Mika Zibanejad is not a 1C. Think about it. What do you need in a 1C?
You need Zibanejad to be a team leader in scoring. Sure he has 38 goals, but only 71 points? A true 1C would be the leader in goals and assists. And without this five goal game? Without his recent run in February where he’s only had four games without a goal? Take away those 19 goals and he isn’t even a 20-goal guy yet.
A 1C needs to be among the league leaders in scoring. He’s only 7th among centers in scoring with those 71 points.