Line Combos: Build your Habs 2018-19 line-up (3rd line center)

[WatchfulElm]

With a fully healthy line-up.

Max Domi (46,3%) - Jonathan Drouin (60,7%) - Brendan Gallagher (90,5%)
Max Pacioretty (72,4%) - Phillip Danault (81,8%) - Nikita Scherbak (50%)
xxxx - ???? - xxxx
xxxx - xxxx - xxxx

xxxx - xxxx
xxxx - xxxx
xxxx - xxxx

xxxx
xxxx

Extras : xxxx - xxxx - xxxx

1st call up (forward) : xxxx
2nd call up (forward) : xxxx
3rd call up (forward) : xxxx
1st call up (defenseman) : xxxx
2nd call up (defenseman) : xxxx
1st call up (goaltender) : xxxx

Click to read more...

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

Max Domi (46,3%) - Jonathan Drouin (60,7%) - Brendan Gallagher (90,5%)

doubt that line will be there when the season start, average of 5'10 for the line.. I would put Scherbak or try again with Pacioretty/Drouin. Not ideal but I highly doubt the first line gonna be that small.

 

[NobleSix]

Drouin as 1C and Danault as 2C.

L M A O
M
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How far this org has fallen.

 

[Deebs]

Isn't Poehling ineligible because he's going to school?

 

[WatchfulElm]

Isn't Poehling ineligible because he's going to school?

Yes good point. I don't think he will win anyway.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Peca between Hudon/Lehkonen.

 

[WatchfulElm]

Peca between Hudon/Lehkonen.

I think that would be a pretty good line and I hope we can see this eventually this season. I still voted for Plekanec because I think Peca has to earn it before stealing his spot.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Don't really get the DLR love to be honest. He's played 5 pro seasons in North America already and he's basically been a replacement level player, I'm not holding my breath for him to put it all together in season 6. I know Plekanec isn't what he once was but he's easily better than DLR and at this point DLR isn't exactly a "prospect" anymore.

 

[417]

Don't really get the DLR love to be honest. He's played 5 pro seasons in North America already and he's basically been a replacement level player, I'm not holding my breath for him to put it all together in season 6. I know Plekanec isn't what he once was but he's easily better than DLR and at this point DLR isn't exactly a "prospect" anymore.

I don't think Plekanec is better than DLR at this point and if he is, i'm not sure that will remain true after an entire season of DLR playing in an actual role.

Instead of playing 7 mins a game and being a health scratch for 20 straight.

 

[G0bias]

I like the idea of maximizing the returns on Peca and Armia by giving them increased roles, so I have Peca here.

If it works and they find another gear, great we have new middle-six caliber players-or top6 in Armia's case- we can either keep or flip at the deadline for additional picks. If not, no harm done.

 

[JoelWarlord]

I don't think Plekanec is better than DLR at this point and if he is, i'm not sure that will remain true after an entire season of DLR playing in an actual role.

Instead of playing 7 mins a game and being a health scratch for 20 straight.

Agree to disagree I guess. I don't think Plekanec is anything special anymore, IMO he's an average 3C but the Habs center depth is dire enough that he's still probably the 2nd best center on the team after Danault. This isn't really about Plekanec being a great player or great option at 3C, but there's just nothing else there in the Habs depth chart (since I think Kotkaniemi/Poehling/Evans/Vejdemo/Olofsson etc are all still at least a year away) and he's at least a serviceable NHL 3C unless he completely falls off a cliff over the offseason (which to be fair is reasonably likely).

If the discussion were Plekanec vs. Evans/Kotkaniemi/Poehling for either 2019-20 or if Evans starts the season strong in the AHL and should be called up I would agree that Plekanec should be pushed down to 4C or moved instead of taking a spot from a prospect, but to me DLR and McCarron are teetering on the edge of becoming organizational depth and aren't really guys I consider "prospects" anymore.

DLR couldn't beat out Froese, Carr, Deslauriers, Mitchell, or (Logan) Shaw to get a 4th line spot last season, and the team had so little faith in those guys, DLR, and McCarron to play 4C that they signed Matthew Peca for 1.3M. If he can't beat out that collection of plugs and career 4th liners to secure a role on the 4th line, why am I supposed to believe he should be the 3C over Plekanec? He's 23 now and will be 24 by season's end. He's not "old" but he's not really a young prospect brimming with potential. It's totally possible he takes a step and establishes himself as a solid bottom six center, but I'll believe it when I see it and I can't justify penciling in DLR as a 3C when he hasn't even shown he's definitively an NHL 4th liner yet.

 

[417]

Agree to disagree I guess. I don't think Plekanec is anything special anymore, IMO he's an average 3C but the Habs center depth is dire enough that he's still probably the 2nd best center on the team after Danault. This isn't really about Plekanec being a great player or great option at 3C, but there's just nothing else there in the Habs depth chart (since I think Kotkaniemi/Poehling/Evans/Vejdemo/Olofsson etc are all still at least a year away) and he's at least a serviceable NHL 3C unless he completely falls off a cliff over the offseason (which to be fair is reasonably likely).

If the discussion were Plekanec vs. Evans/Kotkaniemi/Poehling for either 2019-20 or if Evans starts the season strong in the AHL and should be called up I would agree that Plekanec should be pushed down to 4C or moved instead of taking a spot from a prospect, but to me DLR and McCarron are teetering on the edge of becoming organizational depth and aren't really guys I consider "prospects" anymore.

DLR couldn't beat out Froese, Carr, Deslauriers, Mitchell, or (Logan) Shaw to get a 4th line spot last season, and the team had so little faith in those guys, DLR, and McCarron to play 4C that they signed Matthew Peca for 1.3M. If he can't beat out that collection of plugs and career 4th liners to secure a role on the 4th line, why am I supposed to believe he should be the 3C over Plekanec? He's 23 now and will be 24 by season's end. He's not "old" but he's not really a young prospect brimming with potential. It's totally possible he takes a step and establishes himself as a solid bottom six center, but I'll believe it when I see it and I can't justify penciling in DLR as a 3C when he hasn't even shown he's definitively an NHL 4th liner yet.

That's not true...DLR finished the year as the #3C on the team after Plekanec was traded, he finished with 8pts in the 20 games after the trade deadline.

Those 20 games represented the only true opportunity he's had to play a significant role on this team since his rookie year.

 

[JohnLennon]

Drouin as 1C and Danault as 2C.

L M A O
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How far this org has fallen.

Yeah, it's been a large fall from the glory days of Desharnais as 1C and Eller as 2C.

 

[NobleSix]

Yeah, it's been a large fall from the glory days of Desharnais as 1C and Eller as 2C.

I'm actually referencing the Habs as most remember them; in the 80's. The glory years. Not the garbage early Bergevin years, which actually works to accentuate my point.

But yes, your snarky sarcasm has been noted as well.

 

[JohnLennon]

I'm actually referencing the Habs as most remember them; in the 80's. The glory years. Not the garbage early Bergevin years, which actually works to accentuate my point.

But yes, your snarky sarcasm has been noted as well.

It was tongue in cheek - just bugging you buddy. I know what you meant. Take care!

 

[NobleSix]

It was tongue in cheek - just bugging you buddy. I know what you meant. Take care!

Well if that was the case then I apologize. My guard is still up from an argument in another thread lol

 

[JohnLennon]

Well if that was the case then I apologize. My guard is still up from an argument in another thread lol

No worries, I've been there man. Plus, reading my original post, there's no way you could've known I was joking.

 

[Mrb1p]

Tbh, id rather we run

Danault
DLR
Peca
Plekanec

Lets try and juice the most value out of the three Cs. Maybe one of them explodes and becomes a 2C? Danault aint that far off a legitimate 2C, 10 points on the PP and hes a 50 points C.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Max Domi (46,3%) - Jonathan Drouin (60,7%) - Brendan Gallagher (90,5%)

doubt that line will be there when the season start, average of 5'10 for the line.. I would put Scherbak or try again with Pacioretty/Drouin. Not ideal but I highly doubt the first line gonna be that small.

Agreed. I have difficulty with this type of line-up building. Placing your best players in a straight line and filling them in order is not how you build a line-up. I'm pretty sure Julien plays Pleky with Gallagher again.

 

[MD thaivuN]

this is where things get depressing, as Pleks is the best option available.

 

[ArtPeur]

this is where things get depressing, as Pleks is the best option available.

mind you, he could even be #1 center in October

 

[JoelWarlord]

That's not true...DLR finished the year as the #3C on the team after Plekanec was traded, he finished with 8pts in the 20 games after the trade deadline.

Those 20 games represented the only true opportunity he's had to play a significant role on this team since his rookie year.

It kinda is true though, he got a shot at 3C because Danault was injured and Plekanec was traded, he couldn't beat out a collection of career grinders to win a spot on the 4th line before then. He was solid in that role at the end of the season but it doesn't really change my opinion of his overall track record, I think Froese or McCarron could have put up similar results between Galchenyuk and Lehkonen as well.

This kind of thing happens every year for bad teams, a prospect gets to play in garbage time above his role with good linemates after all the veterans are shut down or sold off as rentals. I grew up in Ontario and I remember this happening every year when the Leafs sucked, they'd get some prospect playing on the 2nd or 3rd line put up 12 points in 18 games after the deadline and the following year he was a 4th liner. I'm not ready to pencil in DLR as a 3C for 20 games with Galchenyuk and Lehkonen on a "3rd" line. I don't think we should be penciling in Mike Reilly as Petry's partner on the top pair for his 20 games after the deadline either.

I guess we just have a different opinion of DLR's potential and that's fine. I just don't really think very highly of DLR or McCarron as prospects at this point so I value having a veteran like Plekanec on a team this young (assuming Pacioretty is traded, Byron is the 2nd oldest forward at 29 and the other 10 forwards are 27 and under) over clearing a role for (IMO) 23-year-old marginal prospects teetering on the edge of washing out of the organization. That's obviously subject to change, Plekanec is in steep decline and there's a chance he completely falls off a cliff this year or has Hemsky-esque age-related injury issues and in that case I'm fine giving DLR or McCarron a shot, but right now I think the gap between DLR and Plekanec is so wide that I can't justify it for the IMO very low chance DLR becomes more than a replacement level 4th liner.

 

[417]

It kinda is true though, he got a shot at 3C because Danault was injured and Plekanec was traded, he couldn't beat out a collection of career grinders to win a spot on the 4th line before then. He was solid in that role at the end of the season but it doesn't really change my opinion of his overall track record, I think Froese or McCarron could have put up similar results between Galchenyuk and Lehkonen as well.

This kind of thing happens every year for bad teams, a prospect gets to play in garbage time above his role with good linemates after all the veterans are shut down or sold off as rentals. I grew up in Ontario and I remember this happening every year when the Leafs sucked, they'd get some prospect playing on the 2nd or 3rd line put up 12 points in 18 games after the deadline and the following year he was a 4th liner. I'm not ready to pencil in DLR as a 3C for 20 games with Galchenyuk and Lehkonen on a "3rd" line. I don't think we should be penciling in Mike Reilly as Petry's partner on the top pair for his 20 games after the deadline either.

I guess we just have a different opinion of DLR's potential and that's fine. I just don't really think very highly of DLR or McCarron as prospects at this point so I value having a veteran like Plekanec on a team this young (assuming Pacioretty is traded, Byron is the 2nd oldest forward at 29 and the other 10 forwards are 27 and under) over clearing a role for (IMO) 23-year-old marginal prospects teetering on the edge of washing out of the organization. That's obviously subject to change, Plekanec is in steep decline and there's a chance he completely falls off a cliff this year or has Hemsky-esque age-related injury issues and in that case I'm fine giving DLR or McCarron a shot, but right now I think the gap between DLR and Plekanec is so wide that I can't justify it for the IMO very low chance DLR becomes more than a replacement level 4th liner.

IF and I stress IF...DLR is given an actual shot to hold down a consistent role on this team.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'll remind you again, he put up 8pts in the 20 games following Plekanec's trade.

That represents 1/3 of the points Plekanec accumulated in 60 games (24pts) with MUCH more icetime.

There is more talent with DLR than this coaching staff has bothered to extract IMO...I hope that this year, with a roster looking like it's going to be a non-playoff one....

That the team finally invests in the development of young players who still have room to develop, rather than invest in veterans who are getting worse by the game.