So with the age of Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and the emergence of Filppula last year and the way his game has developed... What does everyone think about Filppula eventually being the 1st line center of this team potentially?
I think he has the tools, but I question his ability to bring everything consistently and his leadership. I think if we get him re-signed he will eventually be the 1st line center of this team, maybe even sooner than most expect.
I'd like to see him attack the net more. He has all the attributes to be a good center in the NHL, but playing along the boards and not showing any killer instinct, isn't going to get you very far.
If he can build his confidence and progress like he has so far, sure, why not?
I don't see any real issue with his consistency or leadership, but I don't think he quite has the tools to be the type of first-line center we should expect. Nor do I see him acquiring that role any time soon. He seems to more easily produce offense from the wing anyway; drives the net more from that position.
His leadership shouldn't be in question, if I recall correctly, Lidstrom mentioned Filppula's leadership ability while talking about the Wings' locker room. If he has talented wingers, Fil could succeed on the 1st line. He's not as good as Z or Pav obviously, but he can be a guy like Krecji who is right on the fence of a 2nd/1st line center.
The closest thing we have to the next 1st line center after Z/D retire right now is Jarnkrok. If he doesn't pan out we're pretty screwed down the middle.
well, flip would then play the top defense pairing every night with cleary or bert like player. i dont think he will score that many points then. i cant see the same talent datsyuk or zetta have.
so we are pretty doomed when datsyuk and zetta leave and no rookie jump into this spot.
you cannot put a over aged worn 2 mil. role player as your 1st center and hope to win a cup. but i am quite sure thats what ken holland is planning.
If Pav heads home and Z slows down considerably I could see it ... he was our 2nd centerman for the 08/09 cup runs. In a few years if Pavel is gone and Jankrok ends up being a stud I'd like to see Hank, Filp, Ironhook down the middle. 3 offensively dangerous lines with Helmer shoring up the 4th spot.
If Flip is our top center, things will certainly be different but it's hard to say what we'd have to do because we don't know what we would look like on the wings or on D. We could get by with a four good centers, as opposed to two great ones, if we improve elsewhere.
This is one of the reasons I didn't want Hudler let go. He has great chemistry with Flip and the two could have formed a great combination and would have been the new nucleus of the offense that the Wings would be building around. Imagine three or five years down the road, Dats is retired, Franzen and Cleary also gone. Hank would be 36 and probably suffering more from his injuries. Filppula has remained relatively injury-free for longer than Z did; so at 33 he might be better than a 36 year-old Zetterberg.
Maybe the roster would look something like this up front:
Shouldn't have said I question his leadership, just don't think he is a leader to the extent of a Zetterberg or Datsyuk. Poor thought development on my part, my apologies.
If Jarnkrok doesn't live up to his expectations, it is very realistic Filppula could be the #1 center on Detroit some time in the future. Zetterberg is getting older, with a lot of miles on him, and Datsyuk may want to go home sooner than we may like. If those things happen, Filppula starts to look like the best thing we have as our #1 center. I'd say we could probably get a free agent to fill that slot, but there's no guarantee a #1 center will even hit free agency, and if so we will probably get outbid.
Val is a good skater, solid defensively, dynamic offensively. I liked a lot how he was more aggressive than usual last year with the puck, I would really like him to keep that up going forward. I think people are selling him a bit short on here, it is possible that he produces at a pretty comparable rate to Zetterberg from here on out.
What if The difference between your third and first line center when Filppula is the first line center isn't much at all? I'm fine with three well above average centers (50+ FO%, 50-60 points, great leadership). I'd rather have that than 1 100 point center and two 20-30 point centers.
I am pretty high on him, but I think Jarnkrok is our #1 center in a couple of seasons. Might be lofty expectations, but I really believe everytime I see him. Of course it would be really nice if someone like say Getzlaf was really our number one. Filppula could stay on the wing or would have departed for the upgrade that is Getzlaf in free agency. If we get Getzlaf then Filppula is the number 2 in a couple of years in my opinion, if Jarnkrok doesn't pan out. I believe he will though, he is really talented.
Yeah, if Flip is our first line C we better have something like Colorado, basically all three lines are/can be scoring lines with pretty much equal power. Otherwise, I think we are screwed. I love Flip, but imo he is not talented enough to carry a line by himself, especially the first line.
well, flip would then play the top defense pairing every night with cleary or bert like player. i dont think he will score that many points then. i cant see the same talent datsyuk or zetta have.
so we are pretty doomed when datsyuk and zetta leave and no rookie jump into this spot. you cannot put a over aged worn 2 mil. role player as your 1st center and hope to win a cup. but i am quite sure thats what ken holland is planning.
Um, Filppula is much more than "a over aged worn 2 mil. role player."
Shouldn't have said I question his leadership, just don't think he is a leader to the extent of a Zetterberg or Datsyuk. Poor thought development on my part, my apologies.
I think it's fine to question his leadership.
Flip doesn't play like a guy who puts the team on his shoulders. And that's what leaders do from time to time.
He's too meek to be a leader, IMO.
