Line Combos: HFPens Decided - 2021 Starting Lineup and Discussion

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I hope to see Poulin or another rookie make the team. We could use an infusion of young talent.

I haven’t read much hockey news with this being a f***ed up year and all.

Just trying to figure out where Poulin could end up.

Last I heard the Q was suppose to start back up on Jan 3... but I read that maybe a month ago.

AHL is suppose to be back in Feb?

If Poulin isn’t on this expanded taxi squad, I guess he sits around waiting for the Q to start back up?

If the Q doesn’t start back up, I assume he can play in the A when they kick up in Feb?

 

[Jacob]

Guentzel - Crosby - Kapanen
Zucker - Malkin - Rust
McCann - Blueger - Lafferty
Tanev - Jankowski - Sceviour
Rodrigues

Dumoulin - Letang
Pettersson - Marino
Matheson - Ceci
Riikola

Jarry / DeSmith

taxi/IR: Nolan, Aston-Reese, Ruhwedel, + sign Garrett Wilson, Kevin Gravel and Jimmy Howard and you’ve got a full unit for practice.

Crosby will always get the tougher defensive matchups so he gets our best winger.. Malkin is iffy defensively so Zucker & Rust compensate for that. Jake and Sid can make things happen with a cigar store indian on the right wing so Kapanen won’t need instant chemistry there, he can learn how to play off the other 2 over time.

Bottom 2 lines might prompt questions... Tanev with Jankowski since there’s familiarity there which might help Jankowski find his game again, and Lafferty on RW rather than having him or others play the wrong side. Also trying to balance the bottom lines a bit, I’d rather have 2 solid checking units than one good one and one bad one. You rotate Rodrigues in for Lafferty or Jankowski or even Sceviour both to keep things fresh, make sure guys aren’t taking nights off or until you find a mix that works. Not married to it but I like guys on the correct side and a balance of speed / physicality / skill / experience.

 

[Tom Hanks]

I haven’t read much hockey news with this being a f***ed up year and all.

Just trying to figure out where Poulin could end up.

Last I heard the Q was suppose to start back up on Jan 3... but I read that maybe a month ago.

AHL is suppose to be back in Feb?

If Poulin isn’t on this expanded taxi squad, I guess he sits around waiting for the Q to start back up?

If the Q doesn’t start back up, I assume he can play in the A when they kick up in Feb?

Poulin can’t go to the AHL. It’s NHL or Q.

Saw this though in the Athletic

With the major junior leagues currently on hiatus, and some uncertainty about when they'll resume, the NHL has told teams that they can keep these junior players on taxi squads as long as they have nowhere else to play. ... It should give teams a lot more flexibility to make trades throughout the year.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Heard it here:

That doesn’t confirm anything

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

That doesn’t confirm anything

That clip absolutely confirms Sullivan's preference for how to start the season. I'm not sure how much more explicit you expect it to get.

He talked about how difficult it's been to find a 3C, and how Jankowski will have the opportunity to fill that role. The implication is obviously that the other line is Blueger's, which had a very concrete make-up.

The Pens article supports exactly that implication.

 

[Flying Dego]

That clip absolutely confirms Sullivan's preference for how to start the season. I'm not sure how much more explicit you expect it to get.

He talked about how difficult it's been to find a 3C, and how Jankowski will have the opportunity to fill that role. The implication is obviously that the other line is Blueger's, which had a very concrete make-up.

The Pens article supports exactly that implication.

I am in the same boat. Connect the dots between this interview and Sully's BART obsession.

First crack will likely be:
McCann-Jank
Tanev-Bleuger

Fill in with the rest of the crap 4th liners...probably Erod at 3RW and Scev at 4RW until the prodigal son returns for us. Teddy will continue to get the hardest zone starts.

The only way this changes is if Jank totally sucks. Which is possible but for the teams sake let's hope he can play.

 

[Jacob]

My issue is Jankowski and Rodrigues are coming off seasons where they were basically #13 forwards. 2 13th forwards together don’t make 2/3rds of a 3rd line. That’s a 4th line at best.

 

[ColePens]

I hope to see Poulin or another rookie make the team. We could use an infusion of young talent.

I just don't think that will happen right off the bat. I have never seen a player more ready to make the roster than Maatta and Guentzel when they were young in camp. Those 2, by a mile, stood out. Maatta came up and i don't think it stunted his growth as the cancer, shoulder sugeries, etc did. Jake went back and came up and that worked, too.

Poulin showed me A LOT last camp, but he didn't look as ready as those 2 in such a dominant fashion. He would have to come in with that type of performance. And just how weird the pandemic seasons were, I don't know if he will be able to do that.

But.. if he does show that pop, then I think build him 1 final year and save that ELC and go buck wild next year.

 

[ColePens]

If we are going to pay Tanev for 10 years at a premium price for his play... then he needs to be more than a 4th liner who turns the puck over for the series clinching goal against in the playoffs. He was our unsung hero in the regular season but he was f***ing brutal in the playoffs. So... we HAVE to see him on a L3 situation w/ Hornqvist out. He has to be impactful in that energy component.

 

[Gurglesons]

That clip absolutely confirms Sullivan's preference for how to start the season. I'm not sure how much more explicit you expect it to get.

He talked about how difficult it's been to find a 3C, and how Jankowski will have the opportunity to fill that role. The implication is obviously that the other line is Blueger's, which had a very concrete make-up.

The Pens article supports exactly that implication.

Sullivan in the interview said that if Jankowski is in the 30 pt range than he will be 3C at around 34:00.

 

[Tom Hanks]

That clip absolutely confirms Sullivan's preference for how to start the season. I'm not sure how much more explicit you expect it to get.

He talked about how difficult it's been to find a 3C, and how Jankowski will have the opportunity to fill that role. The implication is obviously that the other line is Blueger's, which had a very concrete make-up.

The Pens article supports exactly that implication.

The word opportunity means exactly that, it doesn’t even mean he’ll start there.

I’d watch the minutes more so than the “starting” line up.

 

[Gurglesons]

The word opportunity means exactly that, it doesn’t even mean he’ll start there.

I’d watch the minutes more so than the “starting” line up.

At 38:40 Sullivan says when you look at our bottom six, I’m not sure which is the third line verbatim. @Soggy Biscuit is being a fear monger

 

[Tom Hanks]

At 38:40 Sullivan says when you look at our bottom six, I’m not sure which is the third line verbatim. @Soggy Biscuit is being a fear monger

Even if it did come to that. Sully doesn’t stick with forwards for too long if it isn’t working.

If we are winning almost every game and one line struggles then who cares but if we arent winning enough then it’s mixed up.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Sullivan in the interview said that if Jankowski is in the 30 pt range than he will be 3C at around 34:00.

Sullivan wouldn't know that until Janokowski hit 30 points, so I'm not sure what you think this suggests.

Jankowski's going to be the default 3C until he shows he proves to Sullivan that he can't. That means he will be playing with McCann. The McCann-Blueger basket that people defending this bottom 6 have been putting all their eggs in isn't going to be happening for some time, if at all.

The word opportunity means exactly that, it doesn’t even mean he’ll start there.

I’d watch the minutes more so than the “starting” line up.

It means that that's Sullivan's preference to start the year. He couldn't have been more direct without literally showing his line-up to the camera with a bolded title, and even then I'm not sure some here would be convinced.

Not sure what "watching the minutes" is supposed to prove. Blueger's line was our 3rd most used line based on minutes at the end of last year...but Sullivan clearly didn't think Blueger's was the 3rd line based on his comments. More importantly, whatever the nominal 3rd line is, it's moot anyway - the issue is that McCann and Blueger are on separate lines.

 

[Flying Dego]

The word opportunity means exactly that, it doesn’t even mean he’ll start there.

I’d watch the minutes more so than the “starting” line up.

Which is valid. My concern is underutilized talent. I think Sully is jazzed about the BART line and I'm sure many here think it's neat.

McCann-Bleuger-Tanev is imo the best scoring threat while being reliable.

I believe until proven otherwise Sully will go with McCann-Jank-Erod. Tanev-Bleuger-Scev/ZAR. This setup to me leaves us with no line to help offensively.

Now maybe Jank and Erod become great players. Maybe ZAR learns what a puck is. Am I slightly irrational? Maybe but Sullivan lost all trust with me. I assume the worst.

I'd rather not have a bottom 6 playing equal ice time and being inept offensively. I'd rather have a 3rd line play more minutes that actually creates an impact.

 

[Gurglesons]

Sullivan wouldn't know that until Janokowski hit 30 points, so I'm not sure what you think this suggests.

Jankowski's going to be the default 3C until he shows he proves to Sullivan that he can't. That means he will be playing with McCann. The McCann-Blueger basket that people defending this bottom 6 have been putting all their eggs in isn't going to be happening for some time, if at all.

It means that that's Sullivan's preference to start the year. He couldn't have been more direct without literally showing his line-up to the camera with a bolded title, and even then I'm not sure some here would be convinced.

Not sure what "watching the minutes" is supposed to prove. Blueger's line was our 3rd most used line based on minutes at the end of last year...but Sullivan clearly didn't think Blueger's was the 3rd line based on his comments. More importantly, whatever the nominal 3rd line is, it's moot anyway - the issue is that McCann and Blueger are on separate lines.

McCann and Blueger will both be part of our bottom six. If McCann and Blueger are the ones producing they will be played as the third line. If Jankowski and McCann are producing then they will be played as the third line.

You’re bitching about set lines before camp even starts. Trying Jankowski at center was expected. Why are you upset we are playing a center at center?

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Possibly the best part about the season starting will be the end of speculation discussion about the bottom 6.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

McCann and Blueger will both be part of our bottom six. If McCann and Blueger are the ones producing they will be played as the third line. If Jankowski and McCann are producing then they will be played as the third line.

You’re bitching about set lines before camp even starts. Trying Jankowski at center was expected. Why are you upset we are playing a center at center?

There was only one configuration of this bottom 6 that was going to yield halfway competent offense, and the GM and coach - unsurprisingly - have other ideas. Jankowski has never been a playmaker, and that's what McCann needs. The 4th line is the 4th line, nobody's cracking a 30 point pace there if it stays together.

This idea that production always yields promotion here is dubious based on the fact that we're even discussing Jankowski at 3C. Blueger was better and more productive last year, by a lot. Blueger was also our 3rd best center last year but we rode that 4th line into the dirt in the playoffs regardless.

How anyone can suggest Sullivan always mixes up combos when they don't work with a straight face is baffling.

 

[Tom Hanks]

At 38:40 Sullivan says when you look at our bottom six, I’m not sure which is the third line verbatim. @Soggy Biscuit is being a fear monger

I had this thread on ignore for a reason

 

[Gurglesons]

There was only one configuration of this bottom 6 that was going to yield halfway competent offense, and the GM and coach - unsurprisingly - have other ideas. Jankowski has never been a playmaker, and that's what McCann needs. The 4th line is the 4th line, nobody's cracking a 30 point pace there if it stays together.

This idea that production always yields promotion here is dubious based on the fact that we're even discussing Jankowski at 3C. Blueger was better and more productive last year, by a lot. Blueger was also our 3rd best center last year but we rode that 4th line into the dirt in the playoffs regardless.

How anyone can suggest Sullivan always mixes up combos when they don't work with a straight face is baffling.

They’re discussing it because they literally said exactly what you are saying. If Jankowski produces at a 30 pt pace and brings his defensive game he’ll be the 3C if not they are perfect you fine running Blueger there.

Tanev was on a 30 pt pace while basically disappearing offensively for two months and Bleuger was on a 26 pt pace while being largely used in 80% of our defensive starts in his first full year in the NHL.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Poulin can’t go to the AHL. It’s NHL or Q.

Saw this though in the Athletic

With the major junior leagues currently on hiatus, and some uncertainty about when they'll resume, the NHL has told teams that they can keep these junior players on taxi squads as long as they have nowhere else to play. ... It should give teams a lot more flexibility to make trades throughout the year.

I’m quite familiar with normal, non-apocalypse rules Ie the 20 year old rule for the A.

I’m asking about apocalypse rules or if they have even been mentioned.

If the Q doesn’t start up by Feb or shuts down again, have they said if guys like Poulin can play in the A?

 

[Tom Hanks]

I’m quite familiar with normal, non-apocalypse rules Ie the 20 year old rule for the A.

I’m asking about apocalypse rules or if they have even been mentioned.

If the Q doesn’t start up by Feb or shuts down again, have they said if guys like Poulin can play in the A?

Not that I’ve seen but can be in the taxi squad

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I just don't think that will happen right off the bat. I have never seen a player more ready to make the roster than Maatta and Guentzel when they were young in camp. Those 2, by a mile, stood out. Maatta came up and i don't think it stunted his growth as the cancer, shoulder sugeries, etc did. Jake went back and came up and that worked, too.

Poulin showed me A LOT last camp, but he didn't look as ready as those 2 in such a dominant fashion. He would have to come in with that type of performance. And just how weird the pandemic seasons were, I don't know if he will be able to do that.

But.. if he does show that pop, then I think build him 1 final year and save that ELC and go buck wild next year.

There are no preseason games for Poulin to prove himself ala Marino last year.

He’s basically f***ed and at the mercy of the default love for “experienced players” aka coal miners.

 

[Gurglesons]

There are no preseason games for Poulin to prove himself ala Marino last year.

He’s basically f***ed and at the mercy of the default love for “experienced players” aka coal miners.

Yeah, I don’t think there is a chance Poulin makes the team. That being said Kapanen is missing a portion of camp so maybe?

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Yeah, I don’t think there is a chance Poulin makes the team. That being said Kapanen is missing a portion of camp so maybe?