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Play Kesler on the wing where he belongs!


ronningsback

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There's nothing new about this debate, they can play Kesler at center or wing just like they did with Linden, but make no mistake Kesler is not a center, statistically when you compare his numbers to other canuck centers he doesn't come close to the 2-1 ratio of goals vs assists produced by most centers

G A

Ryan Kesler 154 188

Brendan Morrison 200 401

Andrew Cassels 204 528

Cliff Ronning 306 563

Murray Craven 266 493

Thomas Gradin 209 384

This isn't a criticsm, just an observation that Kesler who played right wing in college and was centered by Umberger, is simply not a puck distributer. You don't have to be an NHL scout to see that when you watch Kesler play, he simply doesn't have the vision or the passing skills of a center and would be more effective using his great speed off the wing. Kesler would probably have better numbers if he had a true puck distributing center feeding him.

Derek Roy 165 284

He can still play shut down from right wing just like Bob Gainey did.

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Guest Gumballthechewy

Of course, you could let him take faceoffs and have him move to the wing once play starts, but then you miss out on his defensive play.

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With the Roy signing and Schroeder starting to look like an NHLer and given Burroughs, Raymond and Higgins are all capable of playing Centre there is absolutely no reason to play Kesler at Centre. He is simply not a "natural" centre......his first instincts are always to shoot rather than pass and he would be much better along the boards. Forward Line up should be:

Sedin, Sedin and Burrows

Higgins, Roy and Hansen (*)

Raymond, Schroeder, Kesler (*)

Pinnizzoto, LaPierre, Weise

(*) interchangeable

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Higgins - Roy - Hansen looked GREAT tonight. let Roy and Kesler play their natural positions, and let this trade do for us what it was meant to >> Give us Depth at the Center Position << with Kesler and Roy centring two different lines, wwe pretty much have two 2nd lines.

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I honestly think we have too much depth now...I don't even know what to do after seeing the Higgins-Roy-Hansen line play. They were impressive. I also liked the line of Kassian-Lapierre-Jensen. Damn, I'm glad I ain't AV. How about this?

If we want to go skilled...

D Sedin H Sedin Burrows

Raymond Kesler Booth

Higgins Roy Jansen

Kassian Lapierre(Schroeder) Jensen

If we want to go grit..

D Sedin H Sedin Kassian

Hansen Roy Kesler

Burrows Raymond Higgins

Booth/Pinzotto Lapierre Weise/Sesito

I don't know man.

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Eh...offensively Kesler is better off as a winger. No question there. But his defensive contributions are immense as well and will certainly be diminished with a move to wing. I think I'd be a lot more inclined to move him over if one of the other guys was more of a defensive center to compensate. But they aren't. Roy is fine defensively but it isn't his primary strength. Sedin is offense first. That really leaves us wanting for what Kesler brings as a center. His contributions in this role outweigh any added offensive contributions.

And in any case, if we move Kesler we're right back to having a giant hole on the third line. Schroeder has a reasonably bright future but he's clearly not ready yet. He's still massively inconsistent night to night. And Lapierre lacks the offensive ability to be anything but a fourth liner. I mean, he could fill in as a third liner (as he's been doing) but it is far, far from ideal. And at the end of the day, the center position is the most important. Your centers make your wingers better. I'd much rather have three excellent centers than two centers and a great winger.

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Depth gives options.There is no way of any of us knowing the truly "best" way without actually seeing it tested out in real games. We can discuss it, but there is no point in calling eachother morons because one says he would be better served on the wing and another says he's better at centre. I'd like to see all the viable options tried out if time permits. I'm just excited to see our C depth be better again.

Sedin, Kesler, Roy, Schroeder. Lapierre, Pinizzoto, Ebbett, and with Burrows, Higgins, and Raymond also able to play C if called upon (but not ideally). That's some pretty solid depth down the middle.

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