Line Combos: 2017-2018 Line Combos

[BagHead]

Stewie also had a couple of 28g seasons, yet he's a 4th liner here. Ennis's best years were under Lindy Ruff and his all offense, and defense optional philosophy. He's a lesser skilled Vanek.

Ennis is useful on the PP, but he'll have a hard time beating out: Coyle, Granny, Koivu, Nino, Parise, and Staal (imo).

He's just an odd fit for the Wild:
-smaller perimeter player
-can score
-no defense
-health questions
-not a good passer
-handles the puck well, but will hold it too long
-not afraid of playing a physical game
-even, but not an improvement at anything compared to: Koivu, Staal, Granny, Zucker, Nino, Coyle, Parise (last year version), and maybe Cullen.

Oh man, that player comparison bolded above is so wrong that it is almost physically painful to me. One is a slow, net-front, fancy play, weak-in-the-corners-player, the other is a fast, physically aggressive (but fragile) player that plays all over the place. Both may be poor defensively, and in the corners, but that's all they have in common. They're not even poor at it for the same reasons. One is lazy, the other just doesn't know what he's doing and is physically weak compared to those he plays against.

I agree that he is an odd fit for the Wild, but he was the player Buffalo needed to move back in order to take on Pominville's salary. Even with that salary off the books, we're darn close to the cap, still needing to sign a 4th liner. I hate that it's true, but it had to be done. This is the consequence of having too many overpaid players. I'm not sure what else Fletcher could have done this off-season that was better than what he did do. If we're playing the hindsight game, he probably never signs Pominville for so many seasons at that price.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Oh man, that player comparison bolded above is so wrong that it is almost physically painful to me. One is a slow, net-front, fancy play, weak-in-the-corners-player, the other is a fast, physically aggressive (but fragile) player that plays all over the place. Both may be poor defensively, and in the corners, but that's all they have in common. They're not even poor at it for the same reasons. One is lazy, the other just doesn't know what he's doing and is physically weak compared to those he plays against.

I agree that he is an odd fit for the Wild, but he was the player Buffalo needed to move back in order to take on Pominville's salary. Even with that salary off the books, we're darn close to the cap, still needing to sign a 4th liner. I hate that it's true, but it had to be done. This is the consequence of having too many overpaid players. I'm not sure what else Fletcher could have done this off-season that was better than what he did do. If we're playing the hindsight game, he probably never signs Pominville for so many seasons at that price.

No, probably not. But since Ennis is a poor fit (except for the winning personality that makes him Spurgeon's best buddy) and Foligno is having trouble coming to contract terms I think there probably was a better trade out there. (I think Fletch did well with the Vegas deal.) When you ship out two NHL players you want at least one NHLer back - that makes sense. But given these issues, maybe one of Buffalo's many B prospects would have been better? Asplund, Cornel, Cliff Pu? And the other thing is that there are other NHL teams. I believe they liked Ennis ok thanks to the personal connection and they admitted they liked Foligno for his gritensity. We'll see but for now - with Foligno not part of the team yet - it's plainly an underwhelming return for two guys ready to play and produce for Buffalo.

 

[Wabit]

I would also like to see Ennis with Nino and Staal, who I think have some major promise if they get clicking together. Ennis could be a real firecracker on offense for that line. And besides, I was not impressed with Coyle when he got that RW spot last year.

It would be nice to instill Granny/Parise type of drive/mental game into Coyle. He has top-6 physical skills, but takes too many games off mentally.

Maybe he should go see a goalie coach (not Kemp's guy ) to learn how to have a short memory? Start hanging out with fighter pilots and hope their confidence rubs off on him?

 

[Wabit]

No, probably not. But since Ennis is a poor fit (except for the winning personality that makes him Spurgeon's best buddy) and Foligno is having trouble coming to contract terms I think there probably was a better trade out there. (I think Fletch did well with the Vegas deal.) When you ship out two NHL players you want at least one NHLer back - that makes sense. But given these issues, maybe one of Buffalo's many B prospects would have been better? Asplund, Cornel, Cliff Pu? And the other thing is that there are other NHL teams. I believe they liked Ennis ok thanks to the personal connection and they admitted they liked Foligno for his gritensity. We'll see but for now - with Foligno not part of the team yet - it's plainly an underwhelming return for two guys ready to play and produce for Buffalo.

I don't know if there was much interest in Scandella from many teams. Emilin @ $3m only got a 3rd. Methot got a goalie prospect and a 2nd. TVR+7th got a 2nd.
Hamonic and Hjalmarsson were the big catches for d-men and their returns weren't great, and they are a level above Scandella.

I like Foligno, but I would have liked other players or prospects ahead of him from Buffalo. The rumored MTL 1st for Scandella was probably the trade I liked the best, it would have opened up so much cap space. The rumored Spooner+ for Scandella is a trade I would have probably hated. I'm not a Spooner fan, and he'd be an odd fit for the team imo.

I have been wondering what's up with Foligno and his contract situation.

 

[nt3005]

I don't know if there was much interest in Scandella from many teams. Emilin @ $3m only got a 3rd. Methot got a goalie prospect and a 2nd. TVR+7th got a 2nd.
Hamonic and Hjalmarsson were the big catches for d-men and their returns weren't great, and they are a level above Scandella.

I like Foligno, but I would have liked other players or prospects ahead of him from Buffalo. The rumored MTL 1st for Scandella was probably the trade I liked the best, it would have opened up so much cap space. The rumored Spooner+ for Scandella is a trade I would have probably hated. I'm not a Spooner fan, and he'd be an odd fit for the team imo.

I have been wondering what's up with Foligno and his contract situation.

I don't think Montreals first was ever actually available for Scandella. Unless they wanted to make it a bigger trade, but then we would have taken salary back from them, which I don't know who that would be, and we would have been sending more the other way. Scandella wasn't worth a first when it came down to it. Vegas completely killed the d man market, and I'm sure GMCF wishes he would have gotten something done before the Expansion draft, but he had to do his best to get Vegas to take Haula.