As I remember, his full potential was an elite 1C. Like upside was a top 10-15 center in the league who was good at everything except skating. Is that really the case? Or does he just look capable of holding his own as a first line center?
He's absolutely an elite 1C. I thought before the season he'd end up being a top 20 C; now, I'm thinking top 15. (He's currently 6th in P/G among players listed as centers, so saying he'll end up top 15 is taking into account some regression.)
He was on the borderline last season, IMO, but he was on a horrific offensive team so his numbers didn't show it.
He's still not an amazing skater, but despite prior comments, he's very solid defensively. (It's easy to see if you watch him regularly, but for those who want numbers: he plays on a line with Ovi and they're doing really well 5v5, so who do you think is playing defense on that line?)
