You don't think Nino could have done the same, and more? Coyle is more suited to a 3rd line role than Nino anyways.
And no, people don't need something to get worked up about. It's a speculation about our lineup on a hockey forum.
I think it has more to do with the fact that Coyle is more suited to be that big body presence on a scoring line. He does the hard work, grinds in the corners, is solid defensively, has a good work ethic and makes simple, low-risk passes. Now, I'm not saying that Nino can't do that, too, but Nino is more suited for a middle-six scoring role. And since he is a lefty, Yeo rather utilizes him in the 3rd than 2nd line.
I agree that Nino is a better 2nd liner than Coyle, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'd be a better fit. With that said, Nino has shown to be capable of playing RW during his NA career, which is a plus, and means that he can be swapped with Coyle in case we need scoring late in the game or when the inevitable injuries strike.
Speaking of unseen cards, Michael Keränen seems to be forgotten around here lately. Yes, he probably needs some seasoning in the AHL, but I see his potential as a good middle-six tweener. He can play pretty much all forward positions, and he definitely brings some offense to the table with his world-class vision and great passing. The problem is his size and the fact that he isn't that good defensively, which might be a problem, knowing how much emphasis Yeo puts on defensive ability.
All in all, we currently have plenty of good middle-six wingers, especially 3rd liners. There are, however, only 4 positions there, and 3 of them will go to Nino, Coyle and one of Vanek/Parise/Pominville, depending on what the "1st" line will be. This leaves the following players battling for that one spot:
Cooke
Zucker
Almond
Keränen
Fontaine
Schroeder
In addition, we'll have to see whether Graovac, Phillips, Bulmer or even Bussieres can take that next step this year.
All in all, while our pipelines are lacking in that elite talent, we still have plenty of good players coming up or already there.
So, to take all that into consideration, where does that leave our 4th line? With the amount of skilled wingers we have, does it even make sense to have a traditional, grinding 4th line? Of course, while on paper a skilled line capable of creating a serious mismatch might sound appealing, the truth is that there is a good reason as to why grinding lines exist, and that can't always be measured. Having three guys who are really tough to play against is often effective in wearing down the opposition. Especially with our rather young and inexperienced squad, we need the Kyle Brodziaks and Matt Cookes to do their job. Utility players will always be underrated. Instead of handing out roster spots, make the kids fight for it. That creates healthy competition right from the training camp, even more so than usual. If you do well, you'll have your chance to play with the big boys. If not, you'll be riding the bus. Now, I'm not saying playing in Iowa is the end of the world, but presented with those choices, which one would you choose? Exactly.
So, to summarize: We have plenty of middle-six wingers, 4 or 5 top-six wingers, 3 centers suited for their respective roles and surprisingly few utility players. Where will that take us? Who knows. Hopefully far. All I know is that the opening line-up is very unlikely to be the same than game 82 line-up, even without any injuries.
Also, Iowa looks considerably better than last year with more scorers and skill players. We are one of the deepest teams in the league, and while we lack that game-breaking talent, we can compensate it with good chemistry and difficult match-ups.
In other words, Mike Yeo has to show what he's capable of this year. He, in my opinion, is the single biggest factor on our success this year. If he's able to exploit the match-ups and play the right guys together, we have a real chance of turning some heads, just like Colorado did last year. If he's not, then we'll be out of the playoffs and he'll be looking for a new job. Yes, our goaltending situation is still uncertain and yes, our D could be better, but this group still has a ton of potential - if used right.
