NHL Power Rankings: Top 25 Centers Entering 2017-18

25. Jordan Staal

Many fans are probably surprised to see Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes on this list. If you do the math, each of the top 25 centers are first line caliber centers. Staal doesn’t immediately strike you as a top center, but he’s remarkably consistent.

He’s about as consistent of a 40+ point scorer as you can get. And on a team like the Hurricanes who struggle to score, that’s impressive. It doesn’t matter who Staal gets paired with, all he does it put up points at an impressive rate.

However, Jordan isn’t on the list primarily for his offense. It’s his overall game that gets him the nod at number 25. Staal consistently ranks among the league leaders in relative Corsi For percentage at even strength. Not only that, the Hurricanes are a much better team when he’s on the ice. Looking at goals, Carolina allows far fewer goals and scores far more with Staal on the ice.

The 2017-18 season could be the season everyone realizes how good he is. With a much better team around him, the Hurricanes could make the postseason. It’ll be up to Staal to continue to dominate whoever he plays against and to lead the way in scoring.