Line Combos: Build a lineup poll #8: 3C

[Monk]

The Geoff Sanderson edition of the lineup poll:

So here is the (not) much-discussed lineup poll. Instead of Torts' slot machine line generator, we'll be voting for each spot on the roster, building each line one spot at a time. We started with 1LW, and will work our way through the forward lines and on to D pairs and starter and backup goalies.

This poll includes every forward reasonably expected to be available to the team whenever the season should start.

Vote for your choice for third line C, and the winner will be slotted there and removed from subsequent polls. Sure, there are some nuances such a process doesn't allow for - there will be times when you can't vote for who you'd like at a spot because they've already been slotted somewhere else, or there's a combo you like that gets nixed along the way. You can alter, or not, your subsequent voting accordingly.

Here's to the continuation of a depressing exercise in futility.

Forward lines
Alexandre Texier - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Nick Foligno - Max Domi - Cam Atkinson
Boone Jenner - 3C - 3RW

Click to read more...

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Dammit I posted mine just after you did and I called it the Jan Hejda memorial.

Thanks for doing this - I deleted the duplicate.

 

[rotsbu]

I just voted Foudy, but I think there is a lot of merit in the idea of having him in Cleveland to get heavy minutes/experience.

I voted Boone for LW3 but I imagine we'll see him in this/other C slot(s) at some point this year

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Literally can't decide who to vote for here.

 

[Monk]

Dammit I posted mine just after you did and I called it the Jan Hejda memorial.

Thanks for doing this - I deleted the duplicate.

I'm sticking to a strict system of delicately balancing years of service and impact on the org for my odes

Almost messaged you to make sure we weren't duplicating efforts - alas. Now I just need to figure out who the heck to vote for.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I'm sticking to a strict system of delicately balancing years of service and impact on the org for my odes

Almost messaged you to make sure we weren't duplicating efforts - alas. Now I just need to figure out who the heck to vote for.

LOL your others were d-men so I was sticking with that as long as possible. Was my reasoning.

Also LOL see my post above.

 

[Monk]

LOL your others were d-men so I was sticking with that as long as possible. Was my reasoning.

Also LOL see my post above.

Ha! That was the real reason I went with an F, trying to change it up. But also, <3 Sanderson.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Ha! That was the real reason I went with an F, trying to change it up. But also, <3 Sanderson.

So there's some intrigue, anyway.

 

[Viqsi]

Ha! That was the real reason I went with an F, trying to change it up. But also, <3 Sanderson.

But... but... but Hejda!

 

[Monk]

But... but... but Hejda!

Geoff Sanderson was the first Blue Jacket to score a hat trick.

We all agree who #9 should be right? He had the warmest neck in the league.

 

[Cowumbus]

If people really think Koivu can be a 3C in this league they are going to be disappointed. It’s sad but he just really isn’t the same player. He lost all of his speed. Sure he is responsible defensively and plays hard but so did Dubinsky. Remember how he looked?

I voted for Grigorenko, although I wish Foudy could fill the 3C spot. I still think he is a ways away from being able to do it, and the wing will be easier for him to get acclimated. Anyway I think Grigorenko will be the biggest surprise for this team, especially if he’s playing sheltered minutes in the bottom 6. I like his playmaking ability and think Foudy-Grigorenko-Bemstrom sounds like a fun line to watch and has a nice mixture of 2 way, speed and skill. Though, it seems that people are voting for the veterans and we end up with 38-9-?

 

[koteka]

I am voting Koivu and considering this the 4th line.

But if Grigorenko wins, then I’ll vote Robinson for 3RW and consider it a 3rd line where everyone is in the wrong position.

 

[majormajor]

We have certain conventions about numbering lines, and one of them is that the shutdown line gets called the third line. That's what Jenner and Foligno were, even though they played a lot more minutes than the second line. If I remember correctly, Josh Anderson had the 4th most minutes in his big year, as the #3RW. I'd be open to changing the way we categorize the lines, but that's not something I can do myself.

Koivu is going to be tasked with harder defensive matchups, so I'm calling him #3C, even though he is probably not capable of playing a ton of minutes. We might have two well-balanced bottom six units that play similar minutes, one for harder matchups, one for easier matchups. I think that suits us, it's not like we're trying to hide Jared Boll back there, we've got enough good players for 4 lines.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

We have certain conventions about numbering lines, and one of them is that the shutdown line gets called the third line.

I think we're hung up on this, too, a sort of outdated idea of how lines work based on when the team came into the league. That said, our team has often adhered to those, so it's hard to argue.

And, of course, for this exercise, we've got to start somewhere.

We might have two well-balanced bottom six units that play similar minutes, one for harder matchups, one for easier matchups. I think that suits us, it's not like we're trying to hide Jared Boll back there, we've got enough good players for 4 lines.

Right. When people say we have too many bottom six players, 1) see above but... 2) what they mean is we don't have enough top 6 players. That may well be true but the abundance of "bottom six-ers" means we have more than enough capable players for those 6 roster spots. It's just a matter of who plays with whom and who gets left out.

 

[Monk]

I think we're hung up on this, too, a sort of outdated idea of how lines work based on when the team came into the league. That said, our team has often adhered to those, so it's hard to argue.

And, of course, for this exercise, we've got to start somewhere.




Right. When people say we have too many bottom six players, 1) see above but... 2) what they mean is we don't have enough top 6 players. That may well be true but the abundance of "bottom six-ers" means we have more than enough capable players for those 6 roster spots. It's just a matter of who plays with whom and who gets left out.

See, maybe we should have started with the "4th" line after all. I would have loved to see who got squeezed out at the top.

 

[majormajor]

I'm really not sure what to do with the bottom six but it invariably has players slotting into an offensive or defensive unit.

"Offensive Bottom-Six"

Grigorenko - Stenlund - Bemstrom
Jenner - Nash - Bemstrom
Jenner - Stenlund - Grigorenko
Foudy - Grigorenko - Bemstrom

"Defensive Bottom-Six"

Robinson - Koivu - Jenner
Foudy - Koivu - Grigorenko
Jenner - Koivu - Robinson
Foudy - Nash - Robinson

etc... etc...

Observations:

What is Grigorenko best suited for? Can he be a scorer for us? How good will he be defensively? No idea!

Nash doesn't fit so well. He's slow so he can't play with Koivu, but he's a defensive center. Perhaps they rotate starts.

Stenlund has hardly ever scored at 5v5 but he might have room for growth there.

If Foudy isn't sent down for seasoning, I'm sure Torts will use the heck out of him.

I was thinking MacInnis might be a spare forward, but we're really not short on shutdown 4Cs. Perhaps Kole Sherwood can be a spare and step in occasionally when heavy hitting is needed.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

See, maybe we should have started with the "4th" line after all. I would have loved to see who got squeezed out at the top.

Damn, man. Who overrruled that?

 

[Viqsi]

Geoff Sanderson was the first Blue Jacket to score a hat trick.

We all agree who #9 should be right? He had the warmest neck in the league.

...but Hejda...