You're Kellen it.

Pettersson > J. Hughes

Move Draisaitl over to LW where he played his shifts. 22.7 shifts per game and spent 22.7 shifts per game with McDavid. Move all LW down 1 and remove Keller and add Crosby or Pettersson (I would pick Crosby because he's done it for 16 straight and Pettersson has just had one breakout year) to Center and list is good to go.

McAvoy - #2 RD
Draisaitl - #1 LW

I'm confused. Draisaitl played with McDavid only 37% of the time at 5v5, he was apart from McDavid 63% of the time. How does that make him a winger?

FYI when they played together Draisaitl took 239 faceoffs and McDavid took 219. Yet I don't see anyone arguing that McDavid is a winger.

Such a strange phenomenon.

They spend a majority of their ice time together…so how do we call they both centers?

37% is a majority?

5v5?

Of course 5v5. In every other scenario you don't have traditional lines. Teams will run multiple centers together on the PP, PK or even 3v3 OT. That's normal.

According to Evolving Hockey McDavid and Draisaitl shared the ice for 429.03 MIN this past season. Mcdavid had 517.97 w/o Draisaitl and Draisaitl had 511.38 w/o McDavid of those 511.38 w/o McDavid 229.35 minutes were played w/ RNH (Who is also a Center and took Faceoffs). So 282.03 minutes of Draisaitl's were spent without another center on the ice. Now while Leon may have taken the faceoff if you look at where he positioned on the ice following the draw he was more utilized as a winger. Granted its an added bonus he can take draws as well as he can, but I still view him as a winger. *mainly due to defensive zone responsibility RNH and McDavid were usually the ones playing down low with Drai up top

your're missing one point.
It's my list and I view him as a centre.

I would argue Morrissey & Hellebuyck, but W list

And I'm just stating he is not a center other than he can take faceoffs.......... which there is a lot more that goes into that position besides the faceoff circle

Nugent-Hopkins played mostly LW this past season, that's not debated and completely irrelevant.

No idea where Evolving Hockey is getting those numbers, but they're wrong. Naturalstattrick.com has this:

5v5
29 + 97: 469:18
29 - 97: 800:25
97 - 29: 838:58

So Draisaitl spent 36.9% of his TOI with McDavid. McDavid spent 35.8% of his TOI with Draisaitl. When they played together, Draisaitl took the majority of the faceoffs.

Leon Draisaitl is a center. Always has been, always will be. The evidence is undeniable.

https://evolving-hockey.com/stats/combos/?_inputs_&std_c3_range=%22Seasons%22&std_c3_players=%22Connor%20McDavid%22&std_c3_adj=%22Score%20%26%20Venue%22&dir_combo=%22F%20Lines%22&std_c3_str=%225v5%22&std_c3_toi=%2230%22&std_c3_type=%22Rates%22&std_c3_span=%22Regular%22&std_c3_team=%22All%22&std_c3_season=%2220222023%22


https://evolving-hockey.com/stats/combos/?_inputs_&std_c3_range=%22Seasons%22&std_c3_players=%22Leon%20Draisaitl%22&std_c3_adj=%22Score%20%26%20Venue%22&dir_combo=%22F%20Lines%22&std_c3_str=%225v5%22&std_c3_toi=%2230%22&std_c3_type=%22Rates%22&std_c3_span=%22Regular%22&std_c3_team=%22All%22&std_c3_season=%2220222023%22

During the 289:28 Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins spent together last season, Draisaitl took 255 faceoffs and Nugent-Hopkins took 26. Are you seriously using Nugent-Hopkins presence on his line to question Draisaitl's status as center? Do you believe the earth is flat too?

The evidence is far from undeniable while Leon may take the draw when he is on the ice with either McDavid or RNH he does not play the down low game on defense they do he plays the wing spot.

The same could be said of both Tavares and Giroux. And yet people still predominantly consider them centers by trade.

Same thing really. It's a subjective opinion and p.o.v. That said, I agree with him. I would also consider Drai a center, by both ability and trade, but one that is not utilized as one. Because that's simply a matter of a coach's personal preference for deployment. It's also pretty situational based as well. Which is fluid.

Case and point. Albeit lesser players, both Ryan Hartman and Freddy Gaudreau get deployed in much the same fashion as Drai and RNH. After taking the draw, Hartman will either forecheck along the wall or primarily go crash the net despite being a center/winger, just like most centers do. Gaudreau on the other hand will take the draw and then stick to the half-wall perimeter much like a winger would, and only crash the net if he's hunting for a rebound or loose puck. Gaudreau is also a center/winger.

But again, it's subjective to people's ideals and perceptions. 🤷‍♂️

JT has been a center more so than a winger in his career (mostly considering time with NYI). As far as Giroux when he was on a line with Couturier, I considered him a winger same for his time spent in FLA and so far in OTT.

Center is more than faceoffs don't know how many times that needs to be stated, but apparently because it differentiates from what you perceive then you have to make an outlandish comment. And that is a lot of problem with the world everyone's own opinion is the right one and all the rest are wrong.

You just answered my point for me. Giroux is the best example here. Because he has always been considered a center in Philly, even during the last few years there, where he would take the draw and then move to the wing. He doesn't get the level of return he does from Florida at the deadline, albeit at a reduced amount given he was only willing to waive for them and them alone, if not for the fact he was still considered a center by trade.

He took draws in Philly.

He took draws in Florida.

He takes draws in Ottawa, given that Stutzle isn't good at it, then moves to the wing.

Yes, Stutzle is getting better at it, but that is something I have no doubt is due to having someone of Giroux's caliber to learn from on a daily basis.

But the point remains.

He takes the draw. Which is the centers primary responsibility. If you take over 10% of draws for your team... you're a center. End of discussion.

Draisaitl takes 36% percent of his teams draws, where and how those draws take place is based on fluid situations and will prefer to switch to wing after the fact because he doesn’t have to concentrate on defensive responsibilities and can keep to the perimeter to feed either McDavid or RNH who like to crash the net.

Um, aside from having to be defensively sound and cover the wingers if they cough up the puck a centers job is absolutely 100% about taking the faceoff. Taking the draw is job title numero uno.

That bit isn't debatable. You can argue on usage after the fact. But the fact a centers primary responsibility is to take faceoff draws isn't one you can argue.

I already said peoples ideals differentiates.

Imo just because you take draws does not make you a center. If that were the case I'd consider myself one as I am 60+% and take the majority of key draws for the team I play on (granted its adult league but still hockey is hockey ya know), but I consider myself a winger who has the ability to take a draw.

And I'd call you a center/winger. Because you're primary job is to take the draw. How you position yourself after the fact is just a preference on playstyle, nothing more, nothing less.

But yeah, difference of opinion and all that.