Outside of the point and who most of the top centers in scoring this year are big guys. Crosby is one of the shortest centers and hes a tank. The best skating centers like McDavid, eichel, and MacKinnon are all 6 foot plus and 200+ pounds. I see very few 5'10" 170-180 pound impact centers in the nhl.
Nope, not in a perspective where you can argue that someone like Dach being 6'4 statistically should benefit from being 6'4 (and growing?). But it can certainly be that you are right that centers shouldn't be 5'10 170 lbs either, but in relation to Dach:
Centers as big or bigger than Dach (6'4 or taller):
Centers smaller than Dach (6'3 or smaller):
And of course those numbers alone aren't conclusive, although its noteworthy that like -- no -- 6'4 or bigger center have made the league in ages, its of course possible to argue that a big part of the population is smaller than 6'4 and what not. And the center/winger selection is NHL's and of course crappy (is Kevin Hayes listed as a winger at them?).
But it was interesting, I was looking through Button's older affiliated prospect ranking. And of course he is a hack and what not -- his rankings can be questioned. But since its still reflective of some kind of rough consensus its still interesting to note that on almost all instances where the rankings are obviously clearly wrong, its bigger forwards ranked above smaller forwards. Its guys like Brayden Point, Barzal and Debrincat listed very late a very short period of time before destorying the NHL, and every year its a whole bunch of higher touted higher drafted players with size that are ranked above them, mostly.
Everyone are entitled to their opinion. But if you compare Dach's functional skating at 6'4 with guys like Point, Barzal and Debrincat and the likes -- there is a significant difference between them. Believe me, its going to show when Dach hits the ice in the NHL. Someone like say Turcotte would show blazing speed, for someone like Dach its -- at least initially -- going to be hard to keep up (just look at how Nolan Patrick often disappears from games, NP is smaller than Dach and a pretty great skater for someone his size).
With that said, there are many ways to succeed in this league, there are no blue-print that fits everyone. Think Dach reminds me a lot of Jeff Carter, that is someone that has had a lot of success in LA, although I think he would have had a tougher time in the game of today, it has changed quit rapidly the last years. Anyway, if a Anders Lee type can score 40, who am I to say that Kirby Dach can't do well? And is there some kind of rule that makes it impossible for Dach to do in the NHL what Mark Schleife has done? Nope. But I definitely think that its relevant to consider skating as a factor for Dach.
