Line Combos: Canucks Top 9

[SI]

I wonder how the Canucks will roll out their top 9 -

IMO, I think it is best to move Miller to C and have a strong top 9 balance. I also believe that Podkolzin will be a Calder candidate. And please do not get caught up with 1st line, 2nd line, 3rd line BS- top 9 balance and Horvat line sees teams’ top line and maybe has some more Def. Zone starts than the others. I also feel like that Horvat line will be teams identity line. Horvat and Miller will most likely be on the PP1, so these guys will get their minutes.

Here is my pitch -
Dickinson-Pettersson- Boeser
Hoglander- Miller - Podkolzin
Pearson - Horvat - Garland

Click to read more...

 

[Shellshockedfrom2011]

I prefer Miller as the shutdown guy compared to Horvat. But really think they should stick with Dickinson as the shutdown C.

Miller-Pettersson-Garland
Hoglander-Horvat-Boeser
Pearson-Dickinson-Pod

Alternatively if they want a truly great shutdown line with faceoff ability:

Hoglander-Pettersson-Boeser
Pearson-Horvat-Garland
Dickinson-Miller-Pod

 

[elitepete]

This is the most likely line up:

Miller-EP-Boeser
Hoglander-Horvat-Garland
Pearson-Dickinson-Podkolzin
Mackewan-Sutter-Gadjovich

If we’re going with Miller at C:
Garland-EP-Pod
Hoglander-Horvat-Boeser
Pearson-Miller-Mackewan
Gadjovich-Dick-Sutter/Motte

 

[elitepete]

I wonder how the Canucks will roll out their top 9 -

IMO, I think it is best to move Miller to C and have a strong top 9 balance. I also believe that Podkolzin will be a Calder candidate. And please do not get caught up with 1st line, 2nd line, 3rd line BS- top 9 balance and Horvat line sees teams’ top line and maybe has some more Def. Zone starts than the others. I also feel like that Horvat line will be teams identity line. Horvat and Miller will most likely be on the PP1, so these guys will get their minutes.

Here is my pitch -
Dickinson-Pettersson- Boeser
Hoglander- Miller - Podkolzin
Pearson - Horvat - Garland

I don’t think Dickinson is a good fit on the top line. He has zero offense. Rather make him the 4C and move up a winger like Mackewan or Gadjovich to the 3rd line.

 

[SI]

This is the most likely line up:

Miller-EP-Boeser
Hoglander-Horvat-Garland
Pearson-Dickinson-Podkolzin
Mackewan-Sutter-Gadjovich

If we’re going with Miller at C:
Garland-EP-Pod
Hoglander-Horvat-Boeser
Pearson-Miller-Mackewan
Gadjovich-Dick-Sutter/Motte

Where is Motte in your most likely line combo? Because he most definitely be there with Sutter on the 4th line.

If we are going with what is most likely then - Pearson and Horvat stick together For sure with Garland. You keep the Lotto line together and then you have Dickinson with the kids, which I don’t love. Not sure you want Podz and Hoglander in situations For def. zone starts.

I don’t think Gadjovich makes the team. Highmore, Motte, McEwan are ahead of him in the depth chart.

Initially, I thought having Dickinson on the top line could be a good fit with his speed and forechecking ability as well as helping on face offs. He may be able to creat some space for Petey and Boeser.

 

[SI]

Green can also line them up like this

• Hoglander - Petey- Boeser
• Pearson - Horvat - Garland -
• Dickinson - Miller - Podz

4th line

• Motte - Sutter - Highmore/McEwan

*If Ferland does return - he'd fit nicely in the bottom 6, but I understand he may be done.

 

[Goon42]

Miller as the 3C is just a bad take. You dont break up Miller - Pettersson - Boeser

 

[elitepete]

Where is Motte in your most likely line combo? Because he most definitely be there with Sutter on the 4th line.

If we are going with what is most likely then - Pearson and Horvat stick together For sure with Garland. You keep the Lotto line together and then you have Dickinson with the kids, which I don’t love. Not sure you want Podz and Hoglander in situations For def. zone starts.

I don’t think Gadjovich makes the team. Highmore, Motte, McEwan are ahead of him in the depth chart.

Initially, I thought having Dickinson on the top line could be a good fit with his speed and forechecking ability as well as helping on face offs. He may be able to creat some space for Petey and Boeser.

I have Motte as the 13th forward. Imo Gadjovich brings a unique combo of size and goal scoring and has a good chance to make the team because of it.

I don’t think Pearson is likely to start on the 2nd line. Hoglander showed he’s good enough for that line, and the acquisition of Garland was more to push Pearson down than Hoglander. Pearson’s safe defensive play is also a good fit for the 3rd line.

 

[elitepete]

Miller as the 3C is just a bad take. You dont break up Miller - Pettersson - Boeser

I honestly don’t think it’s that bad of an idea. But I would prefer putting him on the wing in the top 6.

 

[Dural]

Miller is 2 seasons removed from probably the final (big) contract of his career, he's not going to be happy playing 3C with third line wingers, even with PP1 time, as it will likely cost him several million dollars. The only way I'd move Miller to center is if there's an injury to EP or Horvat, and he'd fill either role effectively.

 

[rypper]

I think Motte is going to miss time to start the season.

 

[Peen]

Miller at C was a turnover machine with huge mental lapses in his own end - both with and without the puck

I genuinely will never understand people preferring him at center instead of wing.

Then suggesting that this same mistake prone guy take harder minutes than Horvat? Oh boy.

 

[Hit the post]

Where is Motte in your most likely line combo? Because he most definitely be there with Sutter on the 4th line.

If we are going with what is most likely then - Pearson and Horvat stick together For sure with Garland. You keep the Lotto line together and then you have Dickinson with the kids, which I don’t love. Not sure you want Podz and Hoglander in situations For def. zone starts.

I don’t think Gadjovich makes the team. Highmore, Motte, McEwan are ahead of him in the depth chart.

Initially, I thought having Dickinson on the top line could be a good fit with his speed and forechecking ability as well as helping on face offs. He may be able to creat some space for Petey and Boeser.

He's about on the same level as Gaudette was on faceoffs (I don't mean that as an complement).

 

[LuckyBoeser]

Miller at C was a turnover machine with huge mental lapses in his own end - both with and without the puck

I genuinely will never understand people preferring him at center instead of wing.

Then suggesting that this same mistake prone guy take harder minutes than Horvat? Oh boy.

I agree. I find Miller a lot more effective from driving play and creating offense on the wing. I'm not confident in the idea of Miller being deploy in a shutdown role. He was competent defensively in his last year with the Rangers + his tenure with Tampa, but even then he shown inconsistencies and prone to poor decisions. Canucks' best usage of J.T. Miller is probably deploying him with Pettersson and Boeser to create an offensive dynamic line. I'm fine with balancing out defensive zone starts among the top 9 so you do not suffocate one line with defensive zone draws though.

 

[Blackjackz]

Your 4th line is going to be some combination of Motte & Sutter (although Motte may be delayed to start the season due to injury).. but I fail to see how anyone could make an argument to keep Tyler out of the line-up given what he has showcased the last 2 seasons. Motte is a prototypical 4th liner, who brings character and energy, he kills penalties, and plays shutdown minutes in close games... and to be frank, there we MANY games last season where he was the best player on the Canucks, measured in terms of effort and doing his job... if you want to build a winning culture on this team, that works hard every night, then I think it would be sending the absolutely wrong message to the team by putting Motte in the press box.. Gadjovich is showing signs of being a player, but he is a ways away from cracking the lineup.. he is not going to kill penalties, nor is he going to push a high-pace forecheck... With Tyler Motte, you have a kid that knows exactly the type of player and role he is suppose to fulfill, and I think a lot of teams would love to have him on their roster.... which is a lot more than can be said for many last season on the Canucks...

 

[elitepete]

Your 4th line is going to be some combination of Motte & Sutter (although Motte may be delayed to start the season due to injury).. but I fail to see how anyone could make an argument to keep Tyler out of the line-up given what he has showcased the last 2 seasons. Motte is a prototypical 4th liner, who brings character and energy, he kills penalties, and plays shutdown minutes in close games... and to be frank, there we MANY games last season where he was the best player on the Canucks, measured in terms of effort and doing his job... if you want to build a winning culture on this team, that works hard every night, then I think it would be sending the absolutely wrong message to the team by putting Motte in the press box.. Gadjovich is showing signs of being a player, but he is a ways away from cracking the lineup.. he is not going to kill penalties, nor is he going to push a high-pace forecheck... With Tyler Motte, you have a kid that knows exactly the type of player and role he is suppose to fulfill, and I think a lot of teams would love to have him on their roster.... which is a lot more than can be said for many last season on the Canucks...

A 5’10 dude is not a prototypical 4th liner. And we’re already so small as it is. Not saying he’s not a decent player or that I don’t want him on the Canucks, but I think you’re overrating him.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Green doesn't let Pettersson take draws, so Miller is likely to stick with him.

 

[logan5]

I agree. I find Miller a lot more effective from driving play and creating offense on the wing. I'm not confident in the idea of Miller being deploy in a shutdown role. He was competent defensively in his last year with the Rangers + his tenure with Tampa, but even then he shown inconsistencies and prone to poor decisions. Canucks' best usage of J.T. Miller is probably deploying him with Pettersson and Boeser to create an offensive dynamic line. I'm fine with balancing out defensive zone starts among the top 9 so you do not suffocate one line with defensive zone draws though.

Wasn't Miller pressed into the 1c role with Boeser though. As a 3rd line centre I think he would be alright. That's if the strategy is to have 3 scoring lines, but the 3 scoring line strategy waters things down.

My lines, using 3 scoring line strategy...

Podkolzin Pettersson Garland
Pearson Horvat Boeser
xxxx Miller Hoglander
Motte Dickenson Sutter

I'm not sure who to put 3rd line LW, and I'm not sure if we have the forward depth to have 3 scoring lines, at least enough to my liking.

Loading up the top 2 lines means that either Hoglander or Podkolzin gets relegated to the 3rd line, or maybe both. Podkolzin is going to be a real disruptor out there and I hope he is playing with Pettersson, cuz that's what Pettersson needs, so even loading up the top 2 lines I would still go with Podz Petey Garland.

We simply don't need pearson. I don't think he would make a great 3rd line player, and I think both Podz and Hogs are better players than him, so Pearson shouldn't be top 6. He is in no mans land here.

 

[logan5]

If Podz is played as a C then that opens up more possibilities. Doesn't seem likely though.

 

[mratch19]

A 5’10 dude is not a prototypical 4th liner. And we’re already so small as it is. Not saying he’s not a decent player or that I don’t want him on the Canucks, but I think you’re overrating him.

But he's 5'10 and almost 200 pounds with an endless motor.. He is most certainly a lock for a lineup spot if he's healthy. He always has almost double takeaways more than giveaways... 13 takeaways, 5 giveaways last season, 16-9 in 2019-20 and 34 - 15 in 2018-19 and almost 80% defensive zone faceoffs for 4 straight seasons + between 100-200 hits in all three of those years. I think you're underestimating Motte here, and how much Green trusts Motte in a bottom six role. He showed in the bubble why he is so important to this team, if he hadn't already proven it prior to that. The only thing I worry about Motte is injuries because of his non-stop very grindy style of play, which is clearly hard on his body. So, an argument can be made that he might not be able to continue to take such abuse in a fourth line role. Beyond that though his abilities are pretty clear.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

I wonder how the Canucks will roll out their top 9 -

IMO, I think it is best to move Miller to C and have a strong top 9 balance. I also believe that Podkolzin will be a Calder candidate. And please do not get caught up with 1st line, 2nd line, 3rd line BS- top 9 balance and Horvat line sees teams’ top line and maybe has some more Def. Zone starts than the others. I also feel like that Horvat line will be teams identity line. Horvat and Miller will most likely be on the PP1, so these guys will get their minutes.

Here is my pitch -
Dickinson-Pettersson- Boeser
Hoglander- Miller - Podkolzin
Pearson - Horvat - Garland

Impossible. EP40 doesn’t know how to take face offs so…. This can’t happen.

 

[M2Beezy]

Miller Pettersson Sutter
Dickinson Horvat Boeser
Pearson Podz Garland
Hoggy MacEwan Motte

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Green doesn't let Pettersson take draws, so Miller is likely to stick with him.

it could be his 40% FOW%. Hope this comes up in this current negotiations. The fact that like needs a true Center to take draws for him. And he’s always injured. Those 2 things (combined with him being an RFA) should keep the price down.

but it won’t.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

Miller Pettersson Sutter
Dickinson Horvat Boeser
Pearson Podz Garland
Hoggy MacEwan Motte

Who is this “Sutter” guy you have on the top line?? Is he new?

 

[SI]

Miller is 2 seasons removed from probably the final (big) contract of his career, he's not going to be happy playing 3C with third line wingers, even with PP1 time, as it will likely cost him several million dollars. The only way I'd move Miller to center is if there's an injury to EP or Horvat, and he'd fill either role effectively.

Yeah, I don't think his contract will be the deciding factor - if Green feels strongly that he needs him to play C, then he plays C contract, and feelings be damned.

I had him skating with Hoglander and Podz that isn't a bad pair to be skating with.