OT: Look here! Now with prizes!

[MinJaBen]

Hard to see anybody kicking Nordstrom off the roster. He's a good match for Kruger and he can play either wing. I think we're probably pretty happy going into the season with a 4th line of McGinn/Kruger/Nordstrom.

Ryan is the one whose spot seems most vulnerable to me. If a winger like say Zykov/Gauthier/Foegele/whatever comes in and blows the doors off, then he goes into the top 9 and Teravainen moves into the 3C spot. Or if Wallmark or Roy comes in and looks good at center, then either one could relegate him to the 13th forward. I don't see him fitting into a 4th line role. This is not a bad thing - if you have a Derek Ryan as your 13th forward instead of say PDG, you're in pretty good shape up front.

I don't think he is a lock for that spot at all. PDG could easily challenge him and I wouldn't count out McLovin' from making a run at that spot, either.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I don't think he is a lock for that spot at all. PDG could easily challenge him and I wouldn't count out McLovin' from making a run at that spot, either.

I think the only "locks" on the 4th are really Kruger and probably Nordstrom and frankly, even though I don't expect it, it wouldn't surprise me if Francis and Peters have something more in store for Kruger. Jooris, McGinn, PDG and a few others are fighting for that last spot and the 13/14 forward. I think McGinn has the inside track based on last year and how much Peter's likes him, but I doubt he's not a lock.

I'd say unless Foegele or some other prospect absolute kills it at camp, they will be in the AHL to start the season. Would rather have them in the AHL getting gobs of quality playing time honestly. They still have to learn to play against men instead of other kids their age or younger.

 

[Roboturner913]

McGinn actually looks like a guy who could score some goals in addition to his energy/physical game. FWIW I don't mean to imply that I think he's a "lock" but I think he is probably the default.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

WOWOW ok big news and #1 player to watch for?

http://nhl.bamcontent.com/images/assets/binary/291032702/binary-file/file.pdf


Listed on Team Kron: #39 Gregory Hofmann

I didn't hear any news about this, did y'all? This just kinda snuck in there. Another competitor for 4th line duty.

 

[CandyCanes]

Surprised to see him on the list too. I ain't expecting much from him though. His numbers aren't all that great from playing in the Swiss-A.

 

[CandyCanes]

Anyone intrigued by Nick Schilkey? He seemed to play pretty good at Traverse and I didn't realize he put up some pretty impressive numbers at Ohio State. He's also already 23 though.

 

[Vagrant]

McGinn actually looks like a guy who could score some goals in addition to his energy/physical game. FWIW I don't mean to imply that I think he's a "lock" but I think he is probably the default.

Yeah, they didn't give him a 2 year one-way deal to compete with a guy they barely tried to negotiate with in PDG and a draft pick they didn't offer a contract to until he played an overage season in the OHL who will be in his first professional season. McGinn would have to run over someone's dog to lose a spot on this team regardless what you think about him. He's not making AHL money. I would even consider Jooris and Nordstrom more vulnerable and I think the plan was for Jooris to be 13th forward.

 

[geehaad]

Interesting that Faulk and Pesce aren't on the same team in camp. I'm not certain that Hanifin is ready to go with Faulk on the #2 pairing (could be, just not *certain*), but it makes one wonder if that isn't the plan straight out of the gate.

 

[geehaad]

Further reading of the lines based on the team division.

Dineen:
Aho/Staal/Lindholm

Kron:
Skinner/Rask/Williams
Teravainen/Ryan/Stempniak

 

[GoldiFox]

Interesting that Faulk and Pesce aren't on the same team in camp. I'm not certain that Hanifin is ready to go with Faulk on the #2 pairing (could be, just not *certain*), but it makes one wonder if that isn't the plan straight out of the gate.

Who else is 2nd pairing LD if not Hanifin? A less proven Haydn Fleury? Dahlbeck?

The benefit that Pesce provides in sheltering Hanifin wasn't worth the downgrade in play from Slavin-Faulk, IMO. For whatever reason those two never really meshed well whereas Slavin-Pesce was golden.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Further reading of the lines based on the team division.

Dineen:
Aho/Staal/Lindholm

Kron:
Skinner/Rask/Williams
Teravainen/Ryan/Stempniak

Wow, that's.....

ugh

imagine when they ice the puck and Pittsburgh trots out Crosby and Malkin against 'em

Interesting that Faulk and Pesce aren't on the same team in camp. I'm not certain that Hanifin is ready to go with Faulk on the #2 pairing (could be, just not *certain*), but it makes one wonder if that isn't the plan straight out of the gate.

Yeah I'd rather it be Slavin-Faulk and Hanifin-Pesce, but we'll see how it plays out.

 

[GoldiFox]

Wow, that's.....

ugh

imagine when they ice the puck and Pittsburgh trots out Crosby and Malkin against 'em





Yeah I'd rather it be Slavin-Faulk and Hanifin-Pesce, but we'll see how it plays out.

It will all get sorted once Francis pulls the trigger on the Tavares deal and Jordan slides down to #3C.

 

[MinJaBen]

It will all get sorted once Francis pulls the trigger on the Tavares deal and Jordan slides down to #3C.

 

[Breakdowns]

Saarela is on the list, that means he is healthy. Any chance he can make the lineup if he is not struggling to get back to the form he had in the end of last season?

 

[geehaad]

Who else is 2nd pairing LD if not Hanifin?

It's not Hanifin that's the question mark on the second pairing, it's Faulk or Pesce.

Is Hanifin/Pesce a better or worse defensive pairing than Hanifin/Faulk? That's the question that has yet to be answered, I think.

 

[MinJaBen]

Saarela is on the list, that means he is healthy. Any chance he can make the lineup if he is not struggling to get back to the form he had in the end of last season?

If he comes our playing like he was during his AHL stint, he can push a guy down the roster and make a spot for himself. Ryan and Stempniak would be the most vulnerable depending upon Saarela's centering skills.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Further reading of the lines based on the team division.

Dineen:
Aho/Staal/Lindholm

Kron:
Skinner/Rask/Williams
Teravainen/Ryan/Stempniak

I think flip Skinner and Tervainen. Peters has already said multiple times he likes Skinner w Ryan and Stemp.

I also like the other line. Rask and TT are two guys that struggle with consistency (Rask from game to game, TT in regards to using his skill), Williams could be a boon to their games.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It's not Hanifin that's the question mark on the second pairing, it's Faulk or Pesce.

Is Hanifin/Pesce a better or worse defensive pairing than Hanifin/Faulk? That's the question that has yet to be answered, I think.

On the flipside, is Slavin-Faulk worse off enough defensively to the point that washes out any gain a Hanifin-Pesce combo might have? IIRC, at the end of last season, it was pretty much Slavin-Pesce, Faulk-Hanifin as the pairing and I assumed (maybe incorrectly) that they'd stick with that this season with Slavin-Pesce getting the tougher matchups defensively.

That said, your question is a good one. The two best players "defensively" IMO are Slavin and Pesce, so is it better off to split them up or not.

 

[RodTheBawd]

Wow, that's.....

ugh

imagine when they ice the puck and Pittsburgh trots out Crosby and Malkin against 'em

And you've gotta figure in year's past, Coach Peters would consider calling the time out there. But with the new rule that prohibits calling a timeout after icing, you've got a tired group that isn't used to playing in their own end. Key faceoff there.

Ok, someone can do a much better job at this than me.

 

[DaveG]

Further reading of the lines based on the team division.

Dineen:
Aho/Staal/Lindholm

Kron:
Skinner/Rask/Williams
Teravainen/Ryan/Stempniak

more likely
Skinner/Rask/Stempniak
Turbo/Ryan/Williams

but still

 

[GoldiFox]

Running Slavin-Pesce last year gave Peters the freedom to double-shift Slavin-Faulk in key moments which, in the same way, eliminates Hanifin from tough minutes. It also allowed Faulk to play softer minutes on the whole and use his offfensive talents more as he did not have to focus on defending the other team's best forwards.

At the end of the day Hanifin needs to be above average defensively for a 2nd pairing guy. He looked good after Hainsey left. I'm hoping he can be a guy that bails out Faulk next year rather than the guy who needs help.

 

[RodTheBawd]

Where is this notion that Faulk is some defensive liability coming from? His "inconsistencies" are pretty much getting caught flat footed in transition, or gapping up at the wrong time. It's like the HFBoards echo chamber has manifested itself into our own board. Being not as good as Slavin defensively doesn't mean being not good defensively. I'd have zero issues trotting Faulk out for 22+ a night, it just doesn't need to happen.

 

[geehaad]

more likely
Skinner/Rask/Stempniak
Turbo/Ryan/Williams

Not sure I'd run Ryan as many minutes as I'd like to run Williams, PP minutes notwithstanding. But using Williams like Whitney was used is an interesting idea I hadn't considered, mostly assumed he'd be top-6.

 

[DaveG]

oddly enough I also wouldn't be stunned with a Skinner/Ryan/Stempniak line because Skinner. Seriously, unless you're putting him with someone that has an ineptitude level of me he's gonna produce regardless of who you put him with.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

imagine how many goals he would score with tavares feeding him apples all day