The term “microcore” might be a foreign concept to most sports fans. It’s a term coined by Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi and defines the top three positions of a hockey team: a number one center, a number one defenseman, and a number one goaltender.
The Athletic recently put together a panel consisting of two NHL executives, two NHL scouts and an NHL coach and ranked all 31 “mirocores”. And it’s certainly no surprise that the struggling Detroit Red Wings came in second to last on that list. Check out their reasoning
*Number one center: Dylan Larkin
*Number one defenseman: Filip Hronek
*Number one goaltender: Jimmy Howard
“It’s been a tough season in Detroit but this exercise is another example of just how badly the franchise needs high-end talent at key positions. The pain right now is necessary for a team that needs a couple more top picks in the system.
“I like (Dylan) Larkin. He’d be a really good No. 2 center. Maybe a No. 1 winger,” suggested one executive. “(Filip) Hronek is more of a prospect. And you wouldn’t want to be a goalie in Detroit right now.”
“Hronek is their No. 1 D?” Asked one panelist. “That’s a tough depth chart. But I have always liked Hronek because of his compete.”
