One of Jim Rutherford's stated goals this off-season was to create balance and depth. By and large, he has addressed that.
So before we move Derick Brassard to left wing or any other position he's never played in his 11-year NHL career, let's keep this in mind: The greatest advantage the Penguins enjoy is their strength down the middle.
With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins still have the best 1-2 punch going in the NHL. Throw in Brassard, followed by Riley Sheahan and/or Matt Cullen, and Pittsburgh boasts the deepest and most talented group of centers in the game.
But that dynamic only works with Brassard on the third line.
When healthy, Brassard is exactly the two-way center the Penguins thought they were getting when they acquired him from Ottawa last February. Unfortunately for Brassard and the Penguins, a groin injury threw a wrench into those plans. However, that doesn't mean that the Penguins should walk away from that model after 26 games, playoffs included. In fact, Brassard could hold the key to a third Stanley Cup in four years.
Sure, it would be tempting to load up a second line that could have Malkin centering Brassard and Phil Kessel, but then what of Carl Hagelin? Assuming that the Penguins will appease Kessel and that he'll play with Malkin, no one has better chemistry with the Russian than Hagelin. The speedy Swede is an unrestricted free agent and his $4 million salary could be moved to clear up cap space, but how does that make a team that is trying to win now better?
Rutherford has been willing in the past to let free agents walk in the summer if they can help him win in the spring. Hagelin can clearly help and would have to be the "defensive conscience" on that line.
If any center should be moved to wing, it should be Cullen. At 42, he is the fifth center and it's not realistic to expect him to play 200 feet the way he has in the past. However, he would still be used on the draws on the penalty kill when winning faceoffs is far more important. Imagine a lineup that looks like this:
Guentzel--Crosby--Sprong
Hagelin--Malkin--Kessel
Aston-Reese--Brassard--Hornqvist
Cullen--Sheahan--Rust
Or Sullivan can get creative and have Sheahan skate on the left wing on Brassard's third line with one caveat: Sheahan and his team-leading 54.4 win percentage could take the faceoffs. The glaring weakness in Brassard's game is that he has a 48.2 career win percentage and on a team with Crosby and Malkin he's likely to get far more defensive zone starts.
Obviously, there's plenty of time for Mike Sullivan to figure this out on his own. But the key for any coach is the ability to roll four lines with strength down the middle.
Below, I rank all 31 NHL teams by their presumptive center icemen:
1. PENGUINS: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan
The skinny: Future Hall of Famers Crosby and Malkin might be getting a little older but there's no question this is still the best colleection of centers and that's not even taking Cullen into account.
2. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Nazem Kadri, Par Lindholm
The skinny: When Kadri is the 3C you're doing something right. The addition of Tavares transforms the organization and speeds up the development of Matthews. Swedish export Lindholm is an intriguing option as the 4C.
3. EDMONTON OILERS: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Strome, Kyle Brodziak
The skinny: If McDavid isn't the best player in the game, he soon will be. A lot of pedigree and talent at center and Brodziak returns home to solidify the fourth line. There's no way the Oilers miss the playoffs, right?
4. WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Nicklas Backstrom, Lars Eller, Nic Dowd
The skinny: The only team with Europeans occupying the top three spots, the Capitals were good enough to win the Cup. Kuznetsov took a giant step forward and the only question is with Dowd taking over for the departed Jay Beagle.
5. NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Ryan Johanssen, Kyle Turris, Nick Bonino, Calle Jarnkrok
The skinny: To be sure, the Predators' strength still lies in their defense but their centermen are perfectly cast. With Mike Fisher re-retired, the versatile Jarnkrok could be moving back to center making this group even better.
6. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Cedric Paquette
The skinny: Tampa is deep at every position but they are a little top-heavy at center. Stamkos is one of the five best players in the game when healthy and Point could only be scratching the surface.
7. FLORIDA PANTHERS: Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Henrik Borgstrom, Derek MacKenzie
The skinny: The Panthers are already very strong at the 1C and 2C, but the highly-touted Borgstrom, who played four games late last season, could be a huge addition. The future is very bright in South Florida.
8. ST. LOUIS BLUES: Brayden Schenn, Ryan O'Reilly, Tyler Bozak, Robert Thomas
The skinny: The Blues will be either boom or bust. Can Schenn repeat his career year? O'Reilly and Bozak were nice pick-ups but not sure if they finally bring the Cup to St. Louis. Thomas, a rookie, is a 2017 first round pick.
9. DALLAS STARS: Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Martin Hanzal, Mattias Janmark
The skinny: On paper, the Stars centermen rank in the top quarter of all teams but a lot depends on Hanzal recapturing his glory days with the Coyotes.
10. BOSTON BRUINS: Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Jakob Forsback Karlsson, Noel Acciari
The skinny: Bergeron's line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is as good as it gets and Krejci is a great No. 2. JFK, just 21, has a tall order in replacing the departed Riley Nash.
11. CALGARY FLAMES
Centers: Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund, Mark Jankowski, Derek Ryan
The skinny: What this group lacks in high-end talent, they make up in balanced scoring. The addition of Ryan from Carolina makes this group extremely deep. With winger James Neal in tow, the Flames could surprise.
12. LOS ANGELES KINGS: Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Adrian Kempe, Nate Thompson
The skinny: Kempe brings an infusion of much-needed youth and speed. Thompson should be better in his first full season in L.A. Like the Penguins, the Kings are in good position but have to win now.
13. SAN JOSE SHARKS: Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Chris Tierney, Barclay Goodrow
The skinny: Thornton's age and health are more than a little concerning but he's well-insulated with Evander Kane and Joe Pavelski on the top line. Couture and Tierney are very strong as the Nos. 2 and 3 centers.
14. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: William Karlsson, Paul Stastny, Cody Eakin, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
The skinny: Karlsson (43 goals) and the Knights set the bar so high for themselves it's hard to see how they repeat it. But if Stastny can replicate what he did in his short time with Winnipeg, they could be on their way.
15. MINNESOTA WILD: Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, Joel Eriksson Ek, Eric Fehr
The skinny: The sum is always greater than the parts with the Wild. Granted, Staal, Koivu and Fehr, signed in free agency, are getting up there in years, but the Wild should make it seven years in a row in the playoffs.
16. WINNIPEG JETS: Mark Scheifele, Bryan Little, Nic Petan, Adam Lowry
The skinny: The Jets are legit Cup contenders based on the strength of their wingers, defense corps and goalie. Little and Lowry are very capable and Scheifele was outstanding in the postseason. Petan is a bit of an unknown.
17. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Nico Hischier, Travis Zajac, Pavel Zacha, Brian Boyle
The skinny: Look for Hischier to build on a strong rookie season and build more chemistry with MVP Taylor Hall while former first-rounder Zacha starts to come into his own. Zajac and Boyle are proven commodities.
18. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alexander Wennberg, Riley Nash, Brandon Dubinsky
The skinny: True to Tortorella form, the Jackets are big and play a heavy game. Columbus is improved with addition of Nash through free agency, but PLD is miscast as a No. 1.
19. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Sean Couturier, Nolan Patrick, Jordan Weal, Scott Laughton
The skinny: Couturier proved he can be a No. 1 but the Flyers might be better served with Claude Giroux returning to his natural center spot. Former first-rounders Patrick and Laughton need to take the next step.
20. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Jonathan Toews, Artem Anisimov, David Kampf, Marcus Kruger
The skinny: How the mighty have fallen, and fast. Kampf played just half a season in the NHL last year while the Hawks are bringing back Kruger in the hopes he can rekindle his career.
21. ANAHEIM DUCKS: Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Adam Henrique, Carter Rowney
The skinny: First line through third, the talent is there but Getzlaf is getting a little long in the tooth and Kesler's status due to a hip injury is problematic. Henrique is a very strong 3C and Rowney is, well, Rowney.
22. BUFFALO SABRES: Jack Eichel, Casey Mittlestadt, Patrik Berglund, Zemgus Girgensons
The skinny: After getting his feet wet late last season, Mittlestadt will be one of the most anticipated rookies. Berglund comes over from St. Louis as Buffalo becomes one of the more intriguing teams to watch in 2018-19.
23. VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Bo Horvat, Elias Petersson, Brandon Sutter, Jay Beagle
The skinny: Sutter and Beagle are solid professionals but are place-setters during a rebuild in Vancouver which features Horvat, Petersson, a first-rounder last year, and second-year sniper Brock Boeser.
24. DETROIT RED WINGS: Dylan Larkin, Henrik Zetterberg, Frans Nielsen, Luke Glendening
The skinny: Larkin's best days lie ahead while Zetterberg's are in the rearview. Nielsen had a decent first season in Detroit but the Wings simply aren't good enough to compete for a playoff spot.
25. CAROLINA HURRICANES: Teuvo Teravainen, Martin Necas, Jordan Staal, Viktor Rask
The skinny: A lot of speed and Staal certainly brings size and strong, two-way play, but this group is mostly "meh."
26. NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Valterri Filppula, Casey Cizikas
The skinny: Barzal was great as a rookie but you just can't replace John Tavares in one summer. The Islanders aren't terrible -- the fourth line which added Leo Komarov is still better than any -- but they're not a playoff team.
27. COLORADO AVALANCHE: Nathan MacKinnon, Tyson Jost, J.T. Compher, Carl Soderberg
The skinny: There's a reason why MacKinnon was a Hart Trophy finalist: He carried the Avalanche into the playoffs last season. If they are to get back, it hinges on No. 29 again.
28. OTTAWA SENATORS: Matt Duchene, J-G Pageau, Logan Brown, Tom Pyatt
The skinny: Duchene was very effective after coming over from Colorado but there's not much there there. Brown needs to get a season or two under his belt. Yep, the Senators will be in for a long year.
29. ARIZONA COYOTES: Derek Stepan, Alex Galchenyuk, Christian Dvorak, Brad Richardson
The skinny: Galchenyuk is a work in progress after coming over from Montreal in the Max Domi trade while Stepan is a good player but is not a true No. 1.
30. NEW YORK RANGERS: Mikka Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, Lias Andersson, Ryan Spooner
The skinny: Andersson has a bright future on Broadway and Spooner was a nice get in the Rick Nash trade but it's hard to see the Rangers as anything other than an also-ran or worse.
31. MONTREAL CANADIENS: Jonathan Drouin, Phillip Danault, Tomas Plekanec, Andrew Shaw
The skinny: Wonder why the Canadiens are in the market for centers? Look above. Drouin is a nice complementary piece but not a No. 1 center.