Line Combos: Guess the 22-23 Opening Night Lineup
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Billdo
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- May 1, 2011
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If Geertson is better than that Geertsen guy, I'm a little intrigued by this,
Wasn’t expecting the roster to still have so many question marks at this point, but i’ll take one more stab for fun before preseason wraps up.
I think Holtz will solidify his case over the next couple weeks, and i think Boqvist/Zetterlund won’t be waived but might start the year on the bench until Fitz can make room. No chance Johnsson doesn’t get waived. Tatar is a total ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ from me. He doesn’t fit the 4th line, but it’s hard to imagine him scratched or bumping anyone ahead of him, and i dont think Boqvist would be 4LW but at this point who knows.
Palat - Hughes - Holtz
Sharangovich - Hischier - Bratt
Wood - Haula - Mercer
Tatar - McLeod - Bastian
Zetterlund, Boqvist
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Graves - Severson
Smith - Marino
Bahl
Blackwood
Vanecek
I think Holtz will solidify his case over the next couple weeks, and i think Boqvist/Zetterlund won’t be waived but might start the year on the bench until Fitz can make room. No chance Johnsson doesn’t get waived. Tatar is a total ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ from me. He doesn’t fit the 4th line, but it’s hard to imagine him scratched or bumping anyone ahead of him, and i dont think Boqvist would be 4LW but at this point who knows.
Palat - Hughes - Holtz
Sharangovich - Hischier - Bratt
Wood - Haula - Mercer
Tatar - McLeod - Bastian
Zetterlund, Boqvist
Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Graves - Severson
Smith - Marino
Bahl
Blackwood
Vanecek
Yes. The top six is relatively easy if Holtz plays. If he goes down presumably Mercer takes that spot, but the bottom six is just very jumbled at this point. We will have to see how the remaining preseason games play out but none of the potential third or fourth line guys have been terrible. A few have stood out - Haula Zetterlund and Wood. If Mercer is on the third line that pushes Zetterlund down most likely and I'm not sure he'd play over Bastian initially. I just hope they keep Zetterlund rather than trying to sneak him through waivers. I think he's claimed immediately. He'd also make a good insurance policy if Wood's hip fails him this season. Hopefully he dramatically outplays Johnsson and Tatar and makes the choice easy. Boquist as well. I'd much rather he and Z are the extra forwards on opening night than AJ and Tatar but that would be a gutsy call given the money they invested in Tatar. Johnsson maybe they could more easily stomach waiving since his actual salary is vet minimum. 15 NHL forwards is nuts.
- Oct 22, 2002
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I agree that Tatar isn't your traditional 4th liner but I like him in the lineup as he can be pushed up the lineup if Ruff needs to mix things up mid game.
Also you never know how much trust Ruff has in a young guy like Holtz. Would he continue to play him on line one in the last 5 minutes of a 3rd period if Devils are up by one protecting a lead. Or would he flip his regular shift in the last five minutes with a veteran like Tatar who has more experience and probably better defensively.
After dogshit season, the Devils have suddenly gotten key pieces together. Structured, 2g, depth, star D and star F. In that order.
GameSeven
ἢ τὰς ἢ ἐπὶ τὰς
- Jan 11, 2008
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I spent about 10 minutes putting together my ideas after noticing this thread, and came in to post what would've been a copy of this.
Don't love Tatar on that fourth line, but the rest makes too much sense to displace anyone, if that top 9 continues to show chemistry.
it’s a mystery! Fitz hasn’t been shy to move guys that don’t fit, but i understand waiting to make sure there aren’t more injuries as well as there not being much of a market for good not great wingers. So who knows. Still lots of decisions to be made before opening night.
Captain3rdLine
Registered User
- Sep 24, 2020
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what I’m thinking at this point (assuming everyone is healthy):
Palat-Hughes-Holtz
Bratt-Hischier-x
X-Haula-X
X-McLeod-Bastian
X-X
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Graves-Severson
Smith/Bahl-Marino
Smith/Bahl
Blackwood
Vanacek
The 3 other middle-6 wingers are gonna be some combination of Mercer, Sharangovich and then one of Tatar, Johnsson, Wood, Zetterlund.
Palat-Hughes-Holtz
Bratt-Hischier-x
X-Haula-X
X-McLeod-Bastian
X-X
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Graves-Severson
Smith/Bahl-Marino
Smith/Bahl
Blackwood
Vanacek
The 3 other middle-6 wingers are gonna be some combination of Mercer, Sharangovich and then one of Tatar, Johnsson, Wood, Zetterlund.
Get your final guesses in. Still so many questions! Does Holtz start on the top line? Do Johnsson and Tatar make the lineup? Does Boqvist get waived? Is Hischier ever gonna be healthy ever again?
- May 1, 2011
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Does Blackwood start opening night? I say no, unless Vanecek gets bombed tomorrow night.
Blackwood gets the start. I think the staff is too preoccupied with his confidence and other mental stuff to start treating him like a backup right out the gate.
- May 1, 2011
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Then the staff needs to go kerplunk.
Which I think Ruff will soon, especially if he's more worried about PLACATING (and that's EXACTLY what it is if Blackwood is getting starts so they don't shake his confidence and because they're worried about treating him like the backup out of the gate) Blackwood than he is about playing the better goalie and winning games.
If Vanecek has a solid showing tomorrow, I don't think they're gonna start the .899% goalie this preseason over the guy that's (HOPEFULLY) significantly better than that.
Mind you, Blackwood also had a .943% in the two games before last night but....... Market corrections and all.
I really think unless Vanecek is just meh tomorrow night, he will start the opener.
