O’Reilly, Thomas move up the NHL Network Top Center rankings

NHL Network is working through the summer doldrums with their annual Top 20 (and Top 50) series. Last night’s edition focused on the top 20 centers, and the Blues were well represented.

Last season, Ryan O’Reilly finished 26th; this season he’s up to 15th. Robert Thomas, who didn’t even rank last year, finished at 20th overall. Thomas finished the season with 20 goals and 57 assists, while O’Reilly wrapped up his year with 21 goals and 37 assists. The company that they keep on the list is impressive:

1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
2. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
4. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
5. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
6. Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
7. Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
8. Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
9. Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
10. Mika Zibanejad, New York Rangers
11. Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
12. JT Miller, Vancouver Canucks
13. Elias Lindholm, Calgary Flames
14. Nazem Kadri, Free Agent
15. Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
16. Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights
17. Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
18. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
19. Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
20. Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues

It’s tough to argue with that list, though I’m sure Blues fans have some thoughts about who is slotted above ROR. The list is made up of some of the longest tenured talents in the NHL, such as Crosby, Malkin, and Patrice Bergeron. This is a position that players grow into, so to be in the mix with the vets listed is a good sign of Robert Thomas’ future potential.

The broadcast schedule for the rest of the series is as follows (all times Eastern):