I've been saying this since preseason, this team isn't going anywhere, and Hextall knew it, Holmgren left a mess and hopefully Snider finally realized Al Davis didn't win games his last decade and will allow Hextall to clean the stables. Trading Hartnell for a 4th to get rid of his out years and McGinn for a 3rd said it all, reduce your depth going into the season is no way to compete, and Timonen going down made things worse.
Yes, they're mixing and matching lines, and will do so all year, this is about finding the combination of core players that you'll keep together the next few years. They were hoping to get enough production out of Umberger and Vinnie to move them, now, they're going to have to find a way to dump them, and they don't even have draft picks to throw in (thanks Holmgren).
I think young lines with above average speed will look a lot better when they have some mobile defensemen who can lead the rush and jump in, Streit is a good shooter but an average skater at this point, really, only MDZ has any serious mobility and offensive skills, Coburn can skate and hit but isn't much in the offensive zone. The others . . .
Next year the shakeout begins, I think they want Hagg and Alt to play together at Lehigh this year, then bring them up as a pairing, Morin will get a shot to make the team in camp, MDZ, all of a sudden there isn't a lot of room for veteran defensemen. So a fire sale near the trade deadline is probable.
If you go Raffl - Couts - Read as your defensive line, then you need a LW for Laughton - Simmonds and another for PEB - Rinaldo on the 4th line. Maybe they go with Akeson and see who might beat him out from Lehigh, maybe they pick up a 3rd/4th line winger in a deadline trade. If your other three lines aren't great at scoring, you at least want them to be above average defensively.
