Saturday's Center Value Rankings
Here are theScore's center value rankings for Saturday's 12-game slate.
Top Options
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| J.T. Miller (NYR) | at PHI | 8 |
| Matt Cullen (PIT) | at FLA | 8 |
| Joseph Blandisi (NJ) | vs. WAS | 8 |
| Bo Horvat (VAN) | vs. CGY | 7 |
| Leo Komarov (TOR) | at OTT | 7 |
Eight goals in as many games make Miller hard to resist, despite a incrementally rising price.
Despite not having a great matchup, Cullen has a second-line role alongside Phil Kessel and Carl Hagelin due to Evgeni Malkin's absence. He's managed to score in consecutive games.
Blandisi has six points in his last five games and features on New Jersey's top line. Horvat has managed four goals, six assists and 22 shots in his last 10 games.
Ottawa has conceded 13 goals in two games following the All-Star break, and already ranks as the league's worst defensive team, affording Komarov a chance to build on his career-high 17 goals and 34 points.
Best of the Rest
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Derick Brassard (NYR) | at PHI | 7 |
| Connor McDavid (EDM) | at MTL | 7 |
| Sidney Crosby (PIT) | at FLA | 7 |
| Claude Giroux (PHI) | vs. NYR | 7 |
| Ryan Johansen (NAS) | vs. SJ | 7 |
| Evgeny Kuznetsov (WAS) | at NJ | 7 |
| Jean-Gabriel Pageau (OTT) | vs. TOR | 7 |
| Henrik Sedin (VAN) | vs. CGY | 7 |
| Charlie Coyle (MIN) | at STL | 7 |
| Aleksander Barkov (FLA) | vs. PIT | 7 |
| David Desharnais (MTL) | vs. EDM | 7 |
| Nazem Kadri (TOR) | at OTT | 7 |
| Dylan Larkin (DET) | vs. NYI | 7 |
| Mike Ribeiro (NAS) | vs. SJ | 7 |
| Jussi Jokinen (FLA) | vs. PIT | 7 |
| Brayden Schenn (PHI) | vs. NYR | 7 |
| Leon Draisaitl (EDM) | at MON | 7 |
McDavid has a goal and four assists in two games back from injury, though has only managed five shots. Crosby has 15 points (nine goals, six assists) in nine games, though at his price, a multi-point night is needed to return value.
Pageau has four points in as many games, as well as 14 shots, as he's ascended to a second line role.
The matchup isn't great for Laughton, but he's up to the second line and had two assists Thursday. Teammate Schenn has a five-game point streak, with four goals and three assists.
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Eichel (BUF) | at BOS | 6 |
| Tyler Seguin (DAL) | vs. CHI | 6 |
| Joe Pavelski (SJ) | at NAS | 6 |
| Matt Duchene (COL) | vs. WPG | 6 |
| Nathan MacKinnon (COL) | vs. WPG | 6 |
| Nicklas Backstrom (WAS) | at NJ | 6 |
| Mathieu Perreault (WPG) | at COL | 6 |
| Sam Bennett (CGY) | at VAN | 6 |
After an eight-goal-in-five-game stretch in mid-January, Bennett has cooled off, having gone pointless in four subsequent outings, with only 10 total shots.
Nothing to See Here
| Name | Opponent | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Patrice Bergeron (BOS) | vs. BUF | 5 |
| John Tavares (NYI) | at DET | 4 |
At their prices, both Bergeron and Tavares need multi-point efforts to return value, and don't face the easiest matchups.