First Line Centers

How does a team get a top line center? I last looked at this in the summer of 2022, so let’s do a little update in January of 2025. Previously I used the depth charts at CapFriendly, but this time I’ll use average TOI for each team’s centers.

TeamPlayerObtainedDraft PositionDraft YearMain Trade Piece
AnaheimTrevor ZegrasDraft92019
BostonPavel ZachaTrade62015Eric Haula
BuffaloTage ThompsonTrade262016Ryan O’Reilly
CalgaryMikael BacklundDraft242007
CarolinaSeth JarvisDraft132020
ChicagoConnor BedardDraft12023
ColoradoNathan MacKinnonDraft12013
ColumbusSean MonahanUFA Signing62013
DallasWyatt JohnsonDraft232021
DetroitDylan LarkinDraft152014
EdmontonConnor McDavidDraft12015
FloridaAlexander BarkovDraft22013
LAAnze KopitarDraft112005
MinnesotaJoel Eriksson EkTrade202015
MontrealNick SuzukiTrade132017Max Pacioretty
NashvilleFilip ForsbergTrade112012Martin Erat, Michael Latta
New JerseyJack HughesDraft12019
NYIMat BarzalDraft162015
NYRVincent TrochekUFA Signing642011
OttawaJoshua NorrisTrade192017Erik Karlsson
PhiladelphiaTravis KonechnyDraft242015
PittsburghSidney CrosbyDraft12005
San JoseMikael GranlundDraft92010
SeattleChandler StephensonTrade7720125th Round Pick
St. LouisRobert ThomasDraft 202017
Tampa BayJake GuentzelTrade7720133rd Round Pick
TorontoAuston MatthewsDraft12016
UtahClayton KellerDraft72016
VancouverElias PetterssonDraft52017
Las VegasJack EichelTrade22015Tuch, Krebs, picks
WashingtonDylan StromeUFA Signing32015
WinnipegMark ScheifeleDraft72011

We can sort the data by how they were obtained and then which draft pick each one was, to get a better view of how the players are obtained. 20 of the 32 were obtained in the draft and 15 of those 20 were in the first 15 picks. Barzal just misses as the 16th pick, but Bruins fans will certainly scream that he should have been a top 15 pick. We also see three first line centers were signed as unrestricted free agents and the remaining nine were obtained via trade. As I noted in 2022, getting the most minutes doesn’t necessarily make a guy a “first line center”, but that’s the context of what we’re looking for here. How do teams get a true first line center for their team. I’ll let the reader look through the list and decide for themselves who is a “true 1C” and look how teams get them.

TeamPlayerObtainedDraft PositionDraft YearMain Trade Piece
ChicagoConnor BedardDraft12023
ColoradoNathan MacKinnonDraft12013
EdmontonConnor McDavidDraft12015
New JerseyJack HughesDraft12019
PittsburghSidney CrosbyDraft12005
TorontoAuston MatthewsDraft12016
FloridaAlexander BarkovDraft22013
VancouverElias PetterssonDraft52017
UtahClayton KellerDraft72016
WinnipegMark ScheifeleDraft72011Package of assets
AnaheimTrevor ZegrasDraft92019
San JoseMikael GranlundDraft92010
LAAnze KopitarDraft112005
CarolinaSeth JarvisDraft132020
DetroitDylan LarkinDraft152014
NYIMat BarzalDraft162015
St. LouisRobert ThomasDraft202017
DallasWyatt JohnsonDraft232021
CalgaryMikael BacklundDraft242007
PhiladelphiaTravis KonechnyDraft242015
Las VegasJack EichelTrade22015Tuch, Krebs, picks
BostonPavel ZachaTrade62015Eric Haula
NashvilleFilip ForsbergTrade112012Martin Erat, Michael Latta
MontrealNick SuzukiTrade132017Max Pacioretty
OttawaJoshua NorrisTrade192017Erik Karlsson
MinnesotaJoel Eriksson EkTrade202015
BuffaloTage ThompsonTrade262016Ryan O’Reilly
SeattleChandler StephensonTrade7720125th Round Pick
Tampa BayJake GuentzelTrade7720133rd Round Pick
WashingtonDylan StromeUFA Signing32015
ColumbusSean MonahanUFA Signing62013
NYRVincent TrochekUFA Signing642011

(The following data was first published here in July 2022 and it out of date now. It’s being kept just for historical purposes and comparison to current data.)

Let’s look at each team’s guy, using the depth charts from CapFriendly.com. Feel free to disagree on who the 1C is on each team, but that’s the data I’m using.

TeamPlayerObtainedDraft PositionDraft YearMain Trade Piece
AnaheimTrevor ZegrasDraft92019
ArizonaBarrett HaytonDraft52018
BostonPatrice BergeronDraft452003
BuffaloTage ThompsonTrade262016Ryan O’Reilly
CalgaryElias LindholmTrade52013Dougie Hamilton
CarolinaSebastian AhoDraft352015
ChicagoJonathan ToewsDraft32006
ColoradoNathan MacKinnonDraft12013
ColumbusJack RoslovicDraft252015
DallasRoope HintzDraft492015
DetroitDylan LarkinDraft152014
EdmontonConnor McDavidDraft12015
FloridaAlexander BarkovDraft22013
LAAnze KopitarDraft112005
MinnesotaRyan HartmanTrade302013Draft picks
MontrealNick SuzukiTrade132017Max Pacioretty
NashvilleMikael GranlundTrade92010Kevin Fiala
New JerseyJack HughesDraft12019
NYIBrock NelsonDraft202010
NYRMika ZibanejadTrade62011Derick Brassard
OttawaJoshua NorrisTrade192017Erik Karlsson
PhiladelphiaSean CouturierDraft82011
PittsburghSidney CrosbyDraft12005
San JoseTomas HertlDraft172012
SeattleMatty BeniersDraft22021
St. LouisRyan O’ReillyTrade332009Package of assets
Tampa BaySteven StamkosDraft12008
TorontoAuston MatthewsDraft12016
VancouverJT MillerTrade152011Draft picks
Las VegasJack EichelTrade22015Tuch, Krebs, picks
WashingtonNicklas BackstromDraft42006
WinnipegMark ScheifeleDraft72011

First, consider that these are just the first line center on each of the teams, then think about whether certain guys would be the 1C or even 2C on your own favorite team. Some might not.

So how do you get your first line center? It looks like for the most part, you draft him. 18 out of the 32 players are Top-10 picks and 22 out of 32 are from the top half of the draft. If you’re drafting in the bottom half, your choices become pretty slim.

10 of the players were obtained by trades, and most of those were for a big name going the other way (Karlsson, O’Reilly, Hamilton, Pacioretty).

Here’s the same table, sorted by the round the players were drafted. This view emphasizes the fact that teams generally get their top center from the first ten picks in the draft.

TeamPlayerObtainedDraft PositionDraft YearMain Trade Piece
ColoradoNathan MacKinnonDraft12013
EdmontonConnor McDavidDraft12015
New JerseyJack HughesDraft12019
PittsburghSidney CrosbyDraft12005
Tampa BaySteven StamkosDraft12008
TorontoAuston MatthewsDraft12016
FloridaAlexander BarkovDraft22013
SeattleMatty BeniersDraft22021
Las VegasJack EichelTrade22015Tuch, Krebs, picks
ChicagoJonathan ToewsDraft32006
WashingtonNicklas BackstromDraft42006
ArizonaBarrett HaytonDraft52018
CalgaryElias LindholmTrade52013Dougie Hamilton
NYRMika ZibanejadTrade62011Derrik Brassard
WinnipegMark ScheifeleDraft72011
PhiladelphiaSean CouturierDraft82011
AnaheimTrevor ZegrasDraft92019
NashvilleMikael GranlundTrade92010Kevin Fiala
LAAnze KopitarDraft112005
MontrealNick SuzukiTrade132017Max Pacioretty
DetroitDylan LarkinDraft152014
VancouverJT MillerTrade152011Draft picks
San JoseTomas HertlDraft172012
OttawaJoshua NorrisTrade192017Erik Karlsson
NYIBrock NelsonDraft202010
ColumbusJack RoslovicDraft252015
BuffaloTage ThompsonTrade262016Ryan O’Reilly
MinnesotaRyan HartmanTrade302013Draft picks
St. LouisRyan O’ReillyTrade332009Package of assets
CarolinaSebastian AhoDraft352015
BostonPatrice BergeronDraft452003
DallasRoope HintzDraft492015

In the end, it looks like the best way to get a top center, is to miss the playoffs, endure a bad season and hope a guy is available at your spot and he develops.

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