Michal Handzus

Jonathan Toews ranked No. 12 among centers by NHL Network. Is that too low?

It was only a few years ago that Jonathan Toews was considered not just one of the best centers in hockey, but one of the best players overall. The captain for three Stanley Cup-winning teams in Chicago, he had wiggled his way into the conversation for “Which player would you most want to build around?” Now after a couple of down years punctuated by the Blackhawks’ brief trips in the playoffs, Toews’ reputation has lost some of its shine. Another example of that came over the weekend when NHL Network revealed its top 20 centers for the upcoming season. Toews comes in No. 12. The list is topped by reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, with Penguins superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin

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  Jonathan Toews ranked 12th among NHL centers — but it's hard to argue with that

  Chicago Tribune
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  McDavid and Draisaitl Named "Top-20 Centers Right Now" By NHL Network

  The Copper & Blue

Why the Penguins will win a third, and possibly four straight Stanley Cups

1. The core is still in its prime and returning for next season. Sidney Crosby (29), Evgeni Malkin (30), Phil Kessel (29) and Kris Letang (29) aren’t anywhere close to declining. Maybe “prime” is too strong a word, but the Penguins have the league’s two best forwards in Malkin and Crosby while Kessel is, at worst, top-20 among forwards. All three have been around a point per game in the playoffs, so there’s no reason to think they can’t carry the water again next year. They’re all back, so you can expect the same dynamic offense. If one wasn’t back, and you had a Steve Carell leaving The Office situation where the Penguins replaced Kessel with a big-name forward that didn’t mesh as well, you

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  Malkin on ‘workaholic’ Crosby, Penguins’ chances for three Cups in a row

  NBC Sports
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  Who can replace Matt Cullen for the Pittsburgh Penguins?

  Yardbarker

NHL Western Conference Final: A battle of teams exorcising playoff demons

If you are in need of an example of a team that got hot at the right time, look no further than the Predators. Pekka Rinne and company have annihilated the competition, sweeping the heavily favored Chicago Blackhawks and making almost equally as quick work of the St. Louis Blues. Now, they enter the Western Conference Final for the first time in the history of the franchise. X-factor: Ryan Ellis. Nashville always has a defenseman who goes from sleeper to an on-the-radar threat. Ellis is the current player in that rotation as he leads the team in scoring whilst manning the blue line. The difference maker for the Predators: Not just one player is carrying the team. After the first round we discussed