NHL Network released its top 20 centers rankings Sunday, and Patrice Bergeron’s place on the list might annoy some Boston Bruins fans.
Bergeron checked in at No. 7, which seems a little low given how awesome the Bruins superstar has been at both ends of the ice throughout his NHL career.
Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers topped the rankings, which NHL Network said in a press release are based on performance over the past several seasons (with an emphasis on the 2018-19 campaign) and take into account players’ projected performance for 2019-20.
Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Aleksander Barkov, John Taveras and Auston Matthews also ranked ahead of Bergeron, who landed just in front of Tampa Bay Lightning sniper Steven Stamkos.
This list shows just how stacked the center position is nowadays, but there are plenty who disagree with the rankings, specifically as it relates to Bergeron. Fans voted Bergeron as the No. 3 center in the NHL, behind only McDavid and Crosby.
Bergeron, who turned 34 last month, is coming off a 2018-19 in which he totaled 32 goals and 47 assists for 79 points in 65 regular season games, all while providing his usual elite defense. The Bruins came up one win short of the Stanley Cup, losing to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7, but Bergeron showed no signs of slowing down while playing on arguably the best line in hockey.
So, what do you think? Should Bergeron have been ranked higher on NHL Network’s list?
