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Post by maasart on Aug 21, 2024 16:54:28 GMT
I think a lot of people believe Newhook will play on that second line with Dach & Laine but i actually think MSL really wants to keep that Armia-Newhook-Gallahger line together as it really clicked down the stretch and gives us a really nice possession line lower down the lineup. This creates a bit of a problem with Dvo and Evans but i think that one might be traded or moved to the wing. I think our top 9 to start the year will be: Slaf - Suzuki - CC Laine - Dach - Roy/Anderson Armia - Newhook - Gallagher I have a sneaking suspicion Anderson is going to bounce back this year so Roy may have trouble making the roster to start the year. I know he doesnt want to go to the AHL again but i think it makes more sense than playing him on the 4th line I agree with these lines 100% I am less sure about Anderson but getting married and working on whatever was holding him back may give him a boost this year? From what i understand, Anderson has been working with 2 separate mental health coaches (at the suggestion of the team) so it will be interesting to see if it has an impact. He has a very unique skillset and it would be wonderful to see him able to use it again. He's going to be here for a while most likely.
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Post by claremont on Aug 21, 2024 18:09:11 GMT
There's a lot of assumption that CC-Suzuki-Slaf will continue to be a line, and the odds are high that they'll start the season together, but let's also remember that CC-Dach-Slaf looked good last year before Dach got hurt, so I still wonder if CC-Dach becomes a thing. CC and Laine both fit the same sort of role, as elite snipers who tend to benefit from playing on the left side of a right-handed center. So it sort of makes sense that one will line up with Suzuki and the other with Dach. But with that in mind, perhaps it makes more sense to play Caufield with the larger Dach and balance out the size a bit more. Suzuki and Caufield really needed a player with size to complement them, and they did well with Dach or Slafkovsky next to them but less well when the two of them lacked that player. Perhaps CC-Dach and Laine-Suzuki are less dependent on who is next to them. If we think of things that way, then you have more flexibility put Slafkovsky where you want. Now many have Newhook penciled into the top 6, but he's really a player who provided more dynamism to the 3rd line and could be a nice fit there with Roy and Armia. However, Roy may be needed in the top 6, so as Maas said, Newhook with Armia and Gallagher could be another option. Dvorak-Evans-Anderson becomes the 4th line somewhat by default for now. So it gives us Laine-Suzuki-Roy Caufield-Dach-Slafkovsky Armia-Newhook-Gallagher Dvorak-Evans-Anderson I'd personally like to see room for Heineman and/or Beck here, but it'd take some more trades to make that happen. On D, moving Harris helps to sort out the pile a bit. Matheson-Guhle still projects as the top pair, given the lack of RHD. Savard is the 2nd-pairing RHD, but whether he plays with Xhekaj or Hutson is a question. Struble, Barron, and Mailloux become the players most likely to be duking it out for ice time on the 3rd pairing. But the odds have increased that Hutson makes the team out of camp. So we could see Matheson-Guhke Hutson-Savard Xhekaj-Mailloux Struble I like those line options and I am actually happy to see MSL have some options and not just run out a smurf line - Now we have added some significant size with Laine. I too would like to see Heineman and Beck out of camp, but I have this feeling that Barre-Boulet becomes the spare part and Beck gets seasoning in the AHL until Dvorak or Armia are moved. I am not convinced Pezzetta really helps this team vs. the other choices. Laine is not known for his defensive prowess, so he will need some defensive support from either a compensating centre/wing, and not expose our 2nd pairing D if Laine moves back to the 2nd line. Is MSL brave enough to move veteran Gally back to the 4th line? On D, I sense Barron gets a long hard look and makes the team ahead of Struble, who has waiver options to Laval whereas Barron may not. Reinbacher in waiting until Savard is moved out.
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Post by ramcharger440 on Aug 27, 2024 21:16:05 GMT
Been thinking all day about what Our line combo's will be.....should be interesting!
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regis
Le Gros Bill
Posts: 1,095
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Post by regis on Aug 27, 2024 22:03:13 GMT
Unless there are more trades
Slafkovsky , Suzuki, Caufield Laine , Dach , Newhook Gallagher , Dvorak, Armia Anderson, Evans , Roy ( Roy starts somewhere )
RHP is injured ( I think )
Pezzetta rotates
On D , until Savard is moved choose your pairings
Matheson Savard Guhle Wifi Barron Mailloux Hutson
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Post by maasart on Aug 28, 2024 20:17:27 GMT
Unless there are more trades Slafkovsky , Suzuki, Caufield Laine , Dach , Newhook Gallagher , Dvorak, Armia Anderson, Evans , Roy ( Roy starts somewhere ) RHP is injured ( I think ) Pezzetta rotates On D , until Savard is moved choose your pairings Matheson Savard Guhle Wifi Barron Mailloux Hutson definitely combinations i think will be tried, but im pretty sure Armia-Newhook-Gallagher will be a line they try out early. It had so much success later in the year & I think MSL really liked what he saw from that line. One of Evans or Dvo ends up on the wing to start the year (if not traded) imho. I think one of Roy or Anderson takes that other wing spot next to Dach & Laine.
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Post by BigTed3 on Sept 20, 2024 1:27:24 GMT
If we look at the lines to start camp, it looks like MSL is already going with the default for what he'll use opening day:
CC-Suzuki-Slaf Newhook-Dach-Laine Roy-Dvorak-Anderson Armia-Evans-Gallagher Pezzetta
He's basically said, not messing with my first line then just going next best 3 offensive forwards and so on down the line. He's also giving the vets a chance to earn their keep first, and anyone else will have to earn their keep. Suzuki came out saying he hopes they don't change the lines all pre-season and that the players want a chance to build chemistry with their linemates. So again, while things could change, I think it'll take something important to sway MSL off of this.
The challengers? Owen Beck needs to force management to move off of one of Dvorak or Evans. There have been some rumors of Clb entertaining the idea of adding Dvorak in order to get their cap back up after Gaudreau's death. Maybe that opens a spot for Beck. Emil Heineman likely needs to steal Roy or Anderson's spot. Oliver Kapanen had a good first day of camp and could be in the mix for a bottom 6 job, and there are some reports out of Sweden that his club feels he is good enough to stick in the NHL and not be back with them this year. But where he goes is a problem. I doubt the Habs are keeping Beck or Kapanen to play the role of 13th forward, so it means something else has to give. If Dvorak moves, then the other option is Newhook dropping to 3C and a top 6 winger spot opening up for the likes of Heineman or Kapanen instead. Is Sean Farrell or Filip Mesar int he mix? Doesn't feel like it. Simoneau and Barre-Boulet feel like the only other two guys with any shot at making the forward roster out of camp, and that would be more as alternatives on the bottom line or extra forward.
On D, the Guhle surgery shakes things up a bit. The plan was likely going to be Matheson-Guhle, but now who knows. Is Reinbacher going to get a shot to play with Matheson? Mailloux likely doesn't fit the billing of top pairing match-ups given how weak he is defensively. But Reinbacher may be able to hold his own for a short stretch. Or does Savard simply move up a pairing in the short run? Pairing two has commonly been listed as Hutson-Savard, but Xhekaj-Savard was also a thing last year, and those two are starting camp on the same team, while Hutson isn't with Savard at all. Meanwhile, Hutson is with Mailloux, Barron, and Struble in what feels like a grab-all to see which two guys can find chemistry and wrestle the third-pairing away from the others. The pairing that makes the most sense out of this group would be Struble and Barron, as neither Barron nor Mailloux seems like an ideal partner for Hutson. But I guess you never know.
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