Looking at my usual metrics....
Bozak (31): 74gms, ES 13:24 (C-), 1.83p60, 51.6cf% (+1.7), 54.4xgf% (+5.1) / PP 2:14, 4.02p60 / SH 0:00
VanRyk (28): 74gms, ES 12:31 (C), 1.89p60, 53.1cf% (+3.7), 55.0xgf% (+5.9) / PP 2:20, 6.65p60 / SH 0:00
Brown (23): 75gms, ES 11:56 (C+), 1.46p60, 49.1cf% (-1.7), 48.3xgf% (-3.0) / PP 1:16, 1.27p60 / SH 1:50
Plekanec (35): 71gms, ES 13:21 (B), 1.19p60, 52.0cf% (+1.0), 56.4xgf% (+4.7) / PP 0:09, 0.00p60 / SH 2:00
Kapanen (21): 32gms, ES 10:26 (D-), 1.28p60, 52.1cf% (+1.9), 53.3xgf% (+4.3) / PP 0:01, 0.00p60 / SH 1:05
Johnsson (23): 5gms, ES 10:28 (D), 1.19p60, 61.4cf% (+10.7), 55.6xgf% (+9.0) / PP 1:16, 0.00p60 / SH 0:06
Komarov (31): 71gms, ES 12:42 (B+), 0.69p60, 46.7cf% (-4.7), 47.3xgf% (-4.9) / PP 0:38, 0.00p60 / SH 2:34
at first glance it looks like Brown would be the only one I'd want to see Leo replace.
but then I look at this.....
Unfortunately corsica's line combos don't give us quality of competition, but maybe they're useful anyways (and these are still zone and score adjusted):
Matthews/Nylander/Hyman: 52.8cf% (+3.4rel), 54.0xgf% (+5.3rel), 68.2gf% (+17.2rel)
Not only an excellent line in terms of possession and expected goals, but dominant in terms of actual goals, all against elite competition (about "A+" qoc).
Kadri/Marleau/Marner: 51.0cf% (-0.1rel), 46.6xgf% (-4.6rel), 57.7gf% (+1.7rel)
Kadri/Marleau/Komarov: 49.6cf% (-1.6rel), 48.7xgf% (-4.5rel), 46.5gf% (-11.0rel)
Interestingly there hasn't been a huge difference in possession with the line switch - but the different results in terms of actual goals have been massive. Surprisingly to me, though, even with Marner on there the line hasn't been quite as good as I thought, even in actual goals. But that might be due to an increase in minutes and qoc since Marner was on there - not a huge one, but iirc the line has gone from about A- to A/A+ usage since the switch.
Bozak/JVR/Brown: 53.8cf% (+4.1rel), 56.9xgf% (+6.9rel), 67.0gf% (+14.2rel)
Bozak/JVR/Marner: 54.1cf% (+4.2rel), 57.9xgf% (+7.9rel), 47.5gf% (-6.4rel)
An even bigger surprise - not only has the switch from Marner to Brown not hurt the line possession wise in any way, but it has actually resulted in a MASSIVE improvement in actual goals for/against. Some of that is explained by a slightly easier qoc, as the line is now used exclusively as a pure 3rd line, but still I honestly did not expect that.
Hmm. I didn't actually expect these results. Makes me reconsider some stuff.
and it makes me think that one thing we most definitely shouldn't do is mess with any of our top 3 lines. even (especially?) that 3rd line.