Subj : Scheifele Drops 3 Spots on the 2020 Top-20 Centres List
To   : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Tue Nov 17 2020 04:40 am


Mark Scheifele was recently voted as the 12th-best centre right now in the
National Hockey League by NHL Network on Nov. 15, 2020. The other players in
the 10-14 spot included Mika Zibanejad, Aleksander Barkov, Sebastian Aho, and
John Tavares. This put him three spots down from the No. 9 spot that he secured
in 2019.

Scheifele has had a great career with the Jets so far, as he has been the
club';s first-line centre for years and hopes to secure that spot for the
future. This article takes a look at his career in the league so far, how he
can improve, and why he has moved down on the top centres list. Scheifele';s
Outstanding Career

Scheifele was the Winnipeg Jets 2.0 first draft pick since relocation from
Atlanta in 2011. Since being the seventh-overall selection in the NHL Entry
Draft, he has had a great career with the club.

He was a project that general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets were
willing to take on, and ultimately did it well. He did not join the team until
the 2013-14 season, as he went back to play for Jets legend and Barrie Colts
head coach, Dale Hawerchuck. Mark Scheifele is centering the Jets'; second line
and is showing just why he was a top-ten pick in 2011. (OHL Images)

In Junior, he was well over a point-per-game player and showed the Jets
management that he was ready to take the step and become a full-time NHL
player. In his first three seasons in the league, he put up 144 points and was
continuously growing as a player on and off of the ice for the Jets.

The 2016-17 season is when Scheifele really hit his stride as a player, as he
put up 82 points in 79 games. Every season since then, he has been a
point-per-game player or better for the club. He has worn the alternate
captaincy and has secured himself as the Jets first-line centre. No. 9 to No.
12?

Scheifele ultimately moved down a few spots in the top centre rankings from
2019 to 2020. Maybe its because he missed some games due to injury, maybe he
has not become a better offensive player, or maybe he has just become less
important on the team with the improvement of other forwards such as Patrik
Laine and Kyle Connor. Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets (Jess Starr/The Hockey
Writers)

Many people may have their reasons, but the fact is that Scheifele has not
gotten worse as a player, other players have just gotten better. When you look
at the list in 2019 it had some players below Scheifele that were above him on
the 2020 rankings.

Zibanejad was not even on the 2019 rankings, but an outstanding 2019-20 season
secured the No. 10 spot on the list for him. He put up 75 points in 57 games
and it was hard to not put the New York Rangers'; first-line centre on the
list.

Jack Eichel moved from spot 15 in 2019 all the way to No. 6 in 2020. This was
bound to happen at some point, as the young star has consistently improved and
is going to be a top centre in the league for years to come.

Brayden Point also moved up in the rankings from No. 10 in 2019 to No. 9 in
2020. He has been a force for the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and
is a top-10 centre in the league in many people';s rankings. Brayden Point,
Tampa Bay Lightning (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Scheifele has been a great player for the Jets and will be for the rest of his
career, but the improvement of younger players pushed him back on the 2020
rankings. How He Can Improve

Every player in the NHL has one way or another that they can improve and
everyone has an opinion on what that is. Scheifele is the all-around player, as
he can play both offensively and defensively on the ice, and can lead by
example for the Jets.

One thing that the eighth-year centre could improve on would be his faceoffs.
He was a 46% faceoff man last year and that needs to improve if he wants to be
on the ice during all the big moments in the game.

A player that he should try and model his game after is Central Division St.
Louis Blues opponent, Ryan O';Reilly. He has been a force for the Blues since
joining them in the trade from the Buffalo Sabres. He produces offensively and
also is a great defensive player. He has been a 56% faceoff winner for the past
two seasons and takes important draws for the Blues. Ryan O';Reilly, St. Louis
Blues (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Scheifele is a great player for the Jets and has many amazing qualities, but an
improvement in his defensive game and his faceoffs could slot him top-10 in
next year';s centre rankings.

In the 2020-21 season, he will look to put his team on his back to help the
Jets make the playoffs and hopefully lead them to a deep playoff run for the
2021 Stanley Cup.

The post Scheifele Drops 3 Spots on the 2020 Top-20 Centres List appeared first
on The Hockey Writers.

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