Sterling Predictions: Second-Line Centre

Who will be the team’s second-line centre? The prime candidate seemed to be Jean-Gabriel Pageau, but with him out long-term, the best bets seem to be Chris Tierney, Zack Smith, Logan Brown, or Colin White. Assuming the Sens don’t trade for one, who will get the bulk of the minutes behind Matt Duchene?

(Note: these answers were recorded before we knew Brown had been sent to the AHL. That might not change anyone’s answer, though.)

Spencer: The easy answer to start the season was JG Pageau but he’s out long term with an Achilles injury. Now that we’ve also been through the Karlsson trade, I think the answer to start the season will be Chris Tierney. He’s been skating with Mark Stone and Brady Tkachuk so far in the very early days of training camp making him the most logical option at this point. While I’d love for the answer to be Logan Brown, I’m not convinced Boucher will give him those minutes behind Matt Duchene and, if Brown is a full time player in Ottawa, he’ll likely see a scoring third line centre role.

Ary: With Pageau out with injury, I’ll say the second line centre spot will go to a rookie to start. I’ll pick Filip Chlapik, mostly because I think he outplayed Colin White last year (though I’m not sure the organization agrees with me) and because he’s been lined up as a centre consistently throughout camp. Chris Tierney will certainly get a look, but I peg him as the team’s third or fourth line centre. Eventually, though, I think this spot is Logan Brown’s to lose. He’ll need to have a big camp after a mediocre (imo) development and rookie camp.

NKB: With Pageau out for much of the season, I expect Chris Tierney will be given the opportunity to run with the second line centre job. However, if Chlapik has a great start to the year he has the skillset to play in the top six.

Colin: Although Boucher has likely been given a memo to give some spotlight to younger players, I don’t think either Colin White or Logan Brown are quite ready for that spot. It’s Tierney’s spot to lose, and I predict he’ll hold it for the entire season or until Pageau returns to full health.

Beata: While I’d love to see some young players get the opportunity, I’m going with Tierney until Pageau comes back from injury.

Brandon: With Pageau going down, White will have the role locked down. I ranked him #2 on our Top 25 Prospects, and to me, he’s the most NHL-ready of Ottawa’s young guns, excluding Chabot of course. I don’t think Brown is quite there yet.

Dewie: I know nobody will agree with me but I feel like Zack Smith could have a breakout season with more responsibility and a larger “leadership” role, that being said I don’t see him being around all season so the only other choice would be Chris Tierney, I’m too afraid of putting too much stock in Colin White.

B_T: Does Chris Tierney count under “Assuming the Sens don’t trade for one”? Cause it’s going to be him. It was Pageau’s before he lost most of the season to injury, I don’t see Brown going above 3C this season, and if White moves up past the 3rd line it’ll be mostly as a winger.

Ross: I’m with most of the above in that it’ll be Chris Tierney. Guy Boucher has shown time and time again he’d rather trust a not-good veteran than a prospect with the potential to be good. I also think management will want to show that the Erik Karlsson trade worked out pretty well, so they’ll encourage the coach to put Tierney in the best position to succeed. I see both Chlapik and White getting top-six minutes on the wing, as well as Zack Smith who will likely only see top-six time as the wing on the Mark Stone line.

Who will play the most games as the Sens’ second-line centre?