He was sent to juniors to develop as a center. He can be put at wing to develop as an NHL player. It’s a huge step up from playing vs children to playing vs men at the AHL level, it’s a massive difference at the NHL level. Letting him concentrate on learning how to deal with that speed and physicality for a period of time, until he can prove he’s ready for the league, THEN adding in the complexity of playing center, isn’t going to break him, or make him forget how to play center.
There’s also the question of which actually established NHL center do you move to the wing so the completely unproven kid can play there.
Zegras had only
7 games at center at the NHL level in 2020-21. Was that small sample enough to say Zegras was proven to play center for the following season? With such a small sample, Zegras would be considered an unproven kid going into the 2021-22 season. The gamble paid off this past season. Aside from vision, Zegras still isn't an "established NHL center" b/c he has to develop a lot of other center responsibilities. About
80% of Zegras' zone starts were in the offensive zone last year. Is Zegras only an elite offensive pony?
McTavish is probably a more complete center than Zegras, but Zegras' elite vision allows him to score very easily. I'd prefer to continue Zegras' development at center and move Strome to wing. Strome can actually win puck battles as well as be able to score a lot more goals playing with Zegras. If Zegras does move to wing, I'd still want Strome at Zegras' hip. Strome is a heavy with scoring touch that Zegras was missing last year.
If we start with Strome at center, then I don't think McTavish gets to see playing center and staying there this season. There's a different mentality if we start with Strome at center vs McTavish. We would lose a year of center development. That was the reason why the org sent McTavish down last year.
1C: Strome (2-way play)
2C: Zegras (will it be another 80% OZ start)
3C: Lundy (2-way play)
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==== Double Standard with Zegras ====
Zegras
2020-21 (44 games vs men)
NHL games at wing: 17
NHL games at center: 7
AHL games at wing: 8
AHL games at center: 9 + 3 playoff games
Anaheim was able to take the scenic route with Zegras b/c the AHL avenue was available. Zegras hasn't played against in a men's league before.
McTavish 2021-22 (34 games vs men)
NL-B games at center: 3-7
NL-B games at wing: 6-10 + 4 playoff games
NHL games at wing: 9
AHL games at center: 3
Olympic games at wing: 5
@Hinterland shared that McTavish started off at center in the NL-B and then he got moved to wing with fellow NA players, iirc. McTavish thrived playing against men once he acclimated, albeit at wing.
McTavish got his introduction to playing against men when he turned 18 at the NL-B. He also got his introduction into the NHL and AHL last year. Got reintroduced to playing against men in the Olympics, where he struggled as a winger.
McTavish has had a whole season in the OHL to prepare to get ready to joining the NHL ranks again. The Olympics gave him a reminder in the middle of the OHL season of how much more he needs to prepare for the NHL. Unlike Zegras, McTavish can adapt to the physicality faster than Zegras. The speed isn't as steep to adapt. The problem with McTavish is his endurance/stamina in the NHL. He looked fatigued at times in the NHL. But McTavish's development was also interrupted by injuries twice, one during pre-season and one during the season.
The Ducks went into last season, a developmental season, with three young centers in 2C Zegras, 3C Lundy, and 4C Groulx. Groulx didn't last that long and was sent back down to the AHL. We find ourselves again in a developmental season. If we gambled on Zegras, then why not on McTavish? McTavish had a NHL-body last year and it's a year later now. I didn't see anyone opposed to Zegras starting out as our 2C last year at all.
