henchman21
Mr. Meeseeks
- Feb 24, 2012
- 67,095
- 53,585
Rule of thumb… in NA development, 99.9% of the time if a player is a winger when drafted and didn’t play center. They’re going to stay a winger. You get oddities like Giroux that happen, but they are very rare. Well over half the centers get moved as they move up ranks.
With European development, there’s a small chance players move from wing to center (talking single digit percents). Most of those guys who move are typically at high level pro spots early in their career where they are playing legit pro at 16/17 prior to being drafted. They just moved up early and didn’t get center spots early. It is still pretty rare. Many of the center prospects, still end up at wing in NA. Probably a higher rate for the top guys for Europe vs NA.
Realistically if they are listed and wing or defense. That’s what they’ll play. Centers, many of them get moved over to wing. More than stick at center.
With European development, there’s a small chance players move from wing to center (talking single digit percents). Most of those guys who move are typically at high level pro spots early in their career where they are playing legit pro at 16/17 prior to being drafted. They just moved up early and didn’t get center spots early. It is still pretty rare. Many of the center prospects, still end up at wing in NA. Probably a higher rate for the top guys for Europe vs NA.
Realistically if they are listed and wing or defense. That’s what they’ll play. Centers, many of them get moved over to wing. More than stick at center.
Plenty of true centers are drafted beyond the top picks.There’s very few 17 and 18 year olds who are true centers and the ones that are go high in the draft. Drafting for position is pretty worthless.