I had and article detailing Sam Gagner's comparables ready to go for this morning, until I was inspired by this comment from Copper & Blue regular melancholyculkin:
If you use the criteria of top 30=1st line, top 60=2nd line then Gagner is already a second-line center. He was the 49th highest scoring center last season. If he had played a full year and scored 50 points last year he would be 36th.
I decided to look at Gagner's 2010-11 rank among centres in a number of different offensive categories. Even though I ranked him second on my Top 25 Under 25 ballot, I was surprised by what I found.
Using the always-dashing Gabriel Desjardins' behindthenet.ca data, I looked up Gagner's rank among centres in the following categories: points, even strength points per 60 minutes, even strength goals per 60 minutes, even strength assists per 60 minutes and even strength goals for on per 60 minutes.
Centre Rank | |
Points | 49 |
ESP/60 | 38 |
ESG/60 | 69 |
ESA/60 | 23 |
ES GFON/60 | 40 |
As you can see, not only does Gagner rate solidly as a second-line centre in points, but even strength points, and even strength goals for on as well. He lags in even strength goals, ranking among the third-line centres and shines in even strength assists, ranking among the first-line centres at 23rd overall.
After four years, Gagner is proving to be exactly what he was drafted to be -- a play-making centre. He's going to be 22 years old and though his development hasn't been ideal, he's already a second-line centre. Give Gagner some linemates and he's a first-line centre. Force him to carry a line on his own, and he's not capable. Yet. Given age and progression, it's only a matter of time.