Center Rankings: Standard Leagues
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The rankings apply to standard-scoring leagues. Skaters accumulate value via goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty minutes, power-play points, and shots on goal. Goalies track wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts.
| Rank | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidney Crosby | C | PIT |
| 2 | Tyler Seguin | C/RW | DAL |
| 3 | Patrick Kane | C/RW | CHI |
| 4 | Connor McDavid | C | EDM |
| 5 | John Tavares | C | NYI |
| 6 | Claude Giroux | C/RW | PHI |
| 7 | Evgeny Kuznetsov | C/LW | WAS |
| 8 | Filip Forsberg | C/LW/RW | NAS |
| 9 | Joe Pavelski | C/LW/RW | SJ |
| 10 | Joe Thornton | C | SJ |
| 11 | Evgeni Malkin | C/RW | PIT |
| 12 | Anze Kopitar | C | LA |
Entering his second season, it's tough to rank McDavid much higher than this, though he could quite easily enter 2017-18 in the conversation for the top fantasy pick. Fans and owners need to see what he can do over the course of a full season. Pavelski will likely put up fewer points than Thornton, but he does a much better job contributing in other categories.
| Rank | Player | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Nicklas Backstrom | C | WAS |
| 14 | Patrice Bergeron | C | BOS |
| 15 | Steven Stamkos | C | TB |
| 16 | Jack Eichel | C | BUF |
| 17 | Ryan Getzlaf | C | ANA |
| 18 | Tyler Toffoli | C/LW/RW | LA |
| 19 | Aleksander Barkov | C | FLA |
| 20 | Nathan MacKinnon | C/RW | COL |
| 21 | Ryan Johansen | C | NAS |
| 22 | Sean Monahan | C | CGY |
| 23 | Logan Couture | C/LW | SJ |
| 24 | Jason Spezza | C | DAL |
Health remains a concern for Stamkos, as blood clot issues have derailed the careers of several top players across the major sports. There comes a point where his upside is impossible to pass up. Look for a better season from MacKinnon with the coaching change in Colorado.
Johnson rebounded from a horrendous start last season, to post 22 points after the All-Star break. Larkin should be promoted to the top line on a full-time basis, serving as the center for Zetterberg. Bonino had an incredible final month of the regular season and a great playoff run with the Penguins. His true value lies somewhere between the stretch run and his pre-Penguins performance.