs.
They tried Thompson early on and then later when he returned and that wasn't a good move. This lack of quality players in the middle has really hurt the production of kids the Devils have considered very good prospects. We see that come to a head in the playoffs. Other than Z, none of the kids have done dick squat. They haven't even looked mediocre. The poor forward play has left more work for the rookie keepers and D-men to handle and their burden has been too heavy to carry on their own in spite of giving a strong effort.
