Build a line - what line would you have loved to seen in the NHL?

[Boxscore]

This line is built out of both, novelty, and based on style of play. But, a line I would have loved to have seen - all at their very best - is my rendition of a "CRAZY 8's" Line:

LW - Alexander Ovechkin / C - Eric Lindros / RW - Cam Neely

All three players wore "8" in their uniforms. In this case, we'll give Neely #18 instead of #8.
All three were big, strong, mean, and absolute nightmares to defend in their primes.

Sure, there could be "better" lines, more skilled lines, faster lines, more balanced lines... but my goodness, as a fan, this line would be worth the price of admission.

What line would you like to see if you could create any line in NHL history, using all players at their very best?

Click to read more...

 

[The Panther]

How about Lindros - Messier - Probert?

The other team would be too scared to go over the boards....

 

[Boxscore]

How about Lindros - Messier - Probert?

The other team would be too scared to go over the boards....

That would have been a scary proposition for sure.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Ovechkin-Trottier-Lafleur

Just looks tremendously entertaining to watch, and didn't want to use the usual suspects like Lemieux/Gretzky etc.

 

[67Leafs67]

Ted Lindsay - Marcel Dionne - Theoren Fleury

All of them are 5'8" or under, but incredible players. It would be fun to see these three midgets zipping around the opposition, with their intelligent passing, and absolutely gutsy play.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

This line is built out of both, novelty, and based on style of play. But, a line I would have loved to have seen - all at their very best - is my rendition of a "CRAZY 8's" Line:

LW - Alexander Ovechkin / C - Eric Lindros / RW - Cam Neely

All three players wore "8" in their uniforms. In this case, we'll give Neely #18 instead of #8.
All three were big, strong, mean, and absolute nightmares to defend in their primes.

Sure, there could be "better" lines, more skilled lines, faster lines, more balanced lines... but my goodness, as a fan, this line would be worth the price of admission.

What line would you like to see if you could create any line in NHL history, using all players at their very best?

add in a Chara-Pronger pairing on defense

 

[Combat Koala]

Maybe not as star struck as other lines in this thread, but:

Elias - Modano - Demitra

was a line I have always wanted to see. All in their peak, of course. Three smart two-way forwards that excelled at most parts of hockey. No glaring weaknesses, aside from maybe hitting. Positions don't match but I think they could overcome that pretty easily.

 

[VanIslander]

Hooley Smith was a (considered) less talented center who played wing to HHOFer Moose Watson, but the latter was a proud early era amateur whereas the former turned pro and took a salary from the NHL (and was eventually inducted in 1972). Smokey Harris was one of the greatest PCHA players ever, but wasn't inducted in the HHOF, unfortunately.

In the early 1920's I'd love to have seen a Smokey Harris - Moose Watson - Hooley Smith line in the NHL.

 

[Boxscore]

Ted Lindsay - Marcel Dionne - Theoren Fleury

All of them are 5'8" or under, but incredible players. It would be fun to see these three midgets zipping around the opposition, with their intelligent passing, and absolutely gutsy play.

The waterbug line.

 

[GMR]

Fedorov - Forsberg - Jagr

Nobody could take the puck from that line.

 

[DannyGallivan]

Coffey-Orr-Robinson

Put the greatest offensive defensemen in history at the forward position. Oh, and I'd love to see Robinson crush the opposition on the forecheck!

...and imagine the speed of perhaps the two greatest skaters in NHL history on the same line together.

 

[DannyGallivan]

... or Ferguson - Tiger Williams - Probert

It doesn't matter that none of them are natural centres (they were all left wingers). The other team will not want to have possession of the puck.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

sedin sedin neely

 

[67Leafs67]

Or how about one of the silkiest, smoothest lines of all time? Something like

Nilsson - Perreault - Kovalev

 

[boyko10]

Fedorov - Forsberg - Jagr

Nobody could take the puck from that line.

Keepawaay!

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

Realistically could have happened in 96 Shanahan-Gretzky-Sundstrom. Sunstrom or the RW is irrevelant but would have loved to see Gretz and Shanny play together

 

[theicebox]

Straka - Crosby - Jagr
Morozov - Malkin - Kovalev
Guentzel - Lemieux - Hornqvist
Kunitz - Francis - Kessel

 

[ForsbergForever]

Keeping this to players that played at the same time...

Mahovlich-Beliveau-Howe

Bobby Hull-Gretzky-whoever
(almost happened in 1981, imagine Gretzky could have played with father and son)

Perreault-Gretzky-Lafleur (in the NHL)

Shutt-Gretzky-Bossy

Shanahan-Lindros-Neely (now that's a legion of doom!)

MacKinnon-McDavid-Barzal (fastest line ever?)

 

[Big Phil]

Keeping this to players that played at the same time...

Mahovlich-Beliveau-Howe

Bobby Hull-Gretzky-whoever
(almost happened in 1981, imagine Gretzky could have played with father and son)

Perreault-Gretzky-Lafleur (in the NHL)

Shutt-Gretzky-Bossy

Shanahan-Lindros-Neely (now that's a legion of doom!)

MacKinnon-McDavid-Barzal (fastest line ever?)

You beat me to it, but I was going to have something like this:

Kariya-McDavid-Bure

That way no one is out of position.

 

[SCampo98]

Bure - McDavid - Gartner

Constant 2-on-1s and breakaways would be entertaining as hell

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

You beat me to it, but I was going to have something like this:

Kariya-McDavid-Bure

That way no one is out of position.

Bure - McDavid - Gartner

Constant 2-on-1s and breakaways would be entertaining as hell

why not just bure - fedorov - mogilny?







man, alexander godynyuk, jewel of the doug gilmour trade...

 

[SealsFan]

Joey Johnston/Ivan Boldirev/Guy Lafleur... but we all know how that turned out..

 

[Boxscore]

How about...

Kent Nilsson - Denis Savard - Alexei Kovalev

Would be like the Harlem Globetrotters

 

[The Panther]

Realistically could have happened in 96 Shanahan-Gretzky-Sundstrom. Sunstrom or the RW is irrevelant but would have loved to see Gretz and Shanny play together

They did play together a bit at Canada Cup '91 and, I thought, had some chemistry. But wasn't the story that Gretzky c.1996 didn't want Shanahan on the team, for some reason? I've never understood what that was all about...

 

[Neutrinos]

Bure - McDavid - Gartner

Constant 2-on-1s and breakaways would be entertaining as hell

Gartner was fast, no doubt, but I think I'd prefer someone with better hands/creativity

Selanne, for example