Line Combos: Convince me otherwise

embracedbias

Registered User
Jan 11, 2009
6,223
82
Waterloo
The following possibility has not entered the discussion. It's so crazy that it might work.

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
JVR - Bozak - Marner
Komarov - Kadri - Brown
Leivo - Marleau - Kapanen

Roll all 4 lines. By the 2nd or 3rd period, line #4 = whichever line isn't working on a given night (constant fight for icetime for the 4 lines).

We lose Moore but Kapanen can PK.

We lose physicality in Martin.

We put a vet with a big paycheck on (ostensibly) the 4th line... potential media circus and distraction, but if he can get 15-16 minutes per night all will be well. (Might not be possible)

Agree or disagree?


[Merge if you so desire, mods. Worth a new thread in my view.]
 

Pi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2010
48,856
13,830
Toronto
I like this Market player. Did we get him for above market value or below?
 

The List Of Jericho

Judas effect
Mar 1, 2002
18,024
3,500
Toronto
The following possibility has not entered the discussion. It's so crazy that it might work.

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
JVR - Bozak - Marner
Komarov - Kadri - Brown
Leivo - Marleau - Kapanen

Roll all 4 lines. By the 2nd or 3rd period, line #4 = whichever line isn't working on a given night (constant fight for icetime for the 4 lines).

We lose Moore but Kapanen can PK.

We lose physicality in Martin.

We put a vet with a big paycheck on (ostensibly) the 4th line... potential media circus and distraction, but if he can get 15-16 minutes per night all will be well. (Might not be possible)

Agree or disagree?


[Merge if you so desire, mods. Worth a new thread in my view.]

It's not terrible but a 6 million dollar guy playing the 4th line is nuts and no way you're giving each line the same minutes. JVR being traded for a a top 4 defenceman would solve a bunch of problems. Hainsey should be playing a 5-6 role not a top pairing role. Martin shouldn't be in over Kapanen but Kap will get his chance as no way the team stays as healthy as last year.
 

embracedbias

Registered User
Jan 11, 2009
6,223
82
Waterloo
It's not terrible but a 6 million dollar guy playing the 4th line is nuts and no way you're giving each line the same minutes. JVR being traded for a a top 4 defenceman would solve a bunch of problems. Hainsey should be playing a 5-6 role not a top pairing role. Martin shouldn't be in over Kapanen but Kap will get his chance as no way the team stays as healthy as last year.

Marleau might get fewer minutes but think about it this way: Instead of playing against the opposition's best everynight with Kadri, he would be out against 4th lines much of the time. Could be even more productive
 

Rogie

ALIVE
May 17, 2013
1,742
235
Kyoungsan
I don't think in theory it's all that bad. But, PK and PP (almost) always takes away minutes and disrupts the rhythm and ability to just roll out 4 lines and distribute the time evenly. The opposing team will capitalize with a better line (top 9) out against a 4th line constantly looking for a mismatch. Not that your proposed 4th line looks like a mismatch! Hmmm, maybe it's ahead of it's time; we aren't ready for 4 line hockey yet!
 
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one77

Registered User
Dec 22, 2013
2,243
45
Marleau isn't a 4th liner, and he isn't a C either. Sure he can take the odd faceoff but that's why he'd be great with Kadri.

What I'd like to see:

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
JVR - Bozak - Brown
Kapanen - Moore - Komarov
Martin
 
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Not My Tempo

Registered User
Feb 22, 2015
3,663
3,701
Toronto
Marleau isn't a 4th liner, and he isn't a C either. Sure he can take the odd faceoff but that's why he'd be great with Kadri.

What I'd like to see:

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
JVR - Bozak - Brown
Kapanen - Moore - Komarov
Martin
I personally really like this lineup. It would give Marner more of an opportunity to learn some defense and it adds some much needed defense to the Bozak line. Realistically Martin would be playing for Kapanen though.
 

Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
11,360
9,539
I actually like that our 4th line isn't ultra offense like this OP wants to build. Doing this would just result in our best players getting less ice time.

That doesn't mean I'm in love with our 4th line however. I'd much rather have Kapanen in the lineup than Martin and Brown ideally I'd have higher up. But it's better than this alternative imo
 

Anthrax442

Registered User
Aug 4, 2008
15,309
7,524
Toronto
www.russianroulette.ca
The following possibility has not entered the discussion. It's so crazy that it might work.

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
JVR - Bozak - Marner
Komarov - Kadri - Brown
Leivo - Marleau - Kapanen

Roll all 4 lines. By the 2nd or 3rd period, line #4 = whichever line isn't working on a given night (constant fight for icetime for the 4 lines).

We lose Moore but Kapanen can PK.

We lose physicality in Martin.

We put a vet with a big paycheck on (ostensibly) the 4th line... potential media circus and distraction, but if he can get 15-16 minutes per night all will be well. (Might not be possible)

Agree or disagree?


[Merge if you so desire, mods. Worth a new thread in my view.]

incredulous.gif


In the history of weird posts...
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
45,387
14,255
Marleau can play C

The rest is just you stating the opposite opinion.

(Keeping in mind that I'm not saying that this is what Babcock would ever do)

Yes he can but he's been primarily a winger for years now and at 6+ million that's not changing especially if it means he's the 4th line C.
 

RLF

Registered User
May 5, 2014
3,303
890
Marleau isn't a 4th liner, and he isn't a C either. Sure he can take the odd faceoff but that's why he'd be great with Kadri.

What I'd like to see:

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Marner
JVR - Bozak - Brown
Kapanen - Moore - Komarov
Martin

I kind of like this. I would be a little worried about if the JVR-Bozak-Brown line would be creative enough to supply adequate offence though. No real shooter or playmaker on that line
 

leaffaninvancouver

formerly in Victoria
Jan 11, 2012
13,819
8,327
I kind of like this. I would be a little worried about if the JVR-Bozak-Brown line would be creative enough to supply adequate offence though. No real shooter or playmaker on that line

While it would never happen as Babcock wants a shutdown line, JVR-Bozak-PAP was able to provide offence. Brown is a huge upgrade on PAP so it could work apart from Babcock would never do that.
 

Mess

Global Moderator
Feb 27, 2002
86,912
11,862
Leafs Home Board
The following possibility has not entered the discussion. It's so crazy that it might work.

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
JVR - Bozak - Marner
Komarov - Kadri - Brown
Leivo - Marleau - Kapanen

Roll all 4 lines. By the 2nd or 3rd period, line #4 = whichever line isn't working on a given night (constant fight for icetime for the 4 lines).

We lose Moore but Kapanen can PK.

We lose physicality in Martin.

We put a vet with a big paycheck on (ostensibly) the 4th line... potential media circus and distraction, but if he can get 15-16 minutes per night all will be well. (Might not be possible)

Agree or disagree?


[Merge if you so desire, mods. Worth a new thread in my view.]

Marleau is the Leafs highest paid forward so using him on the 4th line couldn't be anything I would expect to see any time soon.
 

RLF

Registered User
May 5, 2014
3,303
890
While it would never happen as Babcock wants a shutdown line, JVR-Bozak-PAP was able to provide offence. Brown is a huge upgrade on PAP so it could work apart from Babcock would never do that.

Maybe. Maybe they find chemistry and would be ok defensively. Just one of those lines that individually they are all pretty good players. just not sure they will work well as a unit.
 

Joey Hoser

Registered User
Jan 8, 2008
14,232
4,143
Guelph
I think you want to be able to roll four lines, but a lot of the time, between TV timeouts and special teams, you don't really have to. If you spread it out over four equal lines as a 5v5 strategy, then either Matthews or Marleau, or both, are going to be sitting and waiting on the bench more than they should be.

A fourth line needs to be able to take a shift when the game just roles along uninterrupted, but that only happens maybe a couple times a game.
 
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Legion34

Registered User
Jan 24, 2006
17,986
8,088
Similar to what others are saying, the idea is interesting, but unecessary. Players can play 20 min a game. The 4th line is more of a specialty line.

My lines from what we have are:

Marleau---Matthews--- Nylander
JVR--------Bozak--------Marner
Leo---------Kadri--------Brown
Martin-----Moore-------Hyman

Gardiner----Zaitsev
Rielly-------Hainsey
Borg---------Carrick

I hate to lose something, and I think that we will end up trading JVR. Then you just keep the hyman line, trade Marleau for JVR and take your D. My personal thought is we will do JVR and Carrick for Vats or similar.

Hyman---- Matthews----Nylander
Marleau--- Bozak--------Marner
Leo Kadri---------Brown
Martin-----Moore-------- Leivo/Fehr/Whoever

Gardiner----Zaitsev
Rielly------ Vatanen
Borg-------- Hainsey


We have 2 many NHL talented players, have to make decisions and move some out. There is no point in losing tons on waivers. Get 2020 picks for leivo etc if we can. There are tons of players who can work there way up.
 

NarcoPolo

Registered User
Jul 16, 2012
7,183
224
6M+ AAV in a player on the 4th line is the first problem,. Leafs loose a veteran that is known to be the one that holds players accountable. Hard to do that when youre not in the lineup. Not a fan
 

Rare Jewel

Patience
Jan 11, 2007
18,810
2,884
Leaf Land
Marleau is the Leafs highest paid forward so using him on the 4th line couldn't be anything I would expect to see any time soon.

I'd agree.

Also if you're spreading out the minutes that much to warrant Marleau being on the 4th line, you'd also likely not be playing Matthews/Nylander as much as you could.
 

frog

Registered User
Apr 8, 2014
2,427
1,449
Canada
The following possibility has not entered the discussion. It's so crazy that it might work.

Hyman - Matthews - Nylander
JVR - Bozak - Marner
Komarov - Kadri - Brown
Leivo - Marleau - Kapanen

Roll all 4 lines. By the 2nd or 3rd period, line #4 = whichever line isn't working on a given night (constant fight for icetime for the 4 lines).

We lose Moore but Kapanen can PK.

We lose physicality in Martin.

We put a vet with a big paycheck on (ostensibly) the 4th line... potential media circus and distraction, but if he can get 15-16 minutes per night all will be well. (Might not be possible)

Agree or disagree?


[Merge if you so desire, mods. Worth a new thread in my view.]

Reason why this wont work is that Mathews and Nylander line should be out there for almost half of the game. Marner should be out there too, and then Kadri, JVR and Marleu should be out there almost as much. When you roll the 4 lines Mathews will not play as much, neither will marner but they should be out there as much as possible. Why not maximize the minutes of our best players on lines that will have higher ice time? Then use utility players such as Moore, Martin and Soshnikov on lines with lower minutes that way our best players can be out there longer instead of wasting talent like Marleau or Kadri on 4th line minutes. Thats the philosophy of most coaches in the league.
 

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