Line Combos: HFPens Decides - 22/23 - 4th Line C

[Randy Butternubs]

Poll #11: Given the current HFPens lineup, who do you want to see as the 4th Line Centre? Vote for what you want to see. Write in votes for players that the Penguins already have acquired are welcome but if you vote twice neither vote will count.


Some assumptions and rules:

1. You are to vote for what you want to see -- not what you expect the coaches to do.
2. Crosby and Malkin are the top two centers.
3. Jarry is the starter and DeSmith is the backup.
4. Options will be based on (August 19, 2022) health. All seem to be healthy.
5. Unless listed as a 'LD/RD' on CapFriendly the defensemen will play on their "correct" side. This means Rutta, Ty Smith, Friedman, and Ouellet can play either side.
6. I will not be listing players for positions they have not played at the NHL/AHL level. For example, I will not be listing Hallander as an option for the third line center. But DOC and Zohorna will be options for 3C.
7. Due to the amount of one-way contracts, I may not be able to include everyone as voting options. Feel free to write them in as a vote, though.
8. A majority vote is not needed to win. But we may have runoff polls if I deem the numbers to be too close.
9. I will be working my way "down" the lineup. If the cap is exceeded at a 22-man roster that is where the polls will end.
10. Petry is the 2 RD.

Let me know of questions, concerns, or objections.

Current HFPens Line Combo:

Guentzel (63%) - Crosby - Rakell (54%)
Zucker (47%) - Malkin - Rust (83%)
Heinen (56%) - Carter (67%) - Kapanen (84%)
- -

Dumoulin (81%) - Letang
Pettersson (81%) - Petry
Joseph (65%) - Rutta (100%) [3 abstained from voting on a LD]

Jarry - DeSmith

Click to read more...

 

[HandshakeLine]

IMO, Zohorna works best as LW and I'd rather see Blueger at 3C. So I voted DOC because I like him and Zohorna together (when it rarely happens it looks good!). Poehling is a wild card, but really I'd like to see TB move up and not be locked in the 4C role or traded.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

IMO, Zohorna works best as LW and I'd rather see Blueger at 3C. So I voted DOC because I like him and Zohorna together (when it rarely happens it looks good!). Poehling is a wild card, but really I'd like to see TB move up and not be locked in the 4C role or traded.

I also wanted Blueger as 3C. But in this scenario he's still here and not the 3C. Plus you know our injury history.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I also wanted Blueger as 3C. But in this scenario he's still here and not the 3C. Plus you know our injury history.

I know but I'm bored of watching Blueger be a non-factor in the postseason and be an analytics darling without any visible tangible exciting play. So me being selfish me, I like to lie to myself that he discovered a passion for bee keeping and will be retiring at the beginning of the season so he can go french kiss a beehive.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I know but I'm bored of watching Blueger be a non-factor in the postseason and be an analytics darling without any visible tangible exciting play. So me being selfish me, I like to lie to myself that he discovered a passion for bee keeping and will be retiring at the beginning of the season so he can go french kiss a beehive.

His good analytics were clearly only because of ZAR, McGinn, and Tanev.

 

[HandshakeLine]

His good analytics were clearly only because of ZAR, McGinn, and Tanev.

You fool, the heat maps! They sense... heat!

 

[Randy Butternubs]

You fool, the heat maps! They sense... heat!

Maybe Hockey Dog'll have some fancy graph showing us Blue's with and without performances.

 

[Miro4Norris]

I'm losing my motivation to follow this team because there is no roster improvement even on a win-now mode. Our lw:s are so bad expect Jake, and Zucker will be out after 10 games anyways, is Hexy blind?

 

[Pens x]

I'm losing my motivation to follow this team because there is no roster improvement even on a win-now mode. Our lw:s are so bad expect Jake, and Zucker will be out after 10 games anyway, is Hexy blind?

The answer is yes.

I say go sign Thornton for 4C. Let’s just be a senior citizens team at this point. This way, we can definitely blame injuries and fatigue, and give Sully a second extension at the end of the season after we play great in December.

I voted Pohling because I desperately want some new blood on this team.

 

[LOGiK]

The answer is yes.

I say go sign Thornton for 4C. Let’s just be a senior citizens team at this point. This way, we can definitely blame injuries and fatigue, and give Sully a second extension at the end of the season after we play great in December.

I voted Pohling because I desperately want some new blood on this team.

You have no choice to ride out the senior bus when you have 3 generational players.... 4 and 5 actually, but couldn't keep them all. It's hard to say never, but it will be a long time, if ever, that the penguins organization ever land this much talent and this much dedication for this long a time (start to end of career) that won them 3 cups and possibly could have had a few more.

You either have TWO options:

You ride them out. Honorable. Kinda. Get no return and it's a business so.... modern life morals say frig honor... SELL.... money.... win....)
You throw them out. (Trade and re-build - may never even pan out and you look like a half-wit with nothing to show for it)

 

[Pens x]

You have no choice to ride out the senior bus when you have 3 generational players.... 4 and 5 actually, but couldn't keep them all. It's hard to say never, but it will be a long time, if ever, that the penguins organization ever land this much talent and this much dedication for this long a time (start to end of career) that won them 3 cups and possibly could have had a few more.

You either have TWO options:

You ride them out. Honorable. Kinda. Get no return and it's a business so.... modern life morals say frig honor... SELL.... money.... win....)
You throw them out. (Trade and re-build - may never ever pan out and you look like a half-wit)

You could throw everything at the next two seasons. I.e. stop hoarding your late first round picks. We’ve been treading water for two seasons now.

 

[Josey Wales]

I'm losing my motivation to follow this team because there is no roster improvement even on a win-now mode. Our lw:s are so bad expect Jake, and Zucker will be out after 10 games anyways, is Hexy blind?

Don't let the door hit ya, Where the good Lord split ya

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I'm losing my motivation to follow this team because there is no roster improvement even on a win-now mode. Our lw:s are so bad expect Jake, and Zucker will be out after 10 games anyways, is Hexy blind?

Rakell's gonna be used as LW a lot imo, with Kapanen on 2RW. I don't think they're gonna prioritize Zucker with Kap getting that contract and Zuck being gone after this year.
I don't see why you think Heinen's a bad left winger either. That makes no sense statistically to me.
And who's the 4th line LW? Poehling/Zohorna/DOC? We haven't seen Poehling play for this team yet lol. I like Z's metrics a lot too.

I don't think LW is a strength per se but I don't think it's our biggest weakness. I am much more concerned about how this new D-corps will actually defend.

Our biggest weakness is age.

 

[Miro4Norris]

Rakell's gonna be used as LW a lot imo, with Kapanen on 2RW. I don't think they're gonna prioritize Zucker with Kap getting that contract and Zuck being gone after this year.
I don't see why you think Heinen's a bad left winger either. That makes no sense statistically to me.
And who's the 4th line LW? Poehling/Zohorna/DOC? We haven't seen Poehling play for this team yet lol. I like Z's metrics a lot too.

I don't think LW is a strength per se but I don't think it's our biggest weakness. I am much more concerned about how this new D-corps will actually defend.

Our biggest weakness is age.

I don't think Heinen is a bad player, his contract was possibly best they made this summer considering his actual value. Still, he is very poor as a 2nd line lw after Zucker's gone. Optimally he is in fourth line, that's why he got only 1m$.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Zohorna-Blueger-McGinn would be a very good line imo. Maybe better than BART.

Conflicted because I think Poehling could maybe be more than a throw in and DOC should be ready to go by now.

Should be interesting battle for the last F spot. 3 dogs, 1 bone.

 

[dogthateats]

I am kind of tired of watching Blueger, but he may be the best option as 4C as he has the most experience. Since this is what I want to see I am going to vote DOC. I want to watch a young and hungry 4th line.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, like TB is okay, but he's just boring as shit.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

HFPens Decides related: I'm going to wait to do the extra defense poll until we've got the 4th line completely filled out. The cap limit is coming into account for the HFPens lineup soon.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I don't think Heinen is a bad player, his contract was possibly best they made this summer considering his actual value. Still, he is very poor as a 2nd line lw after Zucker's gone. Optimally he is in fourth line, that's why he got only 1m$.

I will pass on using him on the 4th line getting 70% D-zone starts. That's a job for Poehling or DOC.

I still don't see the statistical evidence that Zucker is the best option to play with Malkin. They generally get caved in and don't generate enough high danger chances. Their passing sucks, as does their board work.
All Heinen lacked with Malkin was finishing, which changes year to year historically (much like Kap's did).

It's great that Zucker scored 33 in 2017-18 but how does that help us in 2022-23? Are people still under the illusion that we have that player?

 

[Flying Dego]

HFPens Decides related: I'm going to wait to do the extra defense poll until we've got the 4th line completely filled out. The cap limit is coming into account for the HFPens lineup soon.

Mine as well lock this one up. HF Decides, Sully decides, everyone will put Blue as 4C til he's gone.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It's great that Zucker scored 33 in 2017-18 but how does that help us in 2022-23? Are people still under the illusion that we have that player?

Yep. It's coping mostly, I think. But there are still plenty of people (including the coach... you'll see) who thinks this is a great idea that just never got off the ground because of bad luck.

 

[Flying Dego]

Yep. It's coping mostly, I think. But there are still plenty of people (including the coach... you'll see) who thinks this is a great idea that just never got off the ground because of bad luck.

I am a pessimist by nature but I have a weird feeling in his contract year Zucker is gonna look wildly better and be healthy.

Just to give everyone a mind f*** when it comes to the possibility of resigning him.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I am a pessimist by nature but I have a weird feeling in his contract year Zucker is gonna look wildly better and be healthy.

Just to give everyone a mind f*** when it comes to the possibility of resigning him.

This FEELS like a very Penguin thing to happen so yeah I'll concede that simply because of the sheer ridiculousness of it and the situation it would create that it's more likely than it would usually be.

TBH though I really don't know how much health has to do with it. Sure it doesn't help. But I think Zucker in general was just a big swing and a miss. Even when he's been perfectly healthy I'll watch the guy do like a half dozen inexplicably stupid things with the puck in the O-zone per game. That isn't health.

 

[Flying Dego]

This FEELS like a very Penguin thing to happen so yeah I'll concede that simply because of the sheer ridiculousness of it and the situation it would create that it's more likely than it would usually be.

TBH though I really don't know how much health has to do with it. Sure it doesn't help. But I think Zucker in general was just a big swing and a miss. Even when he's been perfectly healthy I'll watch the guy do like a half dozen inexplicably stupid things with the puck in the O-zone per game. That isn't health.

I think a bit does fall into not getting any rhythm. I mean how can you get in sync playing for 1 period then getting hurt for months on end.

Is he a 30 goal guy? No. Can he be a 20/20 guy while chipping in gritty play? Yes.

 

[Gurglesons]

This FEELS like a very Penguin thing to happen so yeah I'll concede that simply because of the sheer ridiculousness of it and the situation it would create that it's more likely than it would usually be.

TBH though I really don't know how much health has to do with it. Sure it doesn't help. But I think Zucker in general was just a big swing and a miss. Even when he's been perfectly healthy I'll watch the guy do like a half dozen inexplicably stupid things with the puck in the O-zone per game. That isn't health.

I mean he's been a 20 goal guy here over a full season.