Examples Needed: Played Draft Year as Winger - Ended Up NHL Center

[rt]

Sam Cosentino was on NHL Draft Class Podcast saying that he feels Tij Iginla will move to Center in Kelowna next season and will be an NHL center. Many seem to think that Leo Carlsson will be an NHL center despite playing winger his entire draft season.

I’m wondering what examples we can find of kids playing winger their whole draft year but ending up centers full time eventually. Who can we come up with?

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[landy92mack29]

He played about half Center, half wing his draft year but PLD moved to C full-time after his draft year

 

[starsfan86]

Jamie Benn. Although he’s back to LW recently

 

[Jormungandr]

Cutter Gauthier has a shot I guess.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

Patrik Laine played center a bit with CBJ.

I would definitely try Ryan Leonard at center.

 

[Kevin Musto]

hockeyprospects.com and NHL central scouting also project Iginla as a center

I think he's going top 5 on draft night

 

[viceroy]

I know this won't register for much for non-Habs fans but Florian Xhekaj played his D-year in the OHL as a Wing but has blown up as a C since then. He did play as a Centre before juniors.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

You could play center, sure, but I think you have to think about if your maximizing the player and the players around him that way.

 

[ThorNton Apologist]

Hertl started on Jumbos wing before eventually moving to center

 

[Hinterland]

I think it's very uncommon for North American prospects but not all that uncommon for Europeans drafted out of Europe's pro leagues. Prospect development isn't the primary goal of European pro teams and they're tough to crack so many prospects have to move to the wing. Simon Zether is a good example this year. Very much a Centerman and projected to play C in the NHL as well but played Wing for SHL Rögle this season.

Regarding Iginla I'm sceptical. I'm sure there have been cases of Wingers getting moved to C after their draft season but they're rare. Kelowna had everything but a Center logjam last season. Still Mallette opted to keep Iginla on the Wing all season long. So unless you think that Mallette is a grade a moron Iginla probably just doesn't project to be a Center. I like Iginla as a prospect but I gotta say I have my doubts as well.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Elias Petterson

Leo Carlsson

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Cutter Gauthier has a shot I guess.

Gauthier played plenty of center his draft year and the year prior.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Kuznetsov.

 

[rt]

Cutter Gauthier has a shot I guess.

Played a quite a bit of C in his draft year.

I think it's very uncommon for North American prospects but not all that uncommon for Europeans drafted out of Europe's pro leagues. Prospect development isn't the primary goal of European pro teams and they're tough to crack so many prospects have to move to the wing. Simon Zether is a good example this year. Very much a Centerman and projected to play C in the NHL as well but played Wing for SHL Rögle this season.

Regarding Iginla I'm sceptical. I'm sure there have been cases of Wingers getting moved to C after their draft season but they're rare. Kelowna had everything but a Center logjam last season. Still Mallette opted to keep Iginla on the Wing all season long. So unless you think that Mallette is a grade a moron Iginla probably just doesn't project to be a Center. I like Iginla as a prospect but I gotta say I have my doubts as well.

Cosentino said that Iginla and Mallette agreed to the switch prior to the season with the plan that Iginla would go back to C the next season.

 

[shotvalley]

Big Adam Lowry.

 

[Caser]

Sam Cosentino was on NHL Draft Class Podcast saying that he feels Tij Iginla will move to Center in Kelowna next season and will be an NHL center. Many seem to think that Leo Carlsson will be an NHL center despite playing winger his entire draft season.

I’m wondering what examples we can find of kids playing winger their whole draft year but ending up centers full time eventually. Who can we come up with?

Just in case, Demidov also mentioned he wouldn't mind to be a full-time center in the future.

 

[rt]

Big Adam Lowry.

That right?

Looks like the WHL doesn’t keep FO stats that far back.

 

[Hinterland]

Played a quite a bit of C in his draft year.


Cosentino said that Iginla and Mallette agreed to the switch prior to the season with the plan that Iginla would go back to C the next season.

I respect Cosentino's opinion but it kinda goes without saying that Mallette is willing to try Iginla at C now that his overager C (and lone C with some kind of a scoring touch) is gone.

That doesn't mean he's convinced that Iginla is a better C than W. If he was he'd have played or at the very least tried him at C last season already. I'd somewhat understand it in case of a C logjam but Kelowna might have had the worst Center depth of all playoff teams leaguewide.

 

[karhukissa]

Surprised that nobody has mentioned Sebastian Aho.

 

[majormajor]

I think it's very uncommon for North American prospects but not all that uncommon for Europeans drafted out of Europe's pro leagues. Prospect development isn't the primary goal of European pro teams and they're tough to crack so many prospects have to move to the wing.

And they are less likely to share the North American idea that the best forwards should play center.

Certainly in Russia there's no concept of that.

 

[CanadienShark]

Laine was tried at centre. I don't think it lasted because of his off ice issues, but I may be mistaken.

Was Giroux drafted as a centre?

Edit: It looks like he was listed as RW in junior and AHL.

 

[Kraken Jokes]

Surprised that nobody has mentioned Sebastian Aho.

Yeah, but then he went right back to playing D

 

[2014nyr]

would guess it's not all that uncommon for european kids where a decent amount play in their top pro league. have to imagine it's more common there for a kid who grew up playing c to be pushed out to the wing.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Hasn’t made it to the NHL yet, but Yurov was drafted as a winger but the Wild see him as a center and he played center last year in the KHL.

 

[Castle8130]

hockeyprospects.com and NHL central scouting also project Iginla as a center

I think he's going top 5 on draft night

I'll bet you $100 he doesn't go top 5

Also, Demidov stated he is going to give center a try as well.