NHL TRUTH: The Vancouver Canucks and how it's not that Elias Pettersson dosen't WANT to play Center, it's that he CAN'T
Do you really think the hesitation and anxiety over the persistent statements by many that Elias Pettersson cannot be an NHL center, are for fear of him losing a few face-offs?
NO!
Faceoffs aren't the reason Pettersson won't play center. There is some serious ignorance amongst fans as to what a center actually does, once you enter to the offensive zone your position at forward is more of a fall back then a rule and depends on your offensive strategy....now listen up everyone, you are going to learn why this "center" thing is such a big deal and why you can throw anyone on the wing (Including a defenseman) but only CENTERS play center...and why Peterrsson won't play there in the NHL.
Center is the most important position in hockey...why? Because a center is both forward AND defenseman, the center's job is to cover the slot and behind the net in the D-zone, while the left and right D men cover the obvious remaining territory, one might also say your center is your most IMPORTANT defenseman as the slot is regarded as the most important place on the ice.
Over the last decade or so we've seen the term "puck-moving-defenseman" be invented and beaten to death, it was a novel concept whereby teams began trusting one of their defenseman with the traditional responsibility of the center, making that pass out of the zone. Most of the time, when possession was recovered, the puck was dished to (or already in possession of, if he made the check) the center, who is in the middle of the ice would have had the widest range of options to get the play moving, this is a big reason why centers always had more assists, they were very much the even strength quarterback of the team, after starting the play, they would be the one the puck had to move through in the offensive zone as shots were angled for.
I'm speaking in past tense due to the "PMD" obsession of the last decade, which in theory allowed the center to be moving up ice with his wingers, this was seen as an essential manpower advantage for dealing with "The Trap" and other such abominations, and although it is now in every team playbook, the traditional role of the center is still firmly in place.
The "PMD" gives teams another option, it doesn't take away the one they already had. So what does this have to do with Pettersson? A lot. A center MUST be skilled, he MUST be durable and it REALLY helps if he's an aggressive player, a center is expected to do it all and this is where size matters (Weight and strength more than height)
When starting out, the most skilled kids are put at center, its only after they start growing at different rates that some of these top skill players get moved to the wing. It happens at different times for different players, but whenever the physical demands of the position start to wear top players down, is when the switch is made.
For Pettersson, that switch was last year in the SEL. You don't want to put your best players in a disadvantageous position where they are going to get beat down, injured and have their offensive game suffer because of it. Pettersson does not have the size, strength or aggressive tendencies that will allow him to safely play in the middle, no team wants their best player or star draft pick to start a pattern of exhaustion, frustration, and injury.
There are exceptions to every rule, but in this case, the exceptions are all nasty players, some secretly so, but they are willing to do bad things to people to ensure they are not overwhelmed by stronger players, that ain't Pettersson.
Look at it this way, his SEL team tried to put him there just this past year for a few games and promptly moved him back to the wing, they didn't just do that for kicks YOU WANT YOUR BEST PLAYERS IN THE MIDDLE, you hold out as long as you can, but at some point it starts hurting them and the team. Pettersson future as a center was sealed last season if he wasn't able to hack it at the top tier of the SEL...THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL HE PLAYS THERE IN THE NHL...
Pettersson is a classic winger, he needs to freewheel offensively and not be anchored to battles and areas of the ice he can't win, he needs to be able to dodge and weave, make the most of his offensive gifts and be put in a position to succeed.
The Canucks don't believe he play center anymore, that's what they hoped when they drafted him but after last year that plan is DONE. Why do you think Benning has gone on about Sutter stepping up offensively? They know its a fool's errand, but they also know that if they admit it publically the panic over center ice and the fact that we have no one after Horvat will haunt them everywhere they go, so they pay some unconvincing lip-service to "yeah, we'd like to TRY him there...sure"
As Bruce Lee said (And Yoda) there is no try, either DO or DON'T DO. I believe their plan is to move a defenseman (Tanev) for a center and also to target one with this year first rounder, The stumbling of fallen prospect Joulevi set them back a year. Had that not been the case, they may have passed on Hughes this year and grabbed the best center they could at #7
As a Tanev trade becomes less and less likely (Benning has put himself in a horrible position where other GM's are only willing to trade with him if they rob him, nobody wants to lose face and appear to have been negotiated down to a square deal by "Dim Jim" Benning..that's not a joke either, that's the truth) this is when we start to hear about how Elias will be "TRYED" at center but we should really be getting ready for the offensive emersion of Brandon Sutter.
NO!
Faceoffs aren't the reason Pettersson won't play center. There is some serious ignorance amongst fans as to what a center actually does, once you enter to the offensive zone your position at forward is more of a fall back then a rule and depends on your offensive strategy....now listen up everyone, you are going to learn why this "center" thing is such a big deal and why you can throw anyone on the wing (Including a defenseman) but only CENTERS play center...and why Peterrsson won't play there in the NHL.
Center is the most important position in hockey...why? Because a center is both forward AND defenseman, the center's job is to cover the slot and behind the net in the D-zone, while the left and right D men cover the obvious remaining territory, one might also say your center is your most IMPORTANT defenseman as the slot is regarded as the most important place on the ice.
Over the last decade or so we've seen the term "puck-moving-defenseman" be invented and beaten to death, it was a novel concept whereby teams began trusting one of their defenseman with the traditional responsibility of the center, making that pass out of the zone. Most of the time, when possession was recovered, the puck was dished to (or already in possession of, if he made the check) the center, who is in the middle of the ice would have had the widest range of options to get the play moving, this is a big reason why centers always had more assists, they were very much the even strength quarterback of the team, after starting the play, they would be the one the puck had to move through in the offensive zone as shots were angled for.
I'm speaking in past tense due to the "PMD" obsession of the last decade, which in theory allowed the center to be moving up ice with his wingers, this was seen as an essential manpower advantage for dealing with "The Trap" and other such abominations, and although it is now in every team playbook, the traditional role of the center is still firmly in place.
The "PMD" gives teams another option, it doesn't take away the one they already had. So what does this have to do with Pettersson? A lot. A center MUST be skilled, he MUST be durable and it REALLY helps if he's an aggressive player, a center is expected to do it all and this is where size matters (Weight and strength more than height)
When starting out, the most skilled kids are put at center, its only after they start growing at different rates that some of these top skill players get moved to the wing. It happens at different times for different players, but whenever the physical demands of the position start to wear top players down, is when the switch is made.
For Pettersson, that switch was last year in the SEL. You don't want to put your best players in a disadvantageous position where they are going to get beat down, injured and have their offensive game suffer because of it. Pettersson does not have the size, strength or aggressive tendencies that will allow him to safely play in the middle, no team wants their best player or star draft pick to start a pattern of exhaustion, frustration, and injury.
There are exceptions to every rule, but in this case, the exceptions are all nasty players, some secretly so, but they are willing to do bad things to people to ensure they are not overwhelmed by stronger players, that ain't Pettersson.
Look at it this way, his SEL team tried to put him there just this past year for a few games and promptly moved him back to the wing, they didn't just do that for kicks YOU WANT YOUR BEST PLAYERS IN THE MIDDLE, you hold out as long as you can, but at some point it starts hurting them and the team. Pettersson future as a center was sealed last season if he wasn't able to hack it at the top tier of the SEL...THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL HE PLAYS THERE IN THE NHL...
Pettersson is a classic winger, he needs to freewheel offensively and not be anchored to battles and areas of the ice he can't win, he needs to be able to dodge and weave, make the most of his offensive gifts and be put in a position to succeed.
The Canucks don't believe he play center anymore, that's what they hoped when they drafted him but after last year that plan is DONE. Why do you think Benning has gone on about Sutter stepping up offensively? They know its a fool's errand, but they also know that if they admit it publically the panic over center ice and the fact that we have no one after Horvat will haunt them everywhere they go, so they pay some unconvincing lip-service to "yeah, we'd like to TRY him there...sure"
As Bruce Lee said (And Yoda) there is no try, either DO or DON'T DO. I believe their plan is to move a defenseman (Tanev) for a center and also to target one with this year first rounder, The stumbling of fallen prospect Joulevi set them back a year. Had that not been the case, they may have passed on Hughes this year and grabbed the best center they could at #7
As a Tanev trade becomes less and less likely (Benning has put himself in a horrible position where other GM's are only willing to trade with him if they rob him, nobody wants to lose face and appear to have been negotiated down to a square deal by "Dim Jim" Benning..that's not a joke either, that's the truth) this is when we start to hear about how Elias will be "TRYED" at center but we should really be getting ready for the offensive emersion of Brandon Sutter.
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