How would you like Center time partitioned between Danault, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Domi, etc?

[DAChampion]

The Habs might have four second-line centers by the end of next year. How would you like to see the ice time partitioned between them in that scenario, or in other plausible scenarios, moving forward?

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[DramaticGloveSave]

Think we will be rolling with Danault/Suzuki/KK as our top 9 centers for the forseeable future. Danault can do the tough minute munching while Suzuki and KK develop their offensive games. It’s a great scenario. Domi and Poehling can play LW.

 

[Hins77]

Domi should play on wing. Danault need to become the third line centerman. In fact, you should put lehkonen and Armia with Danault to play against best line when your are away. And starting them on D zone often. Tatar will play with suzuki and gallagher. Kotkaniemi with domi and drouin on the second line. For this one, KK need to take another step. They needs to stars on o zone more often. Im affraid of to see Danault to play toi much time. I hope Julien will understand that if he eants to see Suzuki and KK growing, they needed to play more often, and having more important role. Danault reached his roof anyway

 

[OldCraig71]

The habs should make every effort to have Suzuki be the number one guy and they can interchange Danault with him especially for own zone draws late in games at least until the coaching staff is ready to trust NS with fulltime first-line duty. I would continue to play KK as a third-line center until he proves that he is ready for more.

Edit: I forgot Domi lol, he probably gets trade anyway.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The Habs might have four second-line centers by the end of next year. How would like to see the ice time partitioned between them in that scenario, or in other plausible scenarios, moving forward?

Suzuki should get our top offensive wingers.
Danault should get the tough defensive match-ups.
Domi plays 3C and is used on an exploitation line.

Kotkaniemi is sent to the AHL to continue to develop his game and only comes up when the AHL is a joke and he is able to implicate himself on the game rather than being a passenger.

One Kotkaniemi succeeds, he plays the second line role. Danault moves down. Domi moves to wing or is traded for help on defense.

 

[ahmedou]

Suzuki/Kotkaniemi/Domi/Danault

 

[Sorinth]

My preference would be to shift Danault to wing. He'd still take defensive/key faceoffs, and probably still center a PK unit but otherwise would move to wing. I would probably aim for something like 18-17-16-9 in terms of ice time and run with Domi-Suzuki-Kotkaniemi respectively but nothing should really be set in stone.

Poehling in the AHL.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Suzuki should get our top offensive wingers.
Danault should get the tough defensive match-ups.
Domi plays 3C and is used on an exploitation line.

Kotkaniemi is sent to the AHL to continue to develop his game and only comes up when the AHL is a joke and he is able to implicate himself on the game rather than being a passenger.

One Kotkaniemi succeeds, he plays the second line role. Danault moves down. Domi moves to wing or is traded for help on defense.

We can even roll with those 4, and just roll 4 lines. Having Danault really allows us to have versatility down the center line since he can play a checking roll and eat the tough minutes to shelter the kids and Domi.

once guys like Poehling, Caufield, and our first rounder make the jump, we will have the winger depth to give them all some talent to play with.

Drouin-Domi-Gallagher
Byron-Danault-Armia
Lafreniere-Suzuki-Caufield
Poehling-Kotkaniemi-Ylonen

*Tatar traded at the TDL

 

[CHfan1]

Next season to start:

Danault
Suzuki
Domi

Kotkaniemi starts in the AHL to get some good ice time.

End of the season
Suzuki
Danault
Kotkaniemi
Domi on wing (plays centre if any of the above 3 gets hurt).

2021-2022
Suzuki
Kotkaniemi
Danault
Domi on wing

 

[DAChampion]

Suzuki should get our top offensive wingers.
Danault should get the tough defensive match-ups.
Domi plays 3C and is used on an exploitation line.

Kotkaniemi is sent to the AHL to continue to develop his game and only comes up when the AHL is a joke and he is able to implicate himself on the game rather than being a passenger.

One Kotkaniemi succeeds, he plays the second line role. Danault moves down. Domi moves to wing or is traded for help on defense.

I like your optimism.

Lafreniere-Suzuki-Caufield

I like your optimism even more.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I like your optimism.


I like your optimism even more.

I actually almost edited that out, worried I could jinx it haha

 

[Redux91]

In a perfect world (hopefully soon) , Suzuki is the top Center, Kotka is the 2nd center, Get Danault centering that 3rd line
And if Domi complains about being on the wing, trade him for Puljujaarvi

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I do think Domi is better at center than wing though. The only issue is that he’s crap defensively, but he also showed he can produce offensively. I think with Danault being so good defensively, and the fact both the young kids (Suzuki and KK) are so responsible defensively we can afford it in exchange for the extra offensive juice.

 

[Toene]

Suzuki should get our top offensive wingers.
Danault should get the tough defensive match-ups.
Domi plays 3C and is used on an exploitation line.

Kotkaniemi is sent to the AHL to continue to develop his game and only comes up when the AHL is a joke and he is able to implicate himself on the game rather than being a passenger.

One Kotkaniemi succeeds, he plays the second line role. Danault moves down. Domi moves to wing or is traded for help on defense.

This is the ideal scenario for me also.

 

[26Mats]

The Habs might have four second-line centers by the end of next year. How would you like to see the ice time partitioned between them in that scenario, or in other plausible scenarios, moving forward?

At the beginning of next year, I'd like to see:

MTL:
Suzuki
Domi
Danault
Dauphin/Evans (Evans on the wing in the top 9 if Dauphin is ready for 4c)

Laval:
Kotkaniemi
Poehling
Hillis
Vejdemo

At the end of the year? We'll see where everyone is at.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Ideally I’d like if the centres were eventually:
KK
Suzuki
Danault

 

[montreal]

First you have to see what the Habs do with Domi since he's an RFA. With the talk of him butting heads with Julien, does that push him to ask for more money so the Habs may have to consider trading him. We know that the Habs have the cap space next year but with what is looking like a flat cap for the next 3 years, and a large UFA class next summer (or whenever the next off-season ends up being), so they have to have balance so that there's enough room as Gallagher, Petry, Tatar, Danault, Armia it's going to be tough to re-sign all of them and give Domi a big payday and then the following season you have Suzuki likely getting a big increase as long as he doesn't have a sophomore slump.

Then we need to see what happens with this play in and daft lottery as things will look very different if we were to lose vs pitt and win the lottery.

I hope that both Poehling and Kotka are in Laval if there's an AHL season. They need to get their confidence going and Bouchard is the guy to do this then Julien.

 

[Be a Hab]

In a perfect world (hopefully soon) , Suzuki is the top Center, Kotka is the 2nd center, Get Danault centering that 3rd line
And if Domi complains about being on the wing, trade him for Puljujaarvi

Has Pulujuaarvi progressed that much he's now worth Domi?

 

[Redux91]

Has Pulujuaarvi progressed that much he's now worth Domi?

Its a fair question, and im sure we could get Pulujaarvi for draft picks
Another question is are you okay paying Domi 8 million? a year.

 

[Supersonic]

Not sure what they do for the playins (if they happen) or next year but this is what I think they should do:

I believe the best top 6 centers long term to be Suzuki and Kotkaniemi. Then I believe Danault much superior to Domi as a third line defensive shut down center.

I would like to keep Domi around long term on the wing but due to him needing $6MM+ basically on the next contract with our current cap structure and being on the smaller side for an equally small supporting cast I think we move him for a LD and let: Suzuki, KK, Danault go for years to come

 

[Kriss E]

At the beginning of next year, I'd like to see:

MTL:
Suzuki
Domi
Danault
Dauphin/Evans (Evans on the wing in the top 9 if Dauphin is ready for 4c)

Laval:
Kotkaniemi
Poehling
Hillis
Vejdemo

At the end of the year? We'll see where everyone is at.

I really hate that NHL line up. Suzuki and Domi as our top 2 centers, they're too small. Add in Gallagher and Tatar...that's 4 of the top 6 under 6'. If Byron and Drouin complete the rest, there would be nobody in the top six taller than 6'. I'm really sick of this.

I'd look at trading two of Drouin-Tatar-Gallagher-Domi. We need to bulk up, it's pathetic.
Suzuki, Danault and KK would be the top 3 centers.

 

[26Mats]

I really hate that NHL line up. Suzuki and Domi as our top 2 centers, they're too small. Add in Gallagher and Tatar...that's 4 of the top 6 under 6'. If Byron and Drouin complete the rest, there would be nobody in the top six taller than 6'. I'm really sick of this.

I'd look at trading two of Drouin-Tatar-Gallagher-Domi. We need to bulk up, it's pathetic.
Suzuki, Danault and KK would be the top 3 centers.

Well we know Tatar and Gallagher will be playing with Danault, so there's no point in debating that. As for the other 4 wingers that complete the top 9, I have Drouin, Kovalchuk, Evans, and Armia. Byron and Lehkonen on the 4th line with Dauphin in the middle.
Sure I'd welcome a trade, but for who?

Tatar Danault Gallagher
Kovalchuk Suzuki Armia (Kovy & Suzie make up for Armia's lack of hockey sense. Armia's defense balances Kovy's lack thereof)
Drouin Domi Evans (ideally we sign one of Hoffman, or Hall, but I'm not holding my breath)
Byron Dauphin Lehkonen
Weal

I would like to give Evans a shot on the wing with 2 offensive players... I think he may be good for at least 20 goals and 40 to 50 points...

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

I didn't read all the posts but I can see every posts going wrong. People here talk a lot how Habs management rush young players into roles they are not ready yet and what do I read? Give the #1 center duty to 20 yrs old Suzuki. Can we be logic one minute? I mean, wait a little dudes! Wait when Suzuki is really ready to fill that role. Then it's KK who was sendt down to ahl and now he is miraculously ready filling the #2 center role. Based on what? He did some muscle bench press, plays tennis and bingo he is ready being a #2 center. How is his speed on skate and how is his balance on the ice now?
And some poster realise they completely forgot Domi who is already a #2 center not that bad. Okay some say we move Domi to wing or just trade him. Okay.
And there is Poehling. Ok I'll stop now, I need to go back to people who live in reality.
You want to read something that will get in your nerve? Danault is still the #1 center in june 2020, like it or not. We are not in year 2022.

 

[Kriss E]

Well we know Tatar and Gallagher will be playing with Danault, so there's no point in debating that. As for the other 4 wingers that complete the top 9, I have Drouin, Kovalchuk, Evans, and Armia. Byron and Lehkonen on the 4th line with Dauphin in the middle.
Sure I'd welcome a trade, but for who?

Tatar Danault Gallagher
Kovalchuk Suzuki Armia (Kovy & Suzie make up for Armia's lack of hockey sense. Armia's defense balances Kovy's lack thereof)
Drouin Domi Evans (ideally we sign one of Hoffman, or Hall, but I'm not holding my breath)
Byron Dauphin Lehkonen
Weal

I would like to give Evans a shot on the wing with 2 offensive players... I think he may be good for at least 20 goals and 40 to 50 points...

Kovalchuk is not here, so unless this happens, we can't discuss him.
I don't really care who we trade those guys for, could be for picks and prospects. Size and skills is the focus, wouldn't mind overpaying for it either.
We need a complete reshape of the top 6 and the only two guys I'm really interested in keeping is Suzuki and KK.

I think the top 12 you mentioned is just pointless...Drouin and Domi on the third..Dauphin on the fourth, he might just be a career AHLer..I didn't want Kovy back to begin with and even less so after 3 month hiatus and going into his 38th year..Armia should be on the 3rd.
We need changes, it's pathetic.

 

[Be a Hab]

Its a fair question, and im sure we could get Pulujaarvi for draft picks
Another question is are you okay paying Domi 8 million? a year.

No, not at all. I agree with you that we should try and trade him. I think he is likely to be a Hab next season because KK and Suzuki are still unknown has far as their production goes for next season. But I definitely see Domi as the odd man out when it comes to the future centres for the Habs.