Line Combos: HFBoards Decides: Opening Lineup - 3rd Line Left Winger

[Randy Butternubs]

Plotnikov to play with Malkin and Kessel. A second poll is not needed as Plotnikov received more than 50% of the votes.

Bonino set to center the third line. He received no votes for the final top 6 left wing position.

Maatta will be paired with Letang on the top pairing and Eric... I mean Ian Cole will be on the second pairing on the right side. The next defenseman poll will most likely be posted tomorrow or Saturday.

Some assumptions, as of 8/27/2015:

• Fehr will not start the season.
• Scuderi is staying. So is Lovejoy.
• Dumoulin would not survive waivers and will stay in the NHL.
• Clendening, Erixson, and Andersen have a chance to pass through waivers and one will be the 6th or 7th defenseman.
• Sundqvist has a chance to start in the NHL in a bottom 6 roll.
• Fleury is the starting goalie.
• Kunitz can only play left wing.
• Dupuis and Bennett can play either wing.
• Neither Gonchar or Sestito will be signed.

I will add more assumptions as the HFBoards lineup is decided. You don't like these assumptions? Too bad.

Vote for who you believe should be the third line left winger. Who gets penciled in on the left side of Bonino? Kunitz, Dupuis, Bennett, or Sundqvist?

Voting for this one shall last for two days. Then, depending on results, I will take the top 2 or 3 results and do one final poll.

Objections?

Current HFBoards Lineup:

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Plotnikov-Malkin-Kessel
XXX-Bonino-XXX
XXX-XXX-XXX

Maatta-Letang
XXX-Cole
XXX-XXX
XXX

Fleury
XXX

Should've done this during the Bylsma years and sent it to him.

Click to read more...

 

[Disappointed EP40]

Plotnikov to play with Malkin and Kessel. A second poll is not needed as Plotnikov received more than 50% of the votes.

Bonino set to center the third line. He received no votes for the final top 6 left wing position.

Maatta will be paired with Letang on the top pairing and Eric Cole will be on the second pairing on the right side. The next defenseman poll will most likely be posted tomorrow or Saturday.

Some assumptions, as of 8/27/2015:

• Fehr will not start the season.
• Scuderi is staying. So is Lovejoy.
• Dumoulin would not survive waivers and will stay in the NHL.
• Clendening, Erixson, and Andersen have a chance to pass through waivers and one will be the 6th or 7th defenseman.
• Sundqvist has a chance to start in the NHL in a bottom 6 roll.
• Fleury is the starting goalie.
• Kunitz can only play left wing.
• Dupuis and Bennett can play either wing.
• Neither Gonchar or Sestito will be signed.

I will add more assumptions as the HFBoards lineup is decided. You don't like these assumptions? Too bad.

Vote for who you believe should be the third line left winger. Who gets penciled in on the left side of Bonino? Kunitz, Dupuis, Bennett, or Sundqvist?

Voting for this one shall last for two days. Then, depending on results, I will take the top 2 or 3 results and do one final poll.

Objections?

Current HFBoards Lineup:

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Plotnikov-Malkin-Kessel
XXX-Bonino-XXX
XXX-XXX-XXX

Maatta-Letang
XXX-Cole
XXX-XXX
XXX

Fleury
XXX

Should've done this during the Bylsma years and sent it to him.

Cool thread idea. Copying for.... *sigh*... the Canucks.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Cool thread idea. Copying for.... *sigh*... the Canucks.

Sutter on the top line as a RW.

And I like your username.

 

[#66]

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Kessel
Dupuis-Bonino-Bennett

Both Kunitz and Dupuis look really good in informal skates, Plots not so much.

Fehr is a player I'm pretty excited about. Big, strong on the puck, great shot and great along the boards. I hope he can find some time in the top 6.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Kunitz if he isn't traded from now to then.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Dupuis, Kunitz can rot on the 4th or in the stands.

 

[GFF]

I think 3rd line LW is what Kunitz needs to prolong his NHL career. The lower minutes and fewer shifts where goalscoring is expected I think will mean he looks and IS more effective.

 

[Shady Machine]

Why are we signing a 39 year old Erik Cole and converting him to defense?

 

[Shady Machine]

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Kessel
Dupuis-Bonino-Bennett

Both Kunitz and Dupuis look really good in informal skates, Plots not so much.

Fehr is a player I'm pretty excited about. Big, strong on the puck, great shot and great along the boards. I hope he can find some time in the top 6.

So you are going to take a few informal skates to judge what the lines should be? Yeah that's a great way to go about things.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Why are we signing a 39 year old Erik Cole and converting him to defense?

Stop telling me how to do my job!

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Kunitz. If he can't or won't make it as a 3rd liner, trade him.

 

[Penguinator]

Stop telling me how to do my job!

16-2 for Kunitz over Duper, close it Nubs!

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think Fehr should be the 3rd line RW for the 3rd line, so it comes down to Dupuis or Kunitz in who will be the better complement for Bonino and Fehr. Dupuis there would let us use that 3rd line as a shutdown line, but Kunitz there would probably make it more of a scoring 3rd line. I'd go with Kunitz here because Dupuis-Cullen-Bennett sounds better than Kunitz-Cullen-Bennett.

 

[#66]

So you are going to take a few informal skates to judge what the lines should be? Yeah that's a great way to go about things.

Ha... Is that line up that bad? Kunitz can still easily play in the top 6 now that he isn't asked to be a scoring winger and Dupuis at his worst is active, fast and always going to give 120%.

They're less of a question mark than a career KHLer that needs to learn that the NHL is less about skating in loops than stopping and starting. He needs to adjust. It will take time.

 

[Shady Machine]

Ha... Is that line up that bad? Kunitz can still easily play in the top 6 now that he isn't asked to be a scoring winger and Dupuis at his worst is active, fast and always going to give 120%.

They're less of a question mark than a career KHLer that needs to learn that the NHL is less about skating in loops than stopping and starting. He needs to adjust. It will take time.

No the lineup isn't that bad. I just don't think you should be making assumptions based on an informal skate. I guess you could say the same thing about many of us plugging Plots into the top 6 based on a few comments from JR.

I'm just nervous Kunitz is going to be gifted a spot next to Sid again this season.

 

[mikethelegacy]

Dupuis has only three votes....which is weird because many people on here wouldn't mind seeing him play on the 1st line with Sid, but Kunitz is magically better than him for a 3rd line spot.

Dupuis is a better player if you ask me, especially for a 3rd line role.

 

[Penguinator]

Dupuis has only three votes....which is weird because many people on here wouldn't mind seeing him play on the 1st line with Sid, but Kunitz is magically better than him for a 3rd line spot.

Dupuis is a better player if you ask me, especially for a 3rd line role.

I want Kunitz so outta top 6 that i voted for him to be on the 3rd...

 

[Shady Machine]

Dupuis has only three votes....which is weird because many people on here wouldn't mind seeing him play on the 1st line with Sid, but Kunitz is magically better than him for a 3rd line spot.

Dupuis is a better player if you ask me, especially for a 3rd line role.

I think it's about fit. Dupuis' speed and effort will cause havoc and open up more space for Sid and Kessel than Kunitz (or at least that's the theory). Kunitz with Bones could be a better fit for secondary offense. That said, many may also be picking Duper to be on RW with Kunitz and Bones.

Prior to Cullen signing, with a healthy roster I wanted this:

Perron-Crosby-Hornqvist
Plots-Malkin-Kessel
Sundqvist-Fehr-Duper
Kunitz-Bonino-Bennett

3rd line is a shutdown line and 4th is secondary scoring line. With Cullen in the mix, it's tough to say how things shake out when healthy. Do Fehr or Cullen shift to wing? Does Sundqvist still have a role? Does Bennett get a regular role? There are so many question marks (mostly good problems to have) that it's tough to see how everything shakes out.

If I had my way, I'm leaning toward a healthy bottom 6 of:

Duper-Bonino-Fehr
Kunitz-Cullen-Bennett

But for now, I like Kunitz on the left wing with Bones.

 

[Mischa]

Dupuis has only three votes....which is weird because many people on here wouldn't mind seeing him play on the 1st line with Sid, but Kunitz is magically better than him for a 3rd line spot.

Dupuis is a better player if you ask me, especially for a 3rd line role.

I don't see a reason to call them third and fourth line. We have the talent now to balance the two. Personally I just think Kunitz would look better with bonino.

I also think dupuis would fit into the top 6 better than Kunitz due to his skillset (playing on a fast line with Kessel and crosby).

Really in general we can afford to play people who fit in roles rather than just considering pure talent which is pretty nice

 

[drpepper]

Why are people constantly moving players out of position where they are likely less effective?

Fehr is a better center. Bonino is a better center. Bennett is a better RW. Perron is a better LW. Hornqvist is a RW. It seems like Dupuis, Plotnikov, and Cullen are the most adaptable.

For a one-off match-up or in the case of injury, I could see experimentation. But I don't understand wanting to play players where they are not comfortable & most effective.

 

[plaidchuck]

Kunitz in the bottom six.. oh you poor naive souls.

 

[Shady Machine]

Why are people constantly moving players out of position where they are likely less effective?

Fehr is a better center. Bonino is a better center. Bennett is a better RW. Perron is a better LW. Hornqvist is a RW. It seems like Dupuis, Plotnikov, and Cullen are the most adaptable.

For a one-off match-up or in the case of injury, I could see experimentation. But I don't understand wanting to play players where they are not comfortable & most effective.

I'm not sure this post is coming from. Most of us here have been putting guys in their preferred spots. If you have a beef with anyone, it should be MJ.

The only guy I put out of position was Fehr and that's because I'm not sure they are going to slide either of Fehr or Bonino to a 4th line. If they do, Cullen has to switch to wing.

 

[#66]

No the lineup isn't that bad. I just don't think you should be making assumptions based on an informal skate. I guess you could say the same thing about many of us plugging Plots into the top 6 based on a few comments from JR.

I'm just nervous Kunitz is going to be gifted a spot next to Sid again this season.

Sorry man... I didn't mean ha in a dickish way. It was more because this is the best line up we've seen since 2008... IMO its even more well rounded than the 2009 team.

I get what you're saying but sometimes things just fit. Kunitz didn't have a great year last year but I did think he looked good with Sid in the playoffs. IMO part of his problem is age but its also that he's not allowed to be aggressive anymore. His game is about banging and crashing the end boards... not pulling back to trap or hanging up high to be an F3 at any time. I think that's when he loses something.

I know its just an informal skate but you can see that sluggishness was gone and he really did look good. Dupes was the same old Dupes. Fast as hell and the hands have to catch up to the feet but not overly bad.

Plotnikov and Scuds could hardly do the drills the skating coach gave them. The drills were really hard but they were falling down. Its not that Plots was slow, straight ahead he was pretty fast... more turning, stopping and starting and backwards skating were ugly.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Dupuis has only three votes....which is weird because many people on here wouldn't mind seeing him play on the 1st line with Sid, but Kunitz is magically better than him for a 3rd line spot.

Dupuis is a better player if you ask me, especially for a 3rd line role.

There are two wings on any given line.

So...probably a better idea to reserve judgement, since I can pretty much guarantee than Dupuis will be who people want at 3RW.

 

[RaySheroGM]

No option for Sestito?