DRAFT: Center of Attention

It's a position in the NHL that can make all the difference.
Your franchise center.
They're not particularly easy to trade for, costing a pretty penny when in their prime. Names like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Patrice Bergeron to name a few, are impact players not only on their teams but in the entire league. That is why looking at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, it's an exciting time to have one of the top selections. There will be centers on the board, up for grabs, to make an eventual impact in the league.
Looking through Central Scouting's final rankings, there are several up-and-coming centermen, already making strong impacts on their current teams that have the skills and talent to translate to the NHL stage.

On the North American side, Quinton Byfield is ranked as Central Scouting's top centerman. Overall, he's listed at second overall for North American skaters, behind winger Alexis Lafreniere.
The size and strength that Byfield boasts will make him a piece to the puzzle down the middle of the ice for any team looking for a number one center. Byfield's assets not only include his strength, size and skating, but also his commitment to the 200-foot game. He's a player who can put up numbers on the board, he had 82 points in 45 games this season in the OHL, but he is defensively responsible.
Often compared to Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin, for size, strength and offense, NHL scouts are certainly excited about what the future holds for Byfield.
"A player with his size and strength, and I think there's more size and strength to come," NHL Central Scouting's David Gregory said in April, "but to able to have soft hands and vision and make plays and when players try to eliminate him, he can beat you with power or he can beat you with hands and hockey sense, so it makes him very, very tough to contain and a very attractive prospect obviously."
Size and weight drop down quite a bit from the highest ranked North American center to the next. That would be 5'10, 185lb Cole Perfetti, who suited up with the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League this season. He's listed on Central Scouting North American skaters list at five.
Perfetti can play both center and left-wing, where his offensive numbers ranked second in the entire OHL with 111 total points over 61 games. He has an innate ability to read plays and capitalize on them, at any given moment in a game. In the final 23 games of his OHL season with Saginaw, he had an enormous 47 points.
"He has the best IQ of any player in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft," TSN Scouting Director Craig Button tweeted in regard to Perfetti.
Right behind Perfetti is Marco Rossi. Rossi sits in a similar position that Devils Nico Hischier was in, listed as a North American skater, with a European flag next to his name. Rossi is a centerman originally from Austria but elected to play the last two years in North America, much like Hischier did. Rossi has played in the OHL with the Ottawa 67s, coached by Andre Tourigny, who happened to also be Hischier's coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 2017. Also, like Hischier, Rossi played his youth hockey in Switzerland, moving from his hometown in Austria to Switzerland at 13 years old.
In fact, Hischier had even more influence, as Rossi decided to move over to North America after reaching out to Hischier to hear of his experience in making the move. The conversation helped Rossi make his decision, which looks like it was the right one for the 5'9 centerman. He improved leaps and bounds from his first to second year, with 120 points in 56 games to become the OHL and the Canadian Hockey League's top point-getter. In 2018-19, his first in North America, he had just 65 points in 53 games.
The next center listed on the North American list of Central Scouting's skaters is Hendrix Lapierre. Lapierre was limited to just 19 games this season due to injury and the cancelled season. In that time, he put up 17 points. Lapierre is ranked 13th in the final rankings, the same spot where he sat at mid-season. Although limited to less than 20 games in his draft season, Lapierre is projected to be one of those classic two-way centers, should he remain healthy and able to crack an NHL lineup. He's praised for his skating ability and puck handling, two things which he can couple together at top speed causing problems for defenders.
"A complete two-way center who can play in every square inch of the ice and be very productive. Outstanding sense and feel for all situations, with the ability to process quickly," Button has said of Lapierre.
On the European Central Scouting list, Germany's Tim Stutzle headlines the list. Stutzle is listed as both a centerman and a left-winger and has spent the entire year as the European top skater on Central Scouting's list.
"He's a consistent threat with his speed, vision, puck-handling skills, balance, and surprising moves," said Goran Stubb, NHL director of European Scouting told NHL.com. "I just love him and he's a great hockey player. He will have a great future."
Stutzle is expected to be off the board within the top three selections, even as early as number two. Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl is currently the highest drafted German hockey player in league history, selected at number three in 2014, it's not inconceivable that Stutzle could top that, and next to certain that he will tie it.
At 6'7 and 187lbs, Stutzle was named the German league's top rookie with 34 points in 41 games this season.
Number three on the European list is Finland's Anton Lundell. Lundell is a 6'1, 187lbs centerman for HIFK in Finland's Liiga. The 18-year-old has spent the majority of the last two seasons playing against men in the top Finnish league, entering the league as a 17-year-old during the 2018-19 season.
Often referred to as a strong two-way player already, Lundell will likely strongly benefit from another year playing in the Finnish league where he can take on a larger role with his HIFK team. That seasoning will only help him, become a bigger impact player when he makes the jump to the NHL.
""He's already a complete two-way player. He needs a little more physical power, needs a little more speed. There's nothing wrong with his skating, but he can work on that," Stubb continued, "Overall, I think many European players are too much in a hurry in thinking North America or the National Hockey League nowadays. Usually, it's good to stay one more year in Europe; it helps their development."
Lundell's Finnish counterpart, Roni Hirvonen rounds out the European top 10 skaters. The centerman plays for Assat in the Liiga, also playing in Finland's top league. Unlike Lundell, Hirvonen has played just one season in the top league, suiting up for 52 games with 16 points. His 16 points may not sound overly exciting, but given his smaller role, his age and his first season playing amongst men, he finished in second place in points among U-19 rookies.
"[A] player to watch could be center Roni Hirvonen, who played with Assat in the Finnish league all season," Stubb continued telling NHL.com. "He did improve and mature. He's a good player and I think he'll play in the NHL within the next 3-to-4 years."
Hirvonen sits on the smaller at 5'9 and 163lbs but given the direction the NHL has trended his size shouldn't hamper his ability to be successful in the NHL, considering his smooth hands and play making abilities make up for any lack of size he may possess.
The NHL will host the annual Entry Draft in early October in a virtual format. The first round of the draft will be held on the evening of October 6th with rounds 2 through 7 on October 7th.