jMoneyBrah
Registered User
Where are these guys? I’m guessing you’re talking about guys in the AHL that are coming up next year? Because in the playoffs, Tierney was not a quality center. Meier looked very good in the one game that he did play with a quality center (Pavelski) and Kane immediately was handed back that spot, despite the fact that Kane was suspended for a stupid dirty play, and had not looked as good at any point in the playoffs as Meier did in one game on that line.
Firstly, I’m not going to take a stance on Meier’s proper deployment based on the results of a few playoff games.
Secondly, If the Sharks can’t construct an effective lineup with a good center to play with Meier from Thornton, Pavelski, Couture, Hertl, Tierney, and potentially Tavares - I think we have bigger problems than Meier’s deployment.
Lastly, I’m not as concerned with maximizing Meier’s output as I am with maximizing the output of the forward group/team as a whole. I’m that vein, I think a Sharks forward group with Kane and Meier on it is easily more productive than one with just Meier. I view individual player deployments as a fluid thing, based on recent production and line chemistry. If you want to get hung up on Meier being on the first/second line, that’s all well and good. Personally, I don’t view “Meier producing as a first liner” as a requisite to winning games - I’m much more interested in how he is able to be effective in any role the team needs him to be for them to win.