Line Combos: 15-16 Hurricane Line Combos

[WhitePony]

Isles fan coming in peace! Is Hanifin a lock to be a Cane this year, or is it more dependent on his camp? Would like to catch him in a game when I head down to N. Carolina this winter.

 

[DaveG]

About as much a lock as a rookie can be at this point IMHO.

 

[What the Faulk]

He'd pretty much have to play his way off the team, and they don't have any contingency plan. Barring some sort of injury, I'd expect him to play the full year here.

 

[Zezima]

Isles fan coming in peace! Is Hanifin a lock to be a Cane this year, or is it more dependent on his camp? Would like to catch him in a game when I head down to N. Carolina this winter.

Can't play college again and will burn a year of ELC playing in the AHL or NHL regardless, so I'd expect him to be on the big boys club. Not to mention he's supposed to be really good at hockey.

 

[tarheelhockey]

He'd pretty much have to play his way off the team, and they don't have any contingency plan. Barring some sort of injury, I'd expect him to play the full year here.

Minor correction: he'll play every game until his season-ending injury in November which leads to Josh Wesley being a full time NHL'er because this... is Hurricanes hockey.

 

[urho]

EStaal-Rask-Lindholm (if Peters really wants it this way)
Skinner-JStaal-Versteeg
Gerbe - Nash - Nestrasil
McGinn-McClement-Terry

Hainsey-Faulk
Hanifin-Wisniewski
Liles-Murphy
Jordan

Läck/Wardo
I might be crazy but this actually looks pretty good.

 

[What the Faulk]

Minor correction: he'll play every game until his season-ending injury in November which leads to Josh Wesley being a full time NHL'er because this... is Hurricanes hockey.

When this happens I sorta expect Wesley to suit up again in some fashion

 

[NotOpie]

EStaal-Rask-Lindholm (if Peters really wants it this way)
Skinner-JStaal-Versteeg
Gerbe - Nash - Nestrasil
McGinn-McClement-Terry

Hainsey-Faulk
Hanifin-Wisniewski
Liles-Murphy
Jordan

Läck/Wardo
I might be crazy but this actually looks pretty good.

Malone will play on the 4th line and I think Terry fits better on the 3rd line, so Gerbe ends up on the 4th as well. Random Checker then becomes the 13th forward....or somebody else gets moved. My gut also tells be that unless Ryan Murphy burns up camp he won't last 20 games with this team this season.

 

[Ole Gil]

EStaal-Rask-Lindholm (if Peters really wants it this way)
Skinner-JStaal-Versteeg
Gerbe - Nash - Nestrasil
McGinn-McClement-Terry

Hainsey-Faulk
Hanifin-Wisniewski
Liles-Murphy
Jordan

Läck/Wardo
I might be crazy but this actually looks pretty good.

Not sure what you do wiht a Skinner-Staal-Versteeg line.

For that reason, I'd expect Gerbe/Staal/Nesty and Skinner-Nash-Versteeg

 

[What the Faulk]

I have no idea how things will shake out, but we're probably more likely to see Nestrasil on the 4th line than Gerbe. For one, it'd require Gerbe playing out of position, and for two, Nestrasil actually played there last year while I'm not sure Gerbe has in his entire tenure here.

 

[Ole Gil]

I have no idea how things will shake out, but we're probably more likely to see Nestrasil on the 4th line than Gerbe. For one, it'd require Gerbe playing out of position, and for two, Nestrasil actually played there last year while I'm not sure Gerbe has in his entire tenure here.

Was thinking something similar. I wonder if we'll see someone shipped out before the season. Seems like a few too many bottom sixers, especially if Ryan/McGinn/Tolchinsky/Etc pushes for a roster spot.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I have no idea how things will shake out, but we're probably more likely to see Nestrasil on the 4th line than Gerbe. For one, it'd require Gerbe playing out of position, and for two, Nestrasil actually played there last year while I'm not sure Gerbe has in his entire tenure here.

I agree, and I think the distinctions between what is the 3rd and 4th line will be blurred. Gerbe-Nash-Terry is a horrible 3rd line, and Malone-MCClement-Nestrasil is probably an above average 4th.

 

[CandyCanes]

I agree, and I think the distinctions between what is the 3rd and 4th line will be blurred. Gerbe-Nash-Terry is a horrible 3rd line, and Malone-MCClement-Nestrasil is probably an above average 4th.

That 4th line looks like a 4th line on a Stanley Cup team, but I wouldn't say they are above average as all those guys shouldn't be playing on the 3rd line.

The 3rd line of Gerbe-Nash-Terry does look awful, what is their role? To score or to shut down opposing teams top forwards? On your 3rd line you need to make a distinction either be a shut down line or to be complimentary goal scorers. I'd say those guys other than Gerbe do neither.

 

[Unsustainable]

Eric - Jordan - Versteeg
Skins - Rask - Lindy
Terry - Nash - Nesty
Gerbe - McC - Malone

Not sure.

It probably maximizes value of Versteeg at the deadline if that line works.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

EStaal-Rask-Lindholm (if Peters really wants it this way)
Skinner-JStaal-Versteeg
Gerbe - Nash - Nestrasil
McGinn-McClement-Terry

I know there aren't a ton of options, but I just don't like the looks of that line. Jordan is the best defensive center, and putting him with two guys that aren't great defensively and aren't very physical doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me (although maybe Versteeg is better than I recall him to be? ) Also, aren't both Skinner and Versteeg similar type players? Meaning shooters, but not good at distributing the puck?

I know Peters said he wants to try Staal, Rask, Lindholm, but maybe a better option would be:

Staal-Staal-Versteeg
Skinner-Rask-Lindholm
Gerbe-Nash-Nestrasil/Terry

OR maybe even what Wally suggested.

 

[Anton Babchuk]

why did we sign terry to a one-way deal

 

[tarheelhockey]

why did we sign terry to a one-way deal

They were pretty much done with negotiations on a two-way deal, but Francis knew damn well that this team isn't deep enough to send Terry back to Charlotte, so at the last moment he showed off and wrote "one way" at the top and threw the pen down on the desk like a boss.

 

[Joe McGrath]

That 4th line looks like a 4th line on a Stanley Cup team, but I wouldn't say they are above average as all those guys shouldn't be playing on the 3rd line.

I think you misunderstood. It's above average for a 4th line.

 

[urho]

I know Peters said he wants to try Staal, Rask, Lindholm, but maybe a better option would be:

Staal-Staal-Versteeg
Skinner-Rask-Lindholm
Gerbe-Nash-Nestrasil/Terry

I agree, it's troublesome to form other lines if EStaal indeed plays with Rask and Lindholm. But what's more important is that our lineup doesn't look absolutely miserable with our improved defence and if even one of the Rask-Lindholm-duo can make the next step. What worries me the most is last seasons Skinner who was afraid and frustrated with himself most of the time (those head injuries... ). If he can't play at high level, this team is going to have too much trouble scoring to be a playoff-candidate.

 

[NotOpie]

I have no idea how things will shake out, but we're probably more likely to see Nestrasil on the 4th line than Gerbe. For one, it'd require Gerbe playing out of position, and for two, Nestrasil actually played there last year while I'm not sure Gerbe has in his entire tenure here.

Couple of things....Bill Peters has said that he wants to roll 3 scoring lines and the way the 4th line played last year, they are more energy and "hard to play against". Secondly, again based on Bill Peter's statements, because somebody hasn't played on a line doesn't exempt them from such. We were just learning what we had in Nestrasil, which is a bit more physical version of Jiri Tlusty, possibly with slightly better stickwork. So moving him up and down lines seemed like the smart thing to do to get a feel for where he fits.

Regardless, Nathan Gerbe has been egregiously misslotted by this team way too much. On the 2nd line? You're kidding me? He's a solid 3rd line player or a great 4th line player. Chris Terry is a much better fit on a line like Terry/Nash/Nestrasil which is defensively responsible but has something of a scoring threat to it. He's a sniper and Nesty can clean up the rebounds. Nash a better than fair distributor.

Gerbe is a lifetime 6.2% shooter. You can't put him on a line with Nash and Nestrasil who both have a goals to assists ratio of better than 2 to 3 (they need a finisher to pass to). Plus that 4th line becomes scrappy, pretty fast, and full of energy. Remember last year Malone averaged something like 10 minutes a game, Patty Dwyer around 13 minutes a game, and Jay McClement was around 13 1/2 minutes per game. It's almost as if we have a 3a and 3b type of deal. Only one of those lines is more of a scoring threat and the other more of a pain in the a**.

 

[nobuddy]

If only we had bought out Ward instead of Semin.

Staal - Staal - Lindholm
Skinner - Rask - Semin
Gerbe - Nash - Versteeg
Malone - McClement - Nestrasil

Liles - Faulk
Hanifin - Wisniewski
Hainsey - Murphy

Lack
Vagrant


so much better

 

[Vagrant]

If only we had bought out Ward instead of Semin.

Staal - Staal - Lindholm
Skinner - Rask - Semin
Gerbe - Nash - Versteeg
Malone - McClement - Nestrasil

Liles - Faulk
Hanifin - Wisniewski
Hainsey - Murphy

Lack
Vagrant


so much better

Lemme stretch my hammies.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

semin is going to score 60 points this year and he would have done it here too

 

[CandyCanes]

They were pretty much done with negotiations on a two-way deal, but Francis knew damn well that this team isn't deep enough to send Terry back to Charlotte, so at the last moment he showed off and wrote "one way" at the top and threw the pen down on the desk like a boss.

With the way things have played out in free agency I think Francis did jump the gun a bit to early on signing Terry. If Francis knew that guys like Stempniak, Tlusty, Erat, Bergenhiem could of been had this cheap I think he would of opted to of gone for a free agent listed above over Terry. I could be wrong, maybe they see something in Terry? But for a couple hundred thousand more we could of had one of those guys likely.

 

[CandyCanes]

semin is going to score 60 points this year and he would have done it here too

To be honest I'd probably put down money that Semin will at least put 50 points this year.