The Top 10 Centres in the NHL...According to Sufi

SUFYAN JAWED

AUGUST 7th 2022

This series of articles will rank the top 10 players at each position in the NHL. My process will consist of my personal view of the player, their production, and their skill level based on both the eye test and analytics. Based on a mix of their last few seasons and how I think they’ll play next year. This is only one man's opinion, and it is inevitable that disagreements will happen. But I’ll do my best to explain why I have players where I do. I’ll also put my favourite play from each player from this past year.

10. J.T Miller - Vancouver Canucks - Age: 29

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

This was a debate in my head between Miller and Brayden Point and I flip flopped about 25 times. In the end it came down to offensive production, durability and the ability to take over a game. Analytically neither player has been great defensively in recent years and yet both are seen as two-way forwards, they do have defensive elements to their game but neither has been that great defensively overall, so for me that is a wash in that category. I think we all know what Point has done playoff wise, but Miller’s last playoff performance was in 2019/2020 and racked up 18 points in 17 games. Miller’s strength is In-zone offense, he creates chances for himself and has a lethal shot. His playmaking ability is often understated, he ranks 6th among centers in assists since 2018/2019. He is an all-world player that likely doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.

9. Patrice Bergeron - Boston Bruins - Age 37

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Bergeron’s production has stayed steady throughout his career and the major knock with him is his ability to stay healthy. But man, when he is on the ice he is the BEST defensive centre in the league, without much contest. What is amazing about that is that even though he’s the world’s best defensive centre, he produced a 68.2% expected goals for percentage last year. Which is obscene, and is actually better than everyone else in the league at 5v5. Watching any of Bergeron’s game tapes, you realize that any opposing centre that he plays against has 0 breathing room because of Bergeron’s awareness and positioning. On offence he creates a ton of offence for him and his line-mates (both of which will be high on the lists of their respective positions), but Bergeron is arguably the most important cog in that machine of a line because he allows his other to line-mates to have the creative freedom to do what they want to do offensively because they have the games best defensive forward taking the stress off them defensively.

8. Elias Lindholm - Calgary Flames - Age: 27

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Lindholm exploded this season with 42 goals, and in the last 3 seasons his finishing has taken a massive jump and he is 6th among centres in goals in the last 3 seasons. His line may have contributed to the goal scoring a bit, but he has been effective regardless. And I do not foresee much of a drop off happening goal wise considering he has the best passer in the league in Huberdeau on his left side now. He is defensively responsible and was an effective penalty killer last season. His shot is sneaky good and his ability to create chances with his shot and get to positions where it can be used effectively. Playing with Huberdeau it wouldn’t surprise me if he holds to that 40-40 pace and ends up back on the list next season, especially with how lethal his wrist shot is

7. Sebastian Aho - Carolina Hurricanes - Age: 24

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Since 2018/2019, Aho, among centres, ranks 5th in goals, 5th in even strength goals, 11th in assists, and 8th in points, as well as 1st in short-handed goals and short-handed points. And yet for some reason his name doesn’t come up often enough when talking about the best players in the league, which is odd with 287 points in his last 285 games. Defensively, Aho isn’t anything special but he has improved a good amount in recent years becoming decently average, though he has been the best penalty killer in the league in the last few years., while also being a strong play-driver offensively. His ability includes a strong shot and extremely good playmaking ability, creating high-danger chances at a high-level for his teammates as well as himself. He also possesses a strong all around game and has been a good playoff performer as well with 46 points in 48 playoff games.

6: Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins - Age: 34

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Crosby is still Crosby, even if he may have lost a half step, he is as agile as ever. The main knock on Crosby is just durability and because of how good and durable the top 5 are he falls just below the top 5. His closest competition is Barkov, but Barkov is just better analytically both defensively and offensively, especially last year, while their counting stats are similar. But Crosby still manages to be at the heart of this list regardless. Which is no surprise, his hockey IQ, Vision and playmaking ability have stood the test of time. And of course he has the accolades and cups which will likely make some people annoyed that I have him this low but this list isn’t a comparison of careers, it’s the best players at each position going into next season, and in that case for me, Crosby is 6th on this list.

5. Alexander Barkov - Florida Panthers - Age: 27

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Barkov has developed into one of the best players in the league and had arguably his best all-around game last year. He carves through defenses with his immensely good puck skills that are accentuated by his size. He’s tremendous at entering and exiting the zone and his in-zone offense is up there with the best in the league, not only just centers. Production wise, since 2018-2019, he is 7th among centers in points per game, 8th in goals, 5th in assists, 5th in points, 6th in EVP. All while being one of the most defensively responsible centers in the game, and that’s what gets him into the top 5.

4. Leon Draisaitl - Edmonton Oilers - Age: 26

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

At first glance, it is easy to appreciate Draisaitl as a goalscorer with how accurate and hard his shot is and his ability to score from anywhere. In my opinion there are very few better passers in the league as well. That mix has turned Draisaitl into the best power play player in the world. Since 2018-2019 his offensive stats are next level, he is 2nd in points, points per game, goals, assists, power play points, and EVP. 1st in Shooting % and ATOI, and 3rd in EVG. On top of that he has 59 points in 37 career playoff games. And what solidified him for me in my top 4 was his playoff performance this past season where he scored 32 points in 16 games on one healthy leg. He is a transcendent offensive talent and if it wasn’t for questionable defensive metrics he would be higher on the list.

3. Nathan Mackinnon - Colorado Avalanche - Age 26

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Nathan Mackinnon is a game-breaker. He has developed into a franchise player and blessed Colorado by signing a contract before blowing up offensively. His ability to create chances is bar none in the NHL, he is one of the most agile and fast skaters probably ever, has a lethal and quick shot release and can contribute in so many different ways. Because of how passionately he plays it is no surprise that he’s got 40 goals and 93 points in 70 career playoff games. Since 2018-19 Mackinnon ranks 3rd in points, 6th in goals, 3rd in assists, 1st in shots, and 4th in EVP among centers. His ability to use his skill set in numerous clutch situations is what makes him one of the NHL’s best players as he has come up massive at every single important moment for the Avs.

2. Auston Matthews - Toronto Maple Leafs - Age: 24

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Matthews is as big of a star as a star can get. The pressure never seems to get to him (in the regular season anyway). I'm kidding, but hey if he scores 60 goals who really cares. We’ve seen a lot of great goal scorers over the years and his shot is up there with prime Ovechkin. The release is unlike anything we’ve seen before and it is why he’s led the league in goals since 2018/2019, as well as EVG and he’s also 2nd in shots and 4th in points. The thing with Matthews is that he is seemingly dangerous every time he’s on the ice, and we can’t say that about everyone (well except the guy coming up next).

Every time he is on the ice it seems that his team has the puck and feels like he’s the one involved in all the scoring chances that they create. Like many great goal scorers over the years the puck seems to follow him around and his finishing ability is unmatched in today’s NHL. Last year, he was analytically one of the most dominant players in the last decade, same thing in terms of base statistics and just pure eye tests, even as someone that can’t stand the leafs, Matthews is a joy to watch.

Connor Mcdavid - Edmonton Oilers - Age 25

2021/2022 - Regular Season Stats:

Mcdavid is bar none, the best hockey player on the planet and maybe the best hockey talent that we have ever seen. Let’s rattle off some stats and just get them over with, and just show how dominant he has been since he got to the league at 19, we are going to look at his ranks in stats among centers since his rookie season of 2015-2016. In that span, he is 1st in points, 1st in assists, 1st in points per game, 1st in EVP, 1st in PPP, 1st in GWG, 1st in ATOI, 1st in OTG, 3rd in goals, 2nd in EVG, and 5th in shots. And to top it all off he’s been the best playoff player in the last two seasons with 37 points in 20 GP while playing 24:31 mins of ice time. It is impossible to not notice McDavid because he plays so much of the game and pretty much the entirety of it at his insanely high standard. His last two years have been his most dominant with 228 points in 136 games, no that is not a typo. What Mcdavid is doing right now has not been seen since the era of Gretzky dominance and he is showing 0 signs of slowing down.

Stats aside, what makes Mcdavid special is his ability to hurt you in so many different ways. Firstly, he has the ability to gain separation from almost any position, you think you have him locked up and next thing you know he’s 2 feet ahead of you. Just ask Victor Hedman:

Another way is his in-zone offense and ability to hold on to the puck and stay patient even as multiple players try to hunt him down, his ability to turn on a dime without giving anything away about his next move is unmatched, see this goal from 2017:

He also just has the uncanny ability to pick a defence apart, it could be one on four and he will still find a way through and create a high quality chance and probably score:

McDavid's defensive game also saw a big jump last season as he committed to coming deeper in the zone, which also in turn, helped his offense and gave him the chance to generate more speed up the ice. Though that goal against the Rangers was the best of the season, my favorite goal of his from this season is this one against the Flames to clinch the series, showing that McDavid comes up big in the biggest moments.