Line Combos: Build a lineup poll #9: 3RW

[majormajor]

Texier Dubois Bjorkstrand
Foudy Domi Bemstrom
Foligno Jenner Atkinson
Nash Koivu Grigorenko

Texier Dubois Bjorkstrand
Foligno Domi Atkinson
Foudy Grigorenko Bemstrom
Jenner Koivu Robinson

Only thing I'm not sure about here is whether Grigorenko will be any good at center.

There's some things Torts has said about this coming year - that Foligno is going to get easier offensive opportunities, that he wants Jenner on the wing. I happen to agree with both.

Nash is the guy who's tricky. He's clearly an NHL player. He doesn't not belong... somewhere. But I'm having trouble figuring where I like him more than someone else from this group.

He's a pure defensive center. Too slow to pair with too slow Koivu, so I'll have those two platooning the defensive center spot. They're old, they could use the rest.

I really like MacInnis's puck retrieval skills in the defensive end—he's a really good skater, and his sheer length comes in handy in that area as well. Robinson is faster and maybe gives the shutdown line a few more breakaways, though. It doesn't seem like people are too hot on MacInnis here, though, so in case others are thinking of doing the same, I switched to Robinson.

Same as above. In another year maybe we try out MacInnis, but it's hard to imagine with this many defensive forwards. He's not replacing Nash/Koivu at center and he's probably not replacing Robinson as speedy defensive winger. We'll see.

I agree with you and wheelchair, too, I think. I was trying to not get trapped in the line number stereotypes but struggling to talk about the lines without identifying them as their numbers. If he can get enough ice time playing on the line we're voting for next, then great! But I'm skeptical.

If they get 12+ minutes it is close enough, isn't it? These days almost every fourth line in the league plays. The two or three lowest lines in the league still get 8-9 minutes of ice time, which if I remember correctly would have been closer to average 4th line TOI twenty years ago.

start over and look at the pairs Foudy Domi Benstrom and Foligno Jenner Atkinson. something like that seems to put players together that have some chemistry, or speed and potential.

Maybe Grigorenko, Robinson, McGinnis, or Stenlund earn their way to more playing time but it would seem like our team is the island of misfit toys.

It's not misfit toys just because you try something new.

It's misfit toys when you know what you have adds up to less than the sum of the parts. We don't know that yet.

 

[koteka]

Are you going to teach him to be a pure shutdown player? I don't think Bemstrom's underlying talents point in that direction.

I think Koivu can make Bemstrom a more well rounded player. We all know Bemstrom can shoot. But will he have more to his game than his shot? If he learns more about defense, positioning, and passing from a year with Koivu, he’ll be a better player down the line. I am not saying put Bemstrom with a defensive center for the rest of his career. I am saying put him with a guy that knows tons about hockey and a great locker room guy for a season and see how he blossoms.

 

[Monk]

If they get 12+ minutes it is close enough, isn't it? These days almost every fourth line in the league plays. The two or three lowest lines in the league still get 8-9 minutes of ice time, which if I remember correctly would have been closer to average 4th line TOI twenty years ago.

I would just rather he get more ice time than 12/game and with better offensive players. I also hope that can be done by more evenly rolling lines as you're suggesting.

 

[koteka]

In 20-21 playing 12 minutes a night for 50 games is better than many alternatives.

I have watched people with kids in youth and high school hockey have to make decisions based on likelihood of a season this year. I know some people with kids playing travel hockey instead of high school based on the probably that travel bantam or midget hockey was more likely to play games than high schools. So far, many high schools have already had their seasons interrupted because of COVID. Travel teams have had games cancelled at the last minute. House leagues have delayed or shortened seasons.

The young and marginal players, their managers, and their teams are going to have some tough decisions. Maybe a guy like Bemstrom just stays in Europe until playoff time. Maybe playing minimal minutes beats not playing at all if there is no AHL.

I saw that the Cincinnati Cyclones canceled their season.

 

[majormajor]

The young and marginal players, their managers, and their teams are going to have some tough decisions. Maybe a guy like Bemstrom just stays in Europe until playoff time. Maybe playing minimal minutes beats not playing at all if there is no AHL.

I saw that the Cincinnati Cyclones canceled their season.

I might prefer that Bemstrom spend time in Cleveland, but he's most likely going to be on the NHL roster and in the bottom six for most of the season. I think averaging 12-13 minutes is fine. FYI he's already left his Finnish squad in preparation for the Jackets camp.