I did a list earlier... There was like 10-12 teams in the east with a better bottom pair then Ottawa
I would like to know who are those 10-12 and out of those 10-12, how many has a better top-4? (On paper) It's fun and all to have a good bottom pair, but if the top 4 is not better, than it doesn't matter.
It's like saying that a team with 6 superstar or elite on the top 6 with a meh bottom 6 is worse than the team who have 12 average player, because the bottom 6 is better.
I would rather have the better top 4 with a meh bottom 6 than the good bottom 6 with average top 4.
You just said the dude could not handle first pair minutes... So when a top four injury happens, you are going to promote this "meh" talent to the top four.
Disaster waiting to happen
First pair 24-25 min + against top line and second line player ( Ideally ) ( Crosby-Ovechkin-Tavares-Giroux-ect )
2nd pair 17-20 minutes against second line and 3rd liner ( ideally ). This is so different in term of quality of competion.
If there is an injury to Methot or Phaneuf, Claesson would play in the second pairing ( i hope ), not with Karlsson.