we haven't seen him at NHL center at all so projecting him low is fair imo. don't get me wrong, i love the kid but throwing him into mcdavid/draisaitl matchups right now is development suicide
give him cake matchups at 3C, let him see what being an NHL center is all about for a few months and see what you got at the break. maybe use him as a stacking tool on wing in the way the oilers sometimes load up mcdavid with draisaitl. i think people too casually bump danault down to the 3rd line too, he's incredibly valuable as that 2C stopper, you're not maximizing his utility when you play him in depth. there's consequences to just writing QB in as 1C. have to remember too, this is an NHL coach we're talking about, he's not playing kopitar on the 3rd line..
all that said, this shouldn't even be a conversation because blake f***ed the PLD football. right now, we SHOULD HAVE already known what QB AND turc are at NHL center but as with everything else, that can was kicked down the road and here we are at the can again
can't play the kids, its preseason and we have to establish the roster
can't play the kids, its early in the season and they're not ready, have to set the tone
can't play the kids, we're getting buried right now, need the vets to steady the ship before we let them loose
cant play the kids, too many injuries, they'll be exposed higher in the lineup
can't play the kids, these games are meaningful now, we need every point
can't play the kids, literally every point counts, these are essentially playoff games
can't play the kids, it's the playoffs and they're not ready
maybe next year