Sobotka, 2nd line center? | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League
Toggle sidebar

Sobotka, 2nd line center?

Dbrownss

Dbrownss

Registered User
Jan 5, 2014
31,359
8,734
I'd rather start a clean discussion for this. The kids talent has grown beyond expectations. I'm not drawing this conclusion from the oilers game since just about anybody looks good against them. This season he has excelled at the position and hitch gets giddy when sobotka is brought up.

Most of the season sobe has had the best zone entries, speed and authority is the way I would describe it.

I know many of you guys are high on statsney, but do you think it's possible sobotka can fill the role and meet expectations?
 
The key is if he can maintain this level of production. He's currently on pace for 49 points over an 82 game season. That is 2nd line production. For a true contender, it's preferable to have a bottom tier 1st line center as your 2nd line center, and that's why Stastny should still be a target. If Sobotka maintains his production in the future, Stastny won't be a necessity. Production-wise, we need Sobotka to be the opposite of Berglund, who has also showed signs of being a good 2nd line center.
 
I worry about his durabity. Against a physical checking team like the Kings, Sobotka is largely neutralized or so beat up his effectiveness declines considerably.
 
If necessary, yes. If we can land stas though, we do that and not question it. Basically our top 6 wingers are locked with steen, osh, frank and jaden, and Backes will be centering a top 6 line. If Sobotka is needed there, he gets the best out of Frank it seems so it won't hurt the team at all.

If we DO manage to get stas or a clear top 6 c upgrade, we have sobotka being a top 3c with Jaskin/mps/ott/whoever else you want on the line, which will mean it will be VERY defensively reliable and improve the depth scoring from his puck management.
 
For him to be considered a 2nd line center, he has to play a certain way. For him to play that way raises durability concerns. So my answer is no, he can't fulfill that role.
 
I think it depends on what Army re-signs him for. If he gets a big contract, then yes he will be our 2nd line center.

If it were up to Hitch, Sobotka would be the father and mother of his children.
 
I lean towards no but he can make a very solid case for himself with a big post-season. He continues to get better and better. He plays some of the hardest minutes of the forwards when your factor in both zone stars and quality of competition not named Oshie, Steen, or Backes and yet he is statistically one of the best possession players on the team. He uses the middle of the ice very well. I think his creativity with the puck has really blossomed. He and Tarasenko play very well together and Tank is not the easiest guy to play with because of his unpredictable nature with the puck and his elite level of anticipation and seeing offensive plays develop. We all worry about consistency and durability but he's only had two stretches this season where he's gone more than two games without pointing.

He has some awesome qualities to his game but again this question will be easier to answer in 2-3 months.
 
2 Minute Minor said:
I worry about his durabity. Against a physical checking team like the Kings, Sobotka is largely neutralized or so beat up his effectiveness declines considerably.
Click to expand...

I agree. During the war of attrition to win the Cup out of the Western Conference, I worry that his play style combined with his size will cause him to wear down.

My real concern is with the entire center group as a whole. It's not how they compare with rest of the league. It's how they compare to the handful of Cup contenders and winners over the past few seasons.

Are they good enough? Probably. Is it the biggest area of concern on the roster? Absolutely.
 
Yea he can, but I'd prefer him to be the 3rd line center. If there is one question to be answered it is do we believe he can do this again next season. He's still underrated. I'm not sure a lot of you guys realize how much of a heads up player he is. He makes the right play at the right time. He finds his teammates on the ice and distributes the puck to them so that they have an opportunity to make a play. We have players that get the puck and hold it for a fraction of a second to long, which eliminates passing lanes, time and space for teammates to make a play with the puck, it eliminates opportunities to get the puck in deep/keep the puck moving forward or results in a turnover. Sobotka rarely misses those plays. I remember after his seven game hot streak last season feeling that I severely underestimated his hockey IQ. He has elite awareness on the ice, yes elite. He makes whoever he is playing with better. Production wise he will only get better because his linemates will get better. He isn't the most skilled, but he has great awareness, a quality skater and plays damn good defensively.
 
Nope. He's a great third line center though. Get rid of Berglund.

Backes
Stastny
Sobotka
Lapierre
 
Wonder if we'd try this instead (based on recent combinations):

Schwartz-Backes-Steen
Tarasenko-Berglund-Oshie
Morrow-Sobotka-Ott
Paajarvi/Porter-Lapierre-Reaves

Paajarvi when we need speed, Porter (who also has speed), when we need more sandpaper.
 
RR10 said:
Nope. He's a great third line center though. Get rid of Berglund.

Backes
Stastny
Sobotka
Lapierre
Click to expand...

Ideal setup at C. Issue is Sobotka needing to carry a less ideal pair of wingers on the 3rd. Hopefully that becomes a mix of Ott, Berglund and Jaskin down the road instead of Roy, Morrow, etc.
 
I like Sobi better on the 3rd line. He is such a versatile guy, he can move up to play 2nd wing or center in case of injury or to replace a struggling player. He can double shift and spark the 4th line, If he is a 2nd line center, he is kind of stuck there. He shouldn't be a top line guy, so there is no upward mobility from the 2nd line. The 2nd line will get enough minutes that double shifting is out of the question. Having him on the 3rd line improves that line, giving us 3 good lines. More importantly, it puts pressure on the 2nd liners to perform. Sobotka would make a decent 2nd line center. However, it would be better to get a good 2nd line center if we can and have him be a superb 3rd line center and utility guy.
 
illninofan said:
Wonder if we'd try this instead (based on recent combinations):

Schwartz-Backes-Steen
Tarasenko-Berglund-Oshie
Morrow-Sobotka-Ott
Paajarvi/Porter-Lapierre-Reaves

Paajarvi when we need speed, Porter (who also has speed), when we need more sandpaper.
Click to expand...

There's absolutely no reason to split up Tarasenko-Sobotka-Oshie.
 
My preference is no. Ideally we get Stastny and we can bump Sobotka down to the third line. Hitch has already shown that Sobe would still get plenty of ice time. He's too good of a player not to find him ice. If we can't get Stasny, I'm comfortable keeping Sobotka on the second line.
 
Everybody keeps talking about Stastny, but if he resigns in Colorado, what about Kesler? I'm not sure his contract situation, but if he really wants out, Kesler could be really good.
 
wannabebluesplayer said:
Everybody keeps talking about Stastny, but if he resigns in Colorado, what about Kesler? I'm not sure his contract situation, but if he really wants out, Kesler could be really good.
Click to expand...

Kesler has 2 years left on his contract, would cost a lot to acquire and has injury issues. He's a great player, and would fit the team, but I don't think it is realistic. Other teams could put together better offers.

If Stastny signs a new deal in Colorado, then I think Plekanec could be the target.

Stastny will stay in Colorado if they are willing to give him a 7 or 8 year contract with full NMC. I believe he'll take a discount to stay, but he'd be crazy to compromise on more than that.
 
Our offense seems to be doing just fine without a top-flight center for now, so I'd rather wait until the playoffs to figure out team needs.
 
Alklha said:
Kesler has 2 years left on his contract, would cost a lot to acquire and has injury issues. He's a great player, and would fit the team, but I don't think it is realistic. Other teams could put together better offers.

If Stastny signs a new deal in Colorado, then I think Plekanec could be the target.

Stastny will stay in Colorado if they are willing to give him a 7 or 8 year contract with full NMC. I believe he'll take a discount to stay, but he'd be crazy to compromise on more than that.
Click to expand...

I didn't realize he had two years left. I'm in the camp of we don't need a top flight center right now, but who knows what's going to happen. This offseason will be interesting. Top priorities will be to resign Schwartz, Berglund, Sobotka, and Ryan Miller. After that, it's all about filling out the roster. Roy, Morrow, Ott, Colaiacovo, and Elliott are all UFA's with the only one I truly want back being Ott. I think the Blues could easily make it work to pick up a top flight center, but I would say Stastny is the only target.
 
Chojin said:
Our offense seems to be doing just fine without a top-flight center for now, so I'd rather wait until the playoffs to figure out team needs.
Click to expand...
I don't see what else this team needs that a playoff series is suddenly going to show us other than what we've known for the past couple years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Latest posts

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom