Most important position on a team
- Thread starter Nopuckluck
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- Oct 23, 2014
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Goalies stand in a little blue semi circle and stop a flying biscuit. That's why it's hard for them to truly separate themselves from their peers. It's a very streaky and odd position in nature. Team in front of them can have a large impact on their performance, too. When you have one of those rare talents like a Hasek or Lunqdvist than it can be the most important position for your team.
But in general it's Center Icemen as they patrol most of the ice and can impact more the game over the entire ice surface. And when you have one of those rare talents who can score PPG and drive your offense from the middle of the ice, you are sitting very pretty. Although rare, much easier to find than the goalies I mentioned.
But in general it's Center Icemen as they patrol most of the ice and can impact more the game over the entire ice surface. And when you have one of those rare talents who can score PPG and drive your offense from the middle of the ice, you are sitting very pretty. Although rare, much easier to find than the goalies I mentioned.
Being that it’s easier to find a center according to you then wouldn’t that make finding a goalie more valuable and important?
- Oct 23, 2014
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No. What's easier to find? Fleury or Malkin/Crosby? Holtby or Backstrom/Kuznetsov. Quick or Kopitar. Rask or Bergeron Crawford or Toews etc
MarkMessyay11
Registered User
It's a difficult question. You can make a case for really any of the positions, IMO. But at the end of the day, you don't win championships without a premier center, IMO. I debated a bit about going with defenseman over a center, but I think I would take someone like Kopitar, Crosby, McDavid, or Matthews to build my championship roster around, over someone like Karlsson, Doughty, Burns, Hedman, etc.
Goalies are obviously important too, but there have been many championships won with a hot goalie, rather than a great goalie. We're also living proof that a generational goaltender can only take you so far. If goaltending was the most important aspect of a championship team, we would have won one by now. I love Henrik and everything he's done for this organization. But it's really hard to win if you can't score goals...and a top-tier center helps to both score and prevent goals.
Goalies are obviously important too, but there have been many championships won with a hot goalie, rather than a great goalie. We're also living proof that a generational goaltender can only take you so far. If goaltending was the most important aspect of a championship team, we would have won one by now. I love Henrik and everything he's done for this organization. But it's really hard to win if you can't score goals...and a top-tier center helps to both score and prevent goals.
I would argue it’s easier to find a goalie. I can name about 10 franchise centers, but not that many franchise goalies.
Having an elite goalie is all good and well, but give me a truly elite top flight forward any day of the week. If we had the choice of drafting Lundqvist or Seguin, who would you go with? Who would it be easier to build a team around? A player like Lundqvist (a goalie) doesn't really have the ability to actively make the players around him better, and especially not in the offensive zone. Of course he has the ability to shut down the opposing team's offense, but he can't really provide slot passes or keep the puck in the other team's zone or screen a goalie. Meanwhile a player like Seguin (a center/forward) has the ability to make 4 other players on the ice with him better - in addition to their own elite production - by way of those passes/screens/etc, and the ability to help his goalie as well between blocked shots/clearing the crease/etc.
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
Goaltending has the most impact but it's by far the easiest to find. Just about everyone has a competitive goaltender.
haveandare
Registered User
All things considered I'd rather have a center who outperforms his peers to the extent a goalie does.
There are example of teams falling way short with all of them alone though - Seguin for example is great but Dallas never competes.
There are example of teams falling way short with all of them alone though - Seguin for example is great but Dallas never competes.
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
Center is important but defense is right there too.
Very rarely do you see teams contend without elite players/depth at both positions.
Very rarely do you see teams contend without elite players/depth at both positions.
Center but as a Ranger fan I'm famished for a good RHD who can skate, Hit (or at least play solid d) and have a bomb from the point.
I know probably a lot to ask for.
I know probably a lot to ask for.
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
Look at some of our backups and look at some of the recent Cup winners.
All of them were capable of winning it with Talbot, Raanta, or Georgiev in goal.
All of them were capable of winning it with Talbot, Raanta, or Georgiev in goal.
- Oct 23, 2014
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That's Exactly my point, actually. You can win chanpionships without 'franchise' goalies but not usually without franchise center.
So if you have a franchise goalie like Hank Or Hasek then sure it's them
Machinehead
Fox Mafia Consigliere
I believe he was traded in offseason of 1995 and crazy enough only spent one year with the penguins before going off to a very solid career with Dallas. He is what we need on this team.
Agreed. There have been 40 centers in NHL history as good as Malkin, but you have to go down to guys such as Liut to find 40 goalies.
Just look at the Finals. Both teams had hot goalies at least until Fleury played in the Finals.
Hot goalies win playoff games. I can't believe this is a debate on a hockey website.
Amazing Kreiderman
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- Apr 11, 2011
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By the way in the lockout shortened season Zubov had a point per game at what 24 years old??? Why the f*** did we trade him again? lol
the most important position is the one that you are lacking....you aren't winning without all of those. I think the real debate is which of those position is the most difficult to fill
East Coast Bias
Registered User
You need elite goalies to win cups, and only goalies that win cups are elite. Wtf did I stumble into??
Amazing Kreiderman
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aufheben
#Norris4Fox
What’s the most you’ve seen a goalie return in a trade? What’s the most for a center?
