Bergevin not ready to pronounce Drouin-at-center experiment a failure
Properly addressing the middle of the ice has eluded Mark Bergevin since the beginning of his tenure as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens. In a desperation effort to fill a top-line center role last season, the Habs shifted newly acquired Jonathan Drouin from left wing to the middle, and it came with some mixed results.
Drouin finished the season with a minus-28 rating (third-worst on team, 11th-worst in NHL), won just 42.5 percent of his faceoffs at even strength, and his possession numbers hovered around 50 percent despite an offensive-zone start percentage of nearly 60, per Hockey-Reference. His point total also fell from 53 in 2016-17 to 46 last season.
Bergevin admitted the learning curve of playing center was difficult for Drouin at times.
"As we speak today, there is a lack in the middle. (Drouin), well, I would say in the first half he had a hard time adjusting to center," he told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "As the season progressed, well, is he the perfect centerman? Is he Sidney Crosby? Of course not. But can he fill a role at times? Yes he can. We'll have to address some of our needs, sure."
Despite the 23-year-old's turbulent season, Bergevin isn't ready to call the Drouin-at-center experiment a failure.
"At the same time, there is a perception that (Drouin) failed there. I'm not ready to say that. He played some center in junior and he played some (with the Tampa Bay Lightning). Other than goaltending, I think center is probably the hardest position to fill. It takes some time and some mileage to play that position to a degree where you could really help your team win. So I'm not going to write him off there. But we have options we can look at as we speak."
Drouin did show progression manning the middle of the ice as the season wore on, collecting 13 points in his last 15 games, and improving his faceoff win percentage to a respectable 48.7 percent during that span.
Going about improving the center position could once again prove difficult for Bergevin this offseason. Though his team holds the third overall pick, the top end of the draft is filled with wingers and defenseman, not centers. On the free-agent market, John Tavares and Paul Stastny are the only capable No. 1 centers - but both will be highly sought after.