Jets2point0
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- Oct 14, 2017
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It seems as though the fan base is pretty divided on what to do with Brian Little for the remainder of his contract - curious to see the poll results:
Good thoughts, but I'm not sure you don't accomplish much the same thing with Wheeler on the wing with Little and sliding Roslo back with Perreault and Armia. I'd like to see Roslo at C next season as opposed to Wheeler, I didn't love his game there, it might have been match up related like you say but I'm still not convinced it's the best fit.Here's another couple of thoughts about the Jets' C situation...
I wonder if the Jets might need to consider splitting Scheifele and Wheeler, and go back to Wheeler, but as a #2 C, not #1. My main rationale for this is that while they are very effective together offensively, I really don't like how they play in their own zone a lot of the time. Some of that is tough match-ups, but I also think that they look a lot for offense, and that's their mind-set, so they can go through a lot of shifts where they are chasing in their own zone, more or less hoping to grab a turnover and go the other way rather than really digging in and defending first. So, here's an idea -- play Connor and Scheifele with Laine, and Little and Wheeler with Ehlers. You couldn't match up Scheifele against a lot of top lines perhaps, but I think it provides more offense / defense balance, and you could lean heavily on Lowry for matching top lines. Here's another reason. I think that Ehlers would benefit from playing for an extended time on a line with Wheeler, just like Connor did. Wheeler will drive Ehlers to be more consistent in his drive and intensity on the puck. Conversely, I think Laine will benefit from having a really hard working C like Scheifele next to him, and the hockey IQ on that line is sky-high. I think they would figure out how to find spaces to score.
Another thought is to go back to Wheeler at C, but at #2 C instead of #1 C. I wasn't a big fan of Wheeler's play as the #1 C, but he might be able to really exploit #2-3 matchups. With Roslovic ready to break through in on RW full-time, and Armia maybe ready to take the next step, and Appleton and Vesalainen waiting in the "wings", the Jets can probably really create some interesting line-ups. Here's an example...
Connor-Scheifele-Laine
Ehlers-Wheeler-Roslovic
Perreault-Little-Armia
Copp-Lowry-Tanev
What I like about those combinations is that each line has a super-charged and speedy forechecking winger to disrupt things and retrieve the puck (Connor, Roslovic, Perreault). I think that's essential with the quickness of NHL defenses today. One of the reasons that I think the Stastny line struggled against Vegas is because they denied zone entries, and that line just didn't have any player that could get in fast and hard enough on the mobile D to disrupt and create turnovers. The top two lines each have a couple of players really good at that.
When Vesalainen is ready, you can go even crazier by shifting Tanev out.
I'm doubtful that the Jets would do that because they love the Scheifele-Wheeler combination, but I have concerns about having another season where the Scheifele/Wheeler combination lags among the Jets lines in 5v5 shot metrics, regardless of their match-ups. I also think that the Jets really need to create lines that can really push Ehlers and Laine, and make them more difficult to neutralize.
Here's another couple of thoughts about the Jets' C situation...
I wonder if the Jets might need to consider splitting Scheifele and Wheeler, and go back to Wheeler, but as a #2 C, not #1. My main rationale for this is that while they are very effective together offensively, I really don't like how they play in their own zone a lot of the time. Some of that is tough match-ups, but I also think that they look a lot for offense, and that's their mind-set, so they can go through a lot of shifts where they are chasing in their own zone, more or less hoping to grab a turnover and go the other way rather than really digging in and defending first. So, here's an idea -- play Connor and Scheifele with Laine, and Little and Wheeler with Ehlers. You couldn't match up Scheifele against a lot of top lines perhaps, but I think it provides more offense / defense balance, and you could lean heavily on Lowry for matching top lines. Here's another reason. I think that Ehlers would benefit from playing for an extended time on a line with Wheeler, just like Connor did. Wheeler will drive Ehlers to be more consistent in his drive and intensity on the puck. Conversely, I think Laine will benefit from having a really hard working C like Scheifele next to him, and the hockey IQ on that line is sky-high. I think they would figure out how to find spaces to score.
Another thought is to go back to Wheeler at C, but at #2 C instead of #1 C. I wasn't a big fan of Wheeler's play as the #1 C, but he might be able to really exploit #2-3 matchups. With Roslovic ready to break through in on RW full-time, and Armia maybe ready to take the next step, and Appleton and Vesalainen waiting in the "wings", the Jets can probably really create some interesting line-ups. Here's an example...
Connor-Scheifele-Laine
Ehlers-Wheeler-Roslovic
Perreault-Little-Armia
Copp-Lowry-Tanev
What I like about those combinations is that each line has a super-charged and speedy forechecking winger to disrupt things and retrieve the puck (Connor, Roslovic, Perreault). I think that's essential with the quickness of NHL defenses today. One of the reasons that I think the Stastny line struggled against Vegas is because they denied zone entries, and that line just didn't have any player that could get in fast and hard enough on the mobile D to disrupt and create turnovers. The top two lines each have a couple of players really good at that.
When Vesalainen is ready, you can go even crazier by shifting Tanev out.
I'm doubtful that the Jets would do that because they love the Scheifele-Wheeler combination, but I have concerns about having another season where the Scheifele/Wheeler combination lags among the Jets lines in 5v5 shot metrics, regardless of their match-ups. I also think that the Jets really need to create lines that can really push Ehlers and Laine, and make them more difficult to neutralize.
These are the lines I'd most like to see assuming we can't retain Stastny. You could change around Connor and Ehlers and I don't think there would be any difference.Interesting thoughts. I don't really want to see Wheeler back at C. He got favorable matchups this past season and still got burried.
I also disagree with the notion that Little can't play with Laine and Ehlers and have success. Maybe he can't play with both at once but he had tremenous success with Perrault and Ehlers on his wings last year. I think all he needs is someone to help him dig out the puck.
I also echo Ducky10's thoughts in that I want to trial Roslovic at C.
What I would like to see:
Conner Scheifele Laine
Ehlers Little Wheeler
Perrault/Petan Roslovic Armia
Wheeler plays the firechecking Perrault role on line two.
Petan and Roslovic have great chemistry from their time together on the Moose.
Imo one of Perrault/Myers is dealt this summer for cap purposes.
But how would we expose Little to Seattle because he has an NMC?
Ps. Couldn’t you avoid exposing any good players by giving them all NMCs poor to the draft?
All NMC count against the number of players you can protect. No player can have a NMC until they would be UFA eligible, so depending when the expansion draft is you are potentially risking for the Jets players like, Scheifele, Trouba, Morrissey, Laine, Ehlers, Connor, Roslovic, Lowry depending how many NMC you hand out to veteran players.But how would we expose Little to Seattle because he has an NMC?
Ps. Couldn’t you avoid exposing any good players by giving them all NMCs poor to the draft?
Don't follow the logic of Wheeler at center over Little. Both are still in your top 6 but Wheeler is a much better winger than center and Little is a better center than winger. Little is far better than Wheeler in defensive zone coverage so you want Wheeler instead as a natural winger to be the defensive conscious for Ehlers and Laine? I'd agree Little is better off playing with North - South players so play him with Connor and Wheeler on the wings and have Scheifele adapt to 2 creative East-West wingers. At least then you have a chance at per-longed success.Or there is this:
1) Scheifele centering Little and Connor--would be effective in both ends of the ice and could score 100 goals as a line
2)Wheeler centering Laine and Ehlers--Wheeler might be a more effective mentor and set-up man for the boys
3)Roslo centering Armia and Perreault-Nice sheltered C role for Roslo and the line would be possession beasts
4) Lowry with Copp and Tanev
Don't follow the logic of Wheeler at center over Little. Both are still in your top 6 but Wheeler is a much better winger than center and Little is a better center than winger. Little is far better than Wheeler in defensive zone coverage so you want Wheeler instead as a natural winger to be the defensive conscious for Ehlers and Laine? I'd agree Little is better off playing with North - South players so play him with Connor and Wheeler on the wings and have Scheifele adapt to 2 creative East-West wingers. At least then you have a chance at per-longed success.