Why Elias Pettersson will NEVER play center in the NHL..and why Trevor Linden DID!
Trevor Linden moved from wing to center for the Vancouver Canucks? It was an excellant move! Why can't Elias Petterrson? Sit back, grab you favorite inhalant, and I'll explain...... HUGE DIFFERENCE between Peterson and Linden (because I get where you're coming from) is this. When covering the slot in the D zone SIZE MATTERS, its the most important place on the ice to cover and being small makes that job more difficult, also the "wear down" factor is huge, centers have a really hard job in the D zone which also includes covering behind the net, it leaves them open to all kinds of punishment. Its the same reason Peterson's SEL team kept him on the wing, even in that league a smaller, non-aggressive player, even one who is 100% committed to doing his job is going to get worn out. There are smaller centers who are aggressive and secretly nasty that have figured out how to do it, Marc Savard comes to mind, other guys in the past just DIDN'T DO IT Remember...