I agree. I would like to switch Vatanen and Manson to see if that helps balance the top 4 a bit better. I would also love to only see one of Bieksa/Stoner in the lineup and have Theodore or Montour come up and play on the third pairing.
That's kind of what I was thinking too. We need better balance. We saw Lindholm and Vatanen together for a short time last season, so I'd give that a shot again. See if they can maintain it over a longer period. Fowler and Manson made a good pairing, so why not keep that going?
Somehow, I feel like Bieksa has gotten even worse, and in a lesser role too. Ugh. Stoner is Stoner. If we could bring up Theodore, or give Montour a look, albeit in a sheltered role, I'd be all over that. Neither one of them is ready for a true NHL role, in my opinion, but I think with the top 4 we have(if that switch between Vatanen and Manson worked the way we hope) we could lean on the top 4, and be able to put Montour, or Theodore, into a good situation.