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Maybe not Eichel, but the Rangers need a center

By Steve Paulus

Mar 2, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (9) stretches in warm-ups prior to a game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Bennett-POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (9) stretches in warm-ups prior to a game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Bennett-POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports /
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Rangers Mark Messier (11) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Rangers defeated Vancouver 3-2 in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at Madison Square Garden June 14, 1994.Rangers Win Stanley Cup
Rangers Mark Messier (11) celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Rangers defeated Vancouver 3-2 in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals at Madison Square Garden June 14, 1994.Rangers Win Stanley Cup /

The most important position

All great teams are built up the middle.  Championship teams invariably feature a stud center, even two.  Looking at the last 24 winners of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, here’s how they break down by position:

  • Centers: 9  (O’Reilly, Crosby, Toews, Malkin, Richards, Nieuwendyk, Yzerman, Sakic)
  • Goalies:  6 (Quick, Thomas, Ward, Giguere, Roy, Vernon)
  • Defensemen: 5 (Hedman, Kieith, Niedermayer, Lidstrom, Stevens)
  • Wingers: 4 (Ovechkin, Kane, Williams, Zetterberg)

In the years that centers didn’t win the Conn Smythe Trophy, pivots still played a key role for the championship teams.  The only teams to win without a dominant center were the New Jersey Devils of 2000 and 2003.  Here are the centers on those other championship teams:

  • 2020 – Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos
  • 2018 – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom
  • 2015 – Jonathan Toews
  • 2013 – Toews
  • 2012 – Anze Kopitar
  • 2011 – Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci
  • 2008 – Pavel Datsyuk
  • 2007 – Ryan Getzlaf
  • 2006 – Eric Staal, Rod Brind’Amour
  • 2002 – Steve Yzerman
  • 2001 – Joe Sakic
  • 1997 – Steve Yzerman

Of the 20 centers listed above, do the New York Rangers have anyone who compares?   In the Mika Zibanejad of March 2020, the answer is yes.  in the Mika Zibanejad of March 2021, the answer is no.

The next question is whether the Rangers have anyone in the pipeline who can make that list?

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