Ever since the Calgary Flames traded Joe Nieuwendyk, they’ve had a difficult time finding high-end centres.
Nieuwendyk is one of just five centres in the 50-year history of the Flames franchise to score 40 or more goals in a single season. None have achieved that feat in a Flames uniform since Nieuwendyk became a Dallas Star in 1995.
Plenty of talented centres have come and gone, but (for the most part) they’ve been overshadowed in Calgary by an enviable crop of star wingers.
With all due respect to German Titov, Marc Savard, Craig Conroy, Daymond Langkow, and Sean Monahan, they haven’t quite been able to compare against the likes of Jarome Iginla, Johnny Gaudreau, and Matthew Tkachuk.