Line Combos: HFPens Decided - 2021 Starting Lineup and Discussion

Randy Butternubs

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Mar 15, 2008
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The 2021 Starting Lineup as per HFPens:

Zucker (100%) - Crosby - Kapanen (77%)
Guentzel (66%) - Malkin - Rust (97%)
McCann (94%) - Blueger (67%) - Tanev (59%) [54% for this winger pairing]
Rodrigues (54%) - Jankowski (89%) - Sceviour (82%)
Lafferty (89%)
IR: ZAR

Dumoulin (100%) - Letang
Matheson (56%) - Marino
Pettersson (97%) - Riikola (63%) [60% vote for this pairing]
Ceci / Ruhwedel

Jarry - DeSmith


Barring any surprise moves, this seems to be the roster the Penguins will be working with at the start of next season.

How does your proposed lineup look when compared to what HFPens voted on? And what do you expect the coaches will do?

Previous threads:

Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - 20/21 Version
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Jake Guentzel
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Third Line Center
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Marino's Partner
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Give Sid a RW
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Letang's Partner
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Zucker
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Rust
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - 3rd Line Wingers
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - 3rd Defense Pairing
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - 4th Line Center
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - 4th Line Wingers
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Runoff Vote - 4th Line LW
Line Combos: - HFPens Decides - Extra Forward
 
Last edited:

Randy Butternubs

Registered User
Mar 15, 2008
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Some notes and observations:
  1. Thanks to everyone who participated. Yes, even you @CrosbyMalkin
  2. The biggest discrepancies among HFPens were: Matheson playing with Marino, the combo of third line wingers, and Rodrigues over Lafferty for the fourth line.
  3. The first poll (Jake Guentzel) had two-thirds of voters picking him to play with Malkin. Though I don't think most people expect that to happen.
  4. Once Jake was voted to go to Malkin, the rest of the top six basically fell into place.
  5. About 10% would like to see Dumoulin play with Marino.
  6. The same amount of people see Jankowski as the 3C that see McCann as the 3C.
  7. Two people do not want Pettersson to be a starter.
  8. Poulin received a decent amount of votes to be a 3W, but not enough to win or have a runoff poll.
  9. Ceci only received 21% of the vote to be on the third pair.
 

Tom Hanks

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Great work @Randy Butternubs This could have been even better if ZAR was healthy ;)

source.gif
 

Randy Butternubs

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Mar 15, 2008
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The lineup that was voted on is actually what I had typed up maybe in October.

Anyway, I think Sully will go with:

Guentzel - Crosby - Kapanen

If I'm recalling correctly, Sullivan said that he plans on starting Kapanen with Crosby. And I think we all know that Jake is basically glued to Sid's hip.​

Zucker - Malkin - Rust

With Guentzel and Kapanen going to Sid, this leaves Malkin with the remaining top six wingers. Even though this line didn't click in the playoffs, I think there's potential for a super annoying and skilled line.​

[ZAR placeholder, likely McCann] - Blueger - Tanev

Since there's a shortened season, I think Sullivan will rely heavily on what he's familiar with. If that's the case, I do think he'll go to the BART line as soon as he can and they'll take the majority of D-zone starts. In the meantime, he'll use camp and preseason to see who meshes best with Blueger and Tanev in ZAR's absence. I think McCann or Rodrigues go here to start, with McCann having the edge.​

[Lafferty or Rodrigues] - Jankowski - Sceviour

For the season start, I expect Jankowski to center the 4th line. Lafferty and E-Rod will rotate in based on the weather. Once ZAR comes back, I see that separating McCann from B&T to this line. Then Jankowski and McCann will make up two-thirds of this line, with the final opening going to whoever best suits the line's role.​


Dumoulin - Letang

Sully to go with the familiar and with what works.​

Pettersson - Marino

Sully to go with the familiar and with what works.​

Matheson - Ceci

There's no way they don't start Matheson and I don't see Riikola playing over Ceci.​
 

Giskard

Registered User
Jun 20, 2008
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If healthy the top-6 is dynamite, it could be the first time that Sid and Geno have 4 bona fide wingers. But the bottom-6 we basically promote last year 4th line to be our new 3rd line and then rely on heavily meh 4th liners. The defence is improved just by subtracting JMFJ and Schultz, and the addition of Matheson could be something really good or really bad with that contract. On Ceci I don't have an opinion yet, but since he is a RD maybe they will play him over Riikola.
 

Pens x

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Oct 8, 2016
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I think we can all agree on the top 6 and most of the d pairings.

But JR has me nervous that we will roll with:

McCann Jank Rodrigues
Sceviour Blueger Tanev

This would be an epic failure. You can move some people around but I just don’t know how anyone can be satisfied with this line up. This lineup is assuming the team will have no injuries. What happens when Geno or Sid are out long term? It’ll get really really ugly across the lineup if that happens.
 
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Tom Hanks

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I think we can all agree on the top 6 and most of the d pairings.

But JR has me nervous that we will roll with:

McCann Jank Rodrigues
Sceviour Blueger Tanev

This would be an epic failure. You can move some people around but I just don’t know how anyone can be satisfied with this line up. This lineup is assuming the team will have no injuries. What happens when Geno or Sid are out long term? It’ll get really really ugly across the lineup if that happens.

Don’t listen to JR. I think it’s fairly clear Blue is Sully’s preferred choice for 3C.

McCann has been switched to wing when we could and Jank had an awful year so he’ll have to prove himself before he got a shot.
 
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Pens x

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Oct 8, 2016
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Don’t listen to JR. I think it’s fairly clear Blue is Sully’s preferred choice for 3C.

McCann has been switched to wing when we could and Jank had an awful year so he’ll have to prove himself before he got a shot.
I hope you are right, but the fact that JR signed these clowns on day 1 scares me.
 
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Tom Hanks

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I hope you are right, but the fact that JR signed these clowns on day 1 scares me.

We needed a centre and one who could be a defensive 4C. We got one for 700k so while I don’t think we’ll get that upside of what he once was, it’s a solid move.
 

Ugene Magic

EVIL LAUGH
Oct 17, 2008
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I think we can all agree on the top 6 and most of the d pairings.

But JR has me nervous that we will roll with:

McCann Jank Rodrigues
Sceviour Blueger Tanev

This would be an epic failure. You can move some people around but I just don’t know how anyone can be satisfied with this line up. This lineup is assuming the team will have no injuries. What happens when Geno or Sid are out long term? It’ll get really really ugly across the lineup if that happens.

They didn't want to pay up for the 3c position they have been overspending on mistakes for.

People need to look at Jankowski differently. Everyone focuses on one bad year not just for Jankowski in Calgary, but the entire bottom six was trash.

The way they see it is, a possible Schultz like move without having to give away any assets for him. Covid helped out in keeping his cap down and reducing it more than it would have had it been a normal offseason. He'd probably got 1.0/1.3 for his work to date.

Don’t listen to JR. I think it’s fairly clear Blue is Sully’s preferred choice for 3C.

McCann has been switched to wing when we could and Jank had an awful year so he’ll have to prove himself before he got a shot.

This would hold water if not for Sully echoing the same from his own mouth.

I hope you are right, but the fact that JR signed these clowns on day 1 scares me.

Certainly not what I wanted for 3c, it's an important position, and if any proven 3c came in neither Jankowski or TB would be there at all.

We needed a centre and one who could be a defensive 4C. We got one for 700k so while I don’t think we’ll get that upside of what he once was, it’s a solid move.

They didn't go shopping for a 4c.:)

I know the routine... Deny, deny, deny.

I'll save you the trouble...

tom-hanks.gif
 

Coachcorner

Senor Martinez
Sep 28, 2017
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Hello and mucho respect for all of y'all! :clap: Kapanen will be a fine fit for y'all for this upcoming season for surely.

What I was thinking and asking bout is the question concerning the powerplay: Is Rust or Zucker on the first powerplay unit with Malkin, Crosby etc?
 

Coachcorner

Senor Martinez
Sep 28, 2017
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Rust was there last year and scored 8 power play goals.
Ok sire. Mucho deniro appreciated the answer there :clap: I thought so too, saw his stats, but wasn't sure if this was case this season. With these current players. Interesting to see what happens. Rust must read the game better than zucker then. Zucker and Kapanen are more of those fool suckas who skate hard and act hard, still scoring what!
 

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