Here's where Patrice Bergeron ranks on NHL Network's Top 20 centers list

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You won't find a better two-way player in the NHL than Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron.

With all due respect to 2020 Frank J. Selke Trophy winner Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers, the longtime B's forward is the gold standard when it comes to performing at an elite level in all three zones.

Bergeron is a four-time Selke winner himself, and consistently drives puck possession, limits scoring chances and excels on the penalty kill for a Bruins team that prides itself on playing excellent defensive hockey.

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The 32-year-old veteran also is an underrated offensive player. He has scored 20 or more goals in nine consecutive non-lockout seasons. In fact, Bergeron actually has tallied 30-plus goals in three consecutive seasons despite not playing more than 65 games in any of those years.

NHL Network is currently doing its top 20 player rankings at each position. The list of the best defensemen was released earlier this month, and on Monday the network unveiled its ranking of the top centers.

Here's where Bergeron ranks among his peers, per NHL Network.

  1. Connor McDavid, Oilers
  2. Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche
  3. Leon Draisaitl, Oilers
  4. Sidney Crosby, Penguins
  5. Auston Matthews, Leafs
  6. Jack Eichel, Sabres
  7. Patrice Bergeron, Bruins
  8. Evgeni Malkin, Penguins
  9. Brayden Point, Lightning
  10. Mika Zibanejad, Rangers
  11. Aleksander Barkov, Panthers
  12. Mark Scheifele, Jets
  13. Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes
  14. John Tavares, Leafs
  15. Ryan O'Reilly, Blues
  16. Elias Pettersson, Canucks
  17. Steven Stamkos, Lightning
  18. Sean Couturier, Flyers
  19. Mathew Barzal, Islanders
  20. Anze Kopitar, Kings

This is a pretty fair ranking for Bergeron. You could maybe put him ahead of Eichel, but the other centers in the top seven are just in another class offensively compared to Bergeron.

The Bruins will need another stellar season from Bergeron if they're going to return to the Stanley Cup Final, and if he's healthy, the team should feel good about his chances of meeting those expectations.

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