Greatest 2 way center or player?

[Phil68]

Is Ron Francis actually the best that is or was in terms of 2 way centers of all time?

 

[Rubi]

No. Its 6 time Selke winner Patrice Bergeron.

 

[Killer Orca]

Forsberg and Fedorov deserve mention. They were some of the best at it.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Bobby Orr

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Wayne Gretzky was so good offensively he's still the best 2-way player ever

 

[Voight]

Robert Gordon Orr

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Robert Gordon Orr

Wayne Dwayne Gretzky

 

[Albatros]

Kopitar is up there.

 

[Bones45]

Trotts, 19

 

[Jared Dunn]

Too young for Francis' prime years but feels like he'd have won more Selkes if that were the case? Gotta be Bergeron

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Is Ron Francis actually the best that is or was in terms of 2 way centers of all time?

Bobby Clarke was the best 2-way center ever.

 

[thekernel]

Sergei Fedorov, so good that he was literally deployed as a defenseman

 

[banks]

Is Ron Francis actually the best that is or was in terms of 2 way centers of all time?

I came into the thread to mention Ronnie Franchise. Glad to see him mentioned early.

I think the answer might still be Bergeron. But Francis is definitely in the conversation.

 

[chaz4hockey]

Bryan Trottier

 

[BraveCanadian]

Is Ron Francis actually the best that is or was in terms of 2 way centers of all time?

Francis was a very good two-way player but off the top of my head here are some centers that were clearly better players overall since expansion:

Bobby Clarke
Bryan Trottier (the best all around center of the modern era imo)
Mark Messier
Doug Gilmour
Sergei Fedorov (leaning more towards defense a lot of the time)
Pavel Datsyuk (although I think he's a bit overrated)
Peter Forsberg (overrated defensively imo, but solid)
Joe Sakic (same)
Jonathan Toews (for a short time)
Anze Kopitar
Possibly Backstrom

And I'm sure there are more that I am forgetting.

In a somewhat different vein, Patrice Bergeron was better defensively but not as good offensively.

There are also a bunch of centers pre-expansion that are likely as good if not better 2-ways than Francis. Center is a deep position all the time.

 

[OysterForever]

No one mentioned Jerre Lehtinen yet? He might not be the flashiest player but had couple outstanding seasons in Dallas' cup run twenty years ago. Got three Selkes during that era.

 

[Buck Naked]

Didn't you hear? It's Matthews. He shut down Tampa Bay in a series, all on his own.

 

[Squiffy]

Clarke is probably the right answer.

Howe not mentioned yet, probably belongs in conversation, though a winger.

 

[Bones45]

Bobby Clarke was the best 2-way center ever.

not even close.

 

[Vertain]

Bob Gainey.

Although I loved watching Bobby Clarke play.

Probably as many opinions as there are HF members, and everybody is right, if that is what they think.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Gainey, Lehtinen & Howe are all wingers and 2 out of the three of them were mostly 1-way with a dash of offense thrown in.

 

[Albatros]

No one mentioned Jerre Lehtinen yet? He might not be the flashiest player but had couple outstanding seasons in Dallas' cup run twenty years ago. Got three Selkes during that era.

Lehtinen was among the best of the best defensively, but his offense doesn't get particularly close to Francis. Overall similar tier players.

 

[eviohh26]

Datsyuk for me. I don't go that far back.

 

[pi314]

Yzerman
Fedorov
Sakic
Forsberg
Datsyuk
Francis
Crosby
Clarke
Bergeron
Kopitar
Toews
Brind'Amour

 

[gsharpe]

Just want to throw out Mikita and Beliveau. Some great choices though