2018-2019 Roster Discussion - Official Roster is In

[TheLegend]

Number | Player | Position
4 | Niklas Hjalmarsson | Defenseman
6 | Jakob Chychrun | Defenseman*
9 | Clayton Keller | Right Wing
11 | Brendan Perlini | Left Wing
12 | Laurent Dauphin | Center
13 | Vinnie Hinostroza | Left Wing
14 | Richard Panik | Right Wing
15 | Brad Richardson | Center
17 | Alex Galchenyuk | Center*
18 | Christian Dvorak | Center*
20 | Dylan Strome | Center
21 | Derek Stepan | Center
22 | Barrett Hayton | Center
23 | Oliver Ekman-Larsson | Defenseman
25 | Nick Cousins | Center
29 | Mario Kempe | Right Wing
32 | Antti Raanta | Goaltender
33 | Alex Goligoski | Defenseman
35 | Darcy Kuemper | Goaltender
36 | Christian Fischer | Right Wing
40 | Michael Grabner | Right Wing
44 | Kevin Connauton | Defenseman
45 | Josh Archibald | Right Wing*
46 | Ilya Lyubushkin | Defenseman
55 | Jason Demers | Defenseman
67 | Lawson Crouse | Left Wing
82 | Jordan Oesterle | Defenseman
* injured reserve

Click to read more...

 

[lanky]

Our opening night lineup seems to look like

Perlini-Keller-Hinostroza
Panik-Stepan-Fischer
Crouse-Strome-Dauphin
Grabner-Richardson-Cousins

OEL-Demers
Goligoski-Hjalmarsson
Connauton-Oesterle

Raanta

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Well, IIRC they did say that last preseason game was gonna be more or less a dress rehearsal...

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

I really hope that they're having Grabner get up to speed, I don't want to see him languish on the 4th line for much of the season.

I'd like to see Dauphin take over for Richardson and move Grabner up in the lineup...when everyone is healthy I'd like to see.

Keller/Galchenyuk/Fischer or Chucky/Keller/Fischer
Perlini/Stepan/Panik
Strome/Dvorak/Grabner or Dvorak/Strome/Grabner
Crouse/Dauphin/Hinostroza

 

[lanky]

Dauphin is logically the first to get bumped out when Dvorak returns. Who gets bumped out when Galchenyuk is back, if no other injuries?

Probably a battle between Crouse, Strome and Cousins.

 

[Mosby]

Maybe Archibald when he's healthy. Then scratch Cousins.

 

[rt]

I was purposefully not looking at when opening night was because I’m too impatient and it would make it come slower. I had no idea the season started this week. Day after tomorrow?!?!? Whoooooop!!!!!

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I might flip Crouse with Grabner, depending upon how Strome plays. I think that Strome is the last of the old school players to come up in the league, slow, deliberative and highly skilled. Now everything is all speed. This will change as teams realize that they have to trap the living shit out of teams like Vegas and Edmonton. Once the breakneck breakouts are strangled by the tight trap Strome type of players may return.

 

[Mosby]

 

[Jakey53]

Dauphin is logically the first to get bumped out when Dvorak returns. Who gets bumped out when Galchenyuk is back, if no other injuries?

Probably a battle between Crouse, Strome and Cousins.

Maybe Archibald when he's healthy. Then scratch Cousins.

I think Cousins has a job and it's his to lose. I would love to sit Archibald and Cousins which would mean someone stepped up.

 

[rt]

Tocchet says they’ll name the Alternate Captians tomorrow. OEL is obviously now the C. That leaves all four other guys who wore an A last season, in Hjalmarsson, Stepan, Goligoski and Richardson. Perhaps all four will keep their A. I’d prefer to strip Goligoski and Richardson. The “we don’t have a captain and Stepan and Hjalmarsson are too new” narratives have worn off. We should just stick with our top players that are our top leaders and cut the BS.

My vote:

C=OEL
A=Stepan
A=Hjalmarsson

 

[Naych_PHX]

Dauphin is logically the first to get bumped out when Dvorak returns. Who gets bumped out when Galchenyuk is back, if no other injuries?

Probably a battle between Crouse, Strome and Cousins.

I had assumed Kempe.

 

[lanky]

I had assumed Kempe.

I meant bumped from the starting lineup, not the roster. Based on Morgan's tweet, Kempe isn't practicing as a starter.

 

[johnchayka89]

I think that the time is coming for Toc to end this Archibald love affair.
We better see something from him this year...

 

[rt]

Interesting listening to Pat Maroon on the Spittin’ Chiclets Pod, says he could’ve been an Arizona Coyote this summer if he wanted. Guess we were one of the lowball offers on the table. He must’ve went with the home town lowball offer with STL.

Obviously he wanted be with his son more than anything. But cool to know that we made an offer.

 

[Grimes]

I think Stepan gets an A for sure. I wouldnt mind giving one to Keller or Chychrun either to start showing that the kids are part of the leadership too but have no problem Hammer or Goligoski keeping their A for anither year or two.

Also, great to hear about Maroon getting an offer from us. Remember when it started to sound like we landed JVR?! This is the way I justify the Hayton over Zadina pick. You can still land these 60 point wingers in FA, and FA's clearly dont mind coming here despite ownership issues. The C's always go quickly and may be out of our price range, but more likely their organizations dont let them get to UFA.

 

[rt]

If Raanta has a bad year or is inured a lot, are we the worst team in the NHL?

1. Yes
2. No


Please vote.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

I think Stepan gets an A for sure. I wouldnt mind giving one to Keller or Chychrun either to start showing that the kids are part of the leadership too but have no problem Hammer or Goligoski keeping their A for anither year or two.

Also, great to hear about Maroon getting an offer from us. Remember when it started to sound like we landed JVR?! This is the way I justify the Hayton over Zadina pick. You can still land these 60 point wingers in FA, and FA's clearly dont mind coming here despite ownership issues. The C's always go quickly and may be out of our price range, but more likely their organizations dont let them get to UFA.

Not Chick. He hasn’t been on the ice enough to be an A.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

If Raanta has a bad year or is inured a lot, are we the worst team in the NHL?

1. Yes
2. No


Please vote.

Buffalo until they prove differently.

 

[Jamieh]

If Raanta has a bad year or is inured a lot, are we the worst team in the NHL?

1. Yes
2. No


Please vote.

No .

 

[Prarievarg]

If Raanta has a bad year or is inured a lot, are we the worst team in the NHL?

1. Yes
2. No


Please vote.

No. IMO theres worse teams with as bad or worse starters than kuemper.

 

[Mosby]

I think that the time is coming for Toc to end this Archibald love affair.
We better see something from him this year...

My only issue with Archibald is that he’s owed NHL salary to play in the minors. Pittsburgh gave him that contract but as a budget team we have no business paying him that well if he goes to the minors at some point. As a player, I don’t think he’s any better or worse than our other fourth liners. I’d love to trade him for a guy who makes 60k at the AHL level.

 

[Mosby]

Interesting listening to Pat Maroon on the Spittin’ Chiclets Pod, says he could’ve been an Arizona Coyote this summer if he wanted. Guess we were one of the lowball offers on the table. He must’ve went with the home town lowball offer with STL.

Obviously he wanted be with his son more than anything. But cool to know that we made an offer.

Coyotes and Devils came in at the last minute while the Blues were dawdling on finalizing a deal.

 

[Grimes]

Ottawa, Vanvouver and Montreal are by far the worst teams in the league, even if Raanta is out. Islanders, Detroit and the Rangers arent far off. Buffalo, Carolina and us need everyone to stay healthy and kids to take the next steps to move into the middle tier of teams. Ducks, Devils and the Panthers are one or two significant injuries from falling below the middle tier teams (Ducks may have already had this happen).

 

[SniperHF]

If Raanta has a bad year or is inured a lot, are we the worst team in the NHL?

Firm no. They didn't even pull that off last season under the similar circumstances and Domingue was outright ducking under pucks by the end. Kuemper might disappoint but he won't do that.

If someone like Keller or Stepan goes down on top of that? Good chance.