Yahoo Sports NHL Network Ranks Canes' Sebastian Aho As The NHL's 10th Best Center
Over the last couple of weeks the NHL Network and their analysts have been ranking the top players at each position as the NHL season is approaching as we near September.
In the latest rendition of the top 10 centers by NHL Network analyst and former NHLer Mike Johnson, the Hurricanes Sebastian Aho comes in at number 10.
Aho, 27, coming in at 10th is pretty fair. Aho is coming off a career high in points last season, scoring 89 points in 78 games played. Aho's 36 goals ranked 22nd in the league last season and his 53 assists ranked 25th.
While it is hard to put Aho above the other players on the list, sans maybe Jack Eichel, Aho has been one of the more productive centers in the NHL over the last few years. In the last three seasons Aho has scored 109 goals, which ranks 6th among the centers who appear on this list. Matthews(169), Draisaitl(148), McDavid(140), MacKinnon(125) and Point(125) are the centers who rank ahead of Aho during that time period.
Going by just last season Aho's 89 points rank 7th on this list, finishing ahead of Barkov(80), Hughes(74) and Eichel(68). It is worth pointing out however, that Hughes and Eichel only played in 62 and 63 games respectively while Aho played in 78.
Another strong attribute that can't be overlooked about Aho's game that not all of these centers on the list have is defensive prowess. Aho plays a very strong two-way game, finishing 11th in Selke voting last season. The only other centers on the list who were better was the Selke winner in Aleksander Barkov, Auston Matthews who was the runner-up and Sidney Crosby who finished 9th in the voting.
One thing is for sure; no matter where Aho falls on this list or any other, the Hurricanes have a top notch center who is locked up for the foreseeable future. When all is said and done, Aho may go down as one of the best Hurricanes players in franchise history.
