You would know better than I would but who does he really have potential to knock out of the line up? Hicketts is a lock to play, I would assume they want Mcilraths toughness in the line up, same with Renouf. Hronek is obviously staying in. Lashoff will play right? He wears a letter. Saarajarvi he could knock out of the line up, but I also read Sulak looked pretty good last night in his debut so he might stay in over Cholowski as well. Without too much knowledge of the situation, the only ones that played last night I could see him playing over are Sulak and Saarajarvi but thats also with Hicketts being rested
Do you see Cholowski playing?
Sulak played OK last night, but not to where he will play in the playoffs. Last season Cholowski played the last regular season game for the Griffins and he did not play in the playoffs. It all depends on what happens in practice when he arrives with the team and what he does that is going to determine if he will play in the playoffs or not.
I see Lashoff, McIlrath, Russo, Hronek, Renouf, & Hicketts as your 6 d-man, with Saarijarvi, Cholowski, Sulak, & Crawford as your extras. Saarijarvi or Cholowski could be inserted as the 7 d-man if the Griffins choose to play 11 forwards & 7 d-man. Nelson could even put Saarijarvi or Cholowski with only 6 d-man and maybe have Hicketts move to a forward position (which he has played a few games during the regular season when we had several injuries in the forward positions.
With Lorito and Turgeon out for the playoffs and Bertuzzi not coming back down to GR, Nelson the last few games is trying to get some connection with the 3rd and 4th line forwards to step up in the scoring department. Good to see our d-man getting more involved in the offense besides Hronek. Rassmussen would have been a big help for the Griffins right now.