Menzinger
Kessel4LadyByng
I don't think he's an NHL player yet, but he definitely appears to be a good 3/4 line tweener for the future.
His offensive potential is the biggest question mark for me
I don't think he's an NHL player yet, but he definitely appears to be a good 3/4 line tweener for the future.
He seems like the perfect player to take over for Leo next season.
Leo brings a ton defensively. Probably the best defensive forward on the team. That's hard for a rookie to step in and reproduce, at least right away. That's my only concern.
That's fair, but assuming he'd be with Kadri and Marleau, there's plenty of support. Part of what makes Komarov so great defensively is that he is so hard on the puck. He's constantly on guys, which leads to turnovers. Grundstrom plays a similar way. Knowing how highly Babcock values a shut down line, and looking at Hyman's strengths, I wonder if Babcock could look into placing him there. I have always thought Hyman is a perfect player to play beside Kadri.
Let's assume that JVR, Bozak and Komarov are all traded/allowed to walk to maintain cap flexibility.
(Grundstrom?) - Matthews - (Bracco? Free Agent? Other?)
Marleau - Nylander - (Kapanen?)
Hyman - Kadri - Brown
Martin - (Aaltonen?) - (Johnsson/Leivo?)
Is a very intriguing lineup. Matthews would likely be playing with two rookies, but he has the ability to bring people's games up. It would be much like PIT having Crosby playing with Guentzel and Sheary, two rookies who beside Crosby, online had to focus on putting pucks in nets.
Even then, if we keep Hyman with Matthews, Grundstrum beside Kadri and Brown can still be a very effective shut down line that can continue to add offense as well.
No Marner on your line up. Guessing you would plug him in on Matthews line?
Leo brings a ton defensively. Probably the best defensive forward on the team. That's hard for a rookie to step in and reproduce, at least right away. That's my only concern.
Say what? I get it, you're a maverick who wants to blaze his own path. That's great if your coach is Edmonton's stick boy. If your coach is the man widely accepted as the best coach in the game, going with his lineup isn't blindly following the leader it's called "doing the smart thing because you want to win"Let me ask Trump if the walls a good idea if I want to blindly appeal to authority.