August is a tough month for NHL and NBA talk. Each sport’s free agency period and trade market usually simmer down at this time of the year, as players and team management take vacations before returning for training camps.
The NHL Network recently has been trying to keep the conversation moving by ranking the best players at each position. Sunday night’s list featured the top 20 centers in the league, and there were a few interesting — or should we say controversial — rankings.
Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron coming in at No. 11 was pretty surprising.
Bergeron, owner of four Frank J. Selke trophies as the best defensive forward in the league, is one of the most dependable players in hockey. He’s annually a top-rated player, whether you use traditional stats or advanced metrics.
It’s also a little surprising that the Calder Trophy winner and Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews was ranked higher than established veterans such as Nicklas Backstrom and John Tavares, even if he did score 40 goals as a rookie.
Winnipeg Jets star Mark Scheifele is a little bit of a head-scratching pick for the top 10 as well, despite playing at a point-per-game level in 2016-17.
This list is not going to bother NHL superstars as much as it will some fanbases. It does make for some good debate, though.
Thumbnail photo via Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports Images
