Hockey season is currently in full swing. While our home team, The San Jose Sharks, are having a particularly rough year, other hockey players across the NHL (National Hockey League) are excelling. The following is a list of the current top performing hockey centers.
1: Connor McDavid: The 26 year old was the Edmonton Oilers’ first overall draft pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. Since entering the league, the young center has dominated on the ice as the team’s captain. McDavid’s puck handling skills and agility on the ice make him a fierce competitor and weapon for the Oilers. McDavid averages one assist every game and .81 goals per game this season. Overall, he averages . 53 goals a game and .94 assists per game. Last year McDavid had his best season yet, raking up 44 goals and 79 points (points are the among of goals and assists combined). When McDavid is on the ice, the Oilers’ stats and performance is significantly increased. McDavid Still relatively young, McDavid’s career will likely continue to blossom as he has gained a reputation as one of the best NHL players of all time.
2: Nathan MacKinnon: Nathan MacKinnon was the first overall draft pick to the Colorado Avalanche in 2013. He helped lead his team to a Stanley Cup victory last year as the team’s star center. Across his 673 career games, MacKinnon has scored 255 goals. This year he is tied for the sixth most assists in the NHL. As the alternate captain of the Avalanche, MacKinnon has helped his team to an incredibly successful season thus far.
3: Auston Matthews: Auston Matthews, the first overall pick for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016, definitely earned a spot on this list of the best centers. This season alone, Matthews has scored 25 goals and has 28 assists in only 46 games. Even more impressive, last year Mattews totaled a career high of 106 points; 60 goals and 46 assists. Matthews success can be attributed to his aggressive puck handling mentality and his ability to take shots from any place on the ice. With the caliber of play Matthews has displayed lately, it would be no surprise if he continues to dominate and lead his team to greater successes.
4: Sidney Crosby: This list simply would not be complete without hockey legend Sidney Crosby. Although Crosby is definitely in the tail end of his career, he will always be a pivotal player to his team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, he is a top five all time hockey player and will likely be a first ballot hall of famer due to his extraordinary success. Selected as the first round draft pick for the Penguins in 2005, Crosby has wildly surpassed expectations and is now the team’s captain in 2007. Not only is he a fantastic captain and team motivator, but he is an icon to the hockey world. This year, Crosby has dominated offensively, scoring 23 goals in the team’s first 47 games. While the peak of his career was in the 2010’s, Crosby will always be a hockey superstar.