PLD has played his off-wing side before, so I wouldn't rule out him slotting in on the right side at some point. If he's not playing center though, we have a pretty gaping hole at 3C....even more reason to trade for Duchene.
Line Combos: 2017/18 CBJ Lineups
- Thread starter Privet
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PLD has played his off-wing side before, so I wouldn't rule out him slotting in on the right side at some point. If he's not playing center though, we have a pretty gaping hole at 3C....even more reason to trade for Duchene.
In that case I still don't see Calvert in the top 12 unless someone else is traded or we get a center.
Panarin-Wennberg-Anderson
Jenner-Dubinsky-Atkinson
Foligno-Dalpe-Bjorkstrand
Milano-Sedlak-Dubois
Calvert
KJ Dangler
Registered User
Not gonna lie , our center position looks like old jackets , everyone of them playing a line higher than they should be slotted . If Dubois is going to play wing , it’s vital we get Duchene
Its not an if-then. Dubois isn't going to be slotting guys down for years. He's 19. Regardless of whether Dubois can play center, it's vital to acquire a center.
spintheblackcircle
incoming!!!
- Mar 1, 2002
- 66,278
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Columbus Jack
He's from Columbus
I feel like he needs a legit opportunity playing top six minutes before one goes making statements like this. No offense
NORiculous
Registered User
He is still very young. I think he will be better then Bjorkstrand but we will see.
I think it is a little interesting that we haven't seen Foligno at center any. Obviously Jenner is hurt so we haven't seen him yet. Those two could work in a pinch as a 2nd or 3rd line center. I haven't seen enough this preseason from Sedlak to think that he's developed as quickly as expected. I thought we would see Motte at center a bit by now. Schroeder looked strong but you wouldn't want to slot him too high.
Wennberg - 1st or 2nd line
Duby - 1st, 2nd or 3rd
Jenner - 2nd or 3rd
Foligno - 2nd or 3rd
Dubois - 3rd or 4th - although he looked like a second line wing last night...
Sedlak - 4th - hoping for a step forward from last year
Schroeder - 4th - Has looked good
Motte - 4th? 3rd? Has looked good
Mitchell - 4th? Looked solid last night. interesting to see how much he has left in the tank
Wennberg - 1st or 2nd line
Duby - 1st, 2nd or 3rd
Jenner - 2nd or 3rd
Foligno - 2nd or 3rd
Dubois - 3rd or 4th - although he looked like a second line wing last night...
Sedlak - 4th - hoping for a step forward from last year
Schroeder - 4th - Has looked good
Motte - 4th? 3rd? Has looked good
Mitchell - 4th? Looked solid last night. interesting to see how much he has left in the tank
He may start the season there, but he won't END the season there. He's ready for the NHL.
spintheblackcircle
incoming!!!
- Mar 1, 2002
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I don't agree with this. Last year we had one of the bottom six lines getting nice easy minutes, Hartnell's line. And they scored a lot of goals. It's an ideal position for Milano.
We're a long way from the time when you had a 3rd line checking line and a 4th line graveyard of skill-less players. Now we need all 4 to score, and we might need Sonny in order to do that.
Viqsi
"that chick from Ohio"
He needs to be on a skill line, and we might be able to make that happen. Especially if he suits as a Gagner replacement.
Ii think I'd be fine if we "overpaid" for Duchene at this point, considering how thin we are at center right now. We have a great prospect pool, but realistically we have the depth in our system to survive such a trade. I just don't see an abundance of spots available now, or in the future, to retain and properly utilize our forward prospects. I'd be willing to move Murray + any prospect not not named Dubois or Carlsson + 1st.
CBJWerenski8
Formerly CBJWennberg10 (RIP Kivi)
- Jun 13, 2009
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Panarin-Wennberg-Atkinson
Jenner-Dubinsky-Bjorkstrand
Milano-PLD-Foligno
Calvert-Sedlak-Motte
Dalpe, Hannikainen
Werenski-Jones
Johnson-Savard
Murray-Nutivaara
Harrington
Bob
Korpi
Once Anderson returns I'll slot him in. But this is how I see the roster as of today.
Jenner-Dubinsky-Bjorkstrand
Milano-PLD-Foligno
Calvert-Sedlak-Motte
Dalpe, Hannikainen
Werenski-Jones
Johnson-Savard
Murray-Nutivaara
Harrington
Bob
Korpi
Once Anderson returns I'll slot him in. But this is how I see the roster as of today.
I'm right there with you. For any team to get far in the playoffs, they can't have a weak or even an average spine. Wennberg-Duchene-Dubinsky-Sedlak would be better than 50% of the league. Our current group of centers is better than some, but not better than 50% of the league.
So you think it should be this way or it will be this way?
And wouldn't PLD at center (at 19!) be a surprise?
We just have one too few centers. Either Dalpe fills in or Jenner/Foligno do it. I don't think PLD will or should.
Son of Petter
Who wants to walk with Elias?
If Jarmo can't swing a deal, I could see him starting the season as the 4th center with Sedlak moving up to the 3rd. Certainly not ideal.
CBJWerenski8
Formerly CBJWennberg10 (RIP Kivi)
- Jun 13, 2009
- 42,370
- 24,287
My opinion.
I would play PLD at wing, his natural position, but like you said we literally have nobody else. Jenner and Foligno can try being center, I guess, but that's not an experiment we should try long term.
MoeBartoli
Checkers-to-Jackets
- Jan 12, 2011
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Pulling bits from various posts, I agree that:
**Center is a weakness for us yet a position so important for a contending team;
**The need is a 1C
**Playing Sedlak at 3C is one line up from where he should play;
**PLD, should he make the roster, will be as a wing this year.
So look at wehere we stand and I am left thinking:
**I question if a Duchene deal will happen and I hate having all my eggs in one basket of hope;
**Foligno is not an ideal alternative - put of position and weakens us left wing;
**The coaching staff is reluctant to use Jenner as a C;
**PLD is a year away from playing C.
To resolve this, I would be looking at a few teams with a UFA center in the final year of contract who can play a mid-six C. While I know our true need is a top six guy, the more realistic alternative seems to be two mid sixers (Dubi and another) who could combine to give us 35-40 goals between them. While he is not my ideal, I wonder if Bozak could be that stop-gap. Toronto needs D, we need a C. It seems Bozak name gets kicked around as often as Murray's when it comes to trade rumors. We have Murray (RFA) or Johnson (UFA) as a trade asset. I don't know that either will be a Jacket beyond this year so it'd be a move looking out no further than this season.
Any takers?
**Center is a weakness for us yet a position so important for a contending team;
**The need is a 1C
**Playing Sedlak at 3C is one line up from where he should play;
**PLD, should he make the roster, will be as a wing this year.
So look at wehere we stand and I am left thinking:
**I question if a Duchene deal will happen and I hate having all my eggs in one basket of hope;
**Foligno is not an ideal alternative - put of position and weakens us left wing;
**The coaching staff is reluctant to use Jenner as a C;
**PLD is a year away from playing C.
To resolve this, I would be looking at a few teams with a UFA center in the final year of contract who can play a mid-six C. While I know our true need is a top six guy, the more realistic alternative seems to be two mid sixers (Dubi and another) who could combine to give us 35-40 goals between them. While he is not my ideal, I wonder if Bozak could be that stop-gap. Toronto needs D, we need a C. It seems Bozak name gets kicked around as often as Murray's when it comes to trade rumors. We have Murray (RFA) or Johnson (UFA) as a trade asset. I don't know that either will be a Jacket beyond this year so it'd be a move looking out no further than this season.
Any takers?
Hello Johnny
Registered User
- Apr 13, 2007
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I'd be open to Bozak, but for a pick instead. He's not the type of guy I want to move a roster player for, certainly not Murray.
I just see no need to make a big shakeup trade for a middle six C. I would rather stand pat and see how it shakes out than mess with the D that was the strength of the team. I know there is a wide range of opinions on Murray, but I think any move of our top 8 D this year is a bad idea without picking up a depth guy. We were fortunate to be healthy last season on D and there is a chance to get exposed if we lose 3 D at once... which happens a lot. Pick any 3 D at random, and pretend we have to go 4-6 weeks without, say, Jones, Johnson, Nutivaara:
Werenski-Savard
Murray-Carlsson
Harrington-Benoit
Gaunce/Kukan/Collins
It is a defense capable of winning games in a disaster scenario. You still have a skilled top 4 capable of playing heavy minutes. If we trade a D for anything less than an elite center, then you're going into about 20 games with
Werenski-Savard
Carlsson-Harrington
Benoit-Gaunce
Collins
Harrington is the only one of our top 8 D that I am not comfortable penciling into the top 4 for a few games. Trading any of the other 7 guys leaves us exposed if there's a little bad luck - in my opinion, more exposed than if 2-3 of our middle 6 center candidates go down (hell, jenner and schroeder are already out). The concern for the health of our top 6 centers is a very real thing. But I would rather have jenner or foligno center the 1st line than trade for a bozak type for one year while giving up security on D.
We will be getting a push at center here soon from Dubois (this year, eventually), as well as Motte (possibly, if he can develop there), and Thurkauf and Stenlund now looking like they're in the picture for the next year or two.
We know Wennberg, Dubinsky, and Sedlak can be capable 1st, 2nd and 4th line centers, respectively, on a very good team. I feel like continued development and depth will close the gap on the hunt for middle six centers soon enough, and I'm willing to wait and see how the center committee works this year.
I might even rather have Nuti and Carlsson battling over the #4D spot than have Dalpe as #3C. And we have two D (JJ and Murray) to go before Nuti or Carlsson see second pair ice time.
JJ is gone after this year, I hope, so it's not short-termism to trade him for Bozak.
Murray would be worth more than Bozak, but I think it would be better to trade him for Bozak and take picks to cover the difference (2nd + 5th?). That's better than trading a package of picks for Bozak, I think, if Toronto would even do that. We have to keep the pipeline coming as the cap issues mount, and Jarmo needs the picks for it.
JJ is gone after this year, I hope, so it's not short-termism to trade him for Bozak.
Murray would be worth more than Bozak, but I think it would be better to trade him for Bozak and take picks to cover the difference (2nd + 5th?). That's better than trading a package of picks for Bozak, I think, if Toronto would even do that. We have to keep the pipeline coming as the cap issues mount, and Jarmo needs the picks for it.
