Speculation: In-season Proposals, Rumors, Free Agents & Roster Moves (related topics) XXXVI

[niwotsblessing]

Hunwick

On the larger ice surface Hunwick's skating ability gives him a distinct advantage, but the irony is merciless.

 

[avs1dacup]

Stastny - Duchene - Parenteau
Landeskog - O'Reily - Downie
McGinn - Mitchell - Jones (bounce back year, if not then palushaj)
Bordeleau - Olver - McCleod

I'm done with Stas as a center, just have him take draws on the powerplay and PK, but 5 on 5 I want him as a winger now. Load up the top 6.

That third line is awful. You have two players that when not scoring are useless, and a guy that hasn't played center all year and isn't all that good defensively. McGinn and Jones would never put up 20+ each on that line...

 

[avsfan89]

That third line is awful. You have two players that when not scoring are useless, and a guy that hasn't played center all year and isn't all that good defensively. McGinn and Jones would never put up 20+ each on that line...

I actually find mitchell very effective when he's a third line center, rather than a top 6 winger. He is a blackhole when he plays on Stas' wing or anyones wing.

McGinn hasn't proved yet he's worth top 6 minutes and disappeared for huge stretches this season despite having played with duchene a majority of his season.

Jones was really bad this year, but doesn't belong to the top 6 automatically just because of his salary. He should bounce back next year and move his way up but mitchell isn't bad when he's the center and should be able to feed mcginn and Jones enough where they at least pot 17ish goals each.

whatever you could think of as an alternative has been tried already, I'd at least like to see the lines i've proposed attempted for minimum 10 or 12 games.

 

[ColoradoSportsFan]

I'm all for putting Staz or ROR on the wing if it means keeping them both. I really don't want to lose either one. And if they want to stay here one of them might have to accept a move. Go with either...

ROR - Staz - Landy
Or
Staz - ROR - Landy

 

[Ivan13]

That third line is awful. You have two players that when not scoring are useless, and a guy that hasn't played center all year and isn't all that good defensively. McGinn and Jones would never put up 20+ each on that line...

You have three players that are hurting your team when they aren't scoring, I imagine opposing teams would love to have the last change when those three are on the ice, they'd get eaten alive.

 

[Avs71]

I'm all for putting Staz or ROR on the wing if it means keeping them both. I really don't want to lose either one. And if they want to stay here one of them might have to accept a move. Go with either...

ROR - Staz - Landy
Or
Staz - ROR - Landy

Those three would probably keep the puck below the opposition's goal line for entire shift lengths. Unfortunately, I don't ever really see this happening though. Although, I guess there is a chance with the new coach.

I'm incredibly excited to see what Sakic does. I imagine he will want to do something big.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

You have three players that are hurting your team when they aren't scoring, I imagine opposing teams would love to have the last change when those three are on the ice, they'd get eaten alive.

I'm not sure where this "McGinn is useless when he isn't scoring" thing is coming from. His offense is a bonus, his game is to forecheck and rush the defense, he does that every game.

 

[cgf]

I'm not sure where this "McGinn is useless when he isn't scoring" thing is coming from. His offense is a bonus, his game is to forecheck and rush the defense, he does that every game.

Glad I'm not the only one who sometimes feels like he's on crazy pills when reading this forum. Same for the Staz to wing idea, we're sooooooooooooooooooooooo much better when we can roll 3 legit centers, even if one of them ends up drawing the short stick for wingers.

 

[Ivan13]

Glad I'm not the only one who sometimes feels like he's on crazy pills when reading this forum. Same for the Staz to wing idea, we're sooooooooooooooooooooooo much better when we can roll 3 legit centers, even if one of them ends up drawing the short stick for wingers.

I take you mean three scoring lines and that hasn't worked at all since there isn't enough talent to go around to create three legit scoring lines. McGinn is a guy who can forecheck and lay hits on defensemen, but he needs to score to make a trully positive impact on the team.

 

[cgf]

I take you mean three scoring lines and that hasn't worked at all since there isn't enough talent to go around to create three legit scoring lines. McGinn is a guy who can forecheck and lay hits on defensemen, but he needs to score to make a trully positive impact on the team.

Not at all, just having 3 Cs who can control the play if they go up against lesser guys changes the dynamic of this team. Even when Staz has ended up with subpar wingers, or when Dutchy had that happen down the stretch last year, we're a vastly better team when we have that third guy to rotate out there who can win the faceoff, get the puck and make something happen.

Plus I think we're in a solid position on the wings with Landy, PAP, McGinn, Downie, Jones and Sgarbossa some time soon. So each guy would be able to get at least one guy to gel and create with. Yes an upgrade would be nice, but only because it would enhance the effectiveness of the 3 c rotation, if it comes at the expense of that it's not worth it unless we're bringing in a prime Hossa.

 

[Ivan13]

Not at all, just having 3 Cs who can control the play if they go up against lesser guys changes the dynamic of this team. Even when Staz has ended up with subpar wingers, or when Dutchy had that happen down the stretch last year, we're a vastly better team when we have that third guy to rotate out there who can win the faceoff, get the puck and make something happen.

Plus I think we're in a solid position on the wings with Landy, PAP, McGinn, Downie, Jones and Sgarbossa some time soon. So each guy would be able to get at least one guy to gel and create with. Yes an upgrade would be nice, but only because it would enhance the effectiveness of the 3 c rotation, if it comes at the expense of that it's not worth it unless we're bringing in a prime Hossa.

Stastny is wasted beyond belief playing in a checking role, so is Radar. Plus to count on any kind of consistent offensive production from guys like McGinn, Downie, Jones and Sgarbossa is a huge leap of faith.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

If we move Stastny to the wing (which I would be fine with if it meant keeping him), I'd like to see Sgarbossa brought up and have him play between McGinn and Downie.

 

[cgf]

Stastny is wasted beyond belief playing in a checking role, so is Radar. Plus to count on any kind of consistent offensive production from guys like McGinn, Downie, Jones and Sgarbossa is a huge leap of faith.

Yes and no. His numbers aren't there, but we as a team look so much more potent and dangerous with that third guy's line teams have to worry about, even when we've been sending that third guy out there with crap on both wings. A capable coach would highlight that advantage even more.

And you're being overly critical of those guys. McGinn's had a good tenure so far despite having an absolute moron as his head coach, an impotent D breaking the team out, and an unrealistically woeful shooting percentage this past season, plus he's a guy who does bring a lot with his forechecking and physicality which makes him a very nice fit as a secondary scoring winger. Downie's shown he's a capable top 6er in the NHL who brings a ton as a forechecker and pest to go with his quality passing so he to is a nice complimentary guy for the second or third line. Jones is a drunk ******* who sometimes looks like he can't skate, but that's what happens with very streaky players, when you get good Jones along Staz he's a very capable goalscorer who can do the job along the boards as well. As a third liner with a full season, a better D and a real coach I'm ok with Jones although I would love to see him replaced with someone who could at least consistently look like an NHL player.

Sgar I admittedly have a lot of faith in. I liked what I saw from him despite sacco putting him in the most Pejorative Slured position possible. Kid's got skills, he can skate, and he's got that sandpaper to his game that a good secondary scoring winger needs. I actually think a Sgar-Staz combo would be about as ideal a pair as you could find to utilize Jones' shot.

I actually rather like the group of secondary wingers we have, like the defense it just needs one dynamic piece so everyone else can fall into place and then it'd be a real strength. As is it's alright, certainly enough with our Centers if the D can step it up next season and a real coach comes up with something better than simple dump'n'chase hockey.

 

[cgf]

If we move Stastny to the wing (which I would be fine with if it meant keeping him), I'd like to see Sgarbossa brought up and have him play between McGinn and Downie.

While I really don't like the idea of playing Staz on the wing. I really like the idea of a McPing-Sgar-Downie line. That would be such an incredible hateable, fast and physical third line to wear teams out when the big boys aren't out there.

 

[AvsRobin]

I take you mean three scoring lines and that hasn't worked at all since there isn't enough talent to go around to create three legit scoring lines. McGinn is a guy who can forecheck and lay hits on defensemen, but he needs to score to make a trully positive impact on the team.

We could pull it off though.

McGinn - Duchene - Parenteau
Landeskog - O'Reilly - Downie
XXX - Stastny - Jones

Right now, it is probably Mitchell playing 3rd line LW, but it shouldn't be too hard to upgrade that. I don't think we are that far away from having three solid scoring lines.

 

[Ivan13]

A lot of if's and but's and very little in terms of actual production over the years. McGinn should be a 3rd liner who's capable of filling in a top 6 spot in case of injuries, Dwonie is a guy I apsolutely love, but he needs to stay healthy to be effective and thus far he wasn't able to do that. As for Jones I lost all my faith in him, he looks like a guy who cashed in and just decided to float his way around the rink and last but not least to expect Sgarbossa to excel at the wing when he didn't play that position at all or at the very best a few times in his career is a bit far fetched, switching from center to wing isn't as easy of an adjustment as people seem to think.

 

[Ivan13]

We could pull it off though.

McGinn - Duchene - Parenteau
Landeskog - O'Reilly - Downie
XXX - Stastny - Jones

Right now, it is probably Mitchell playing 3rd line LW, but it shouldn't be too hard to upgrade that. I don't think we are that far away from having three solid scoring lines.

Yes because Stastny and Jones worked out so well this past season. You have that 1st line featuring Duchene and it's pretty obvious they're the line that'll get the majority of offensive zone starts, then there's Radar's line with Landeskog and Downie, you probably don't want to sacrifice Landeskog's offense by forcing him to take a lot of defensive zone shifts, so you're left with that Stastny line forced to do all the dirty work once again, you sacrifice the most gifted passer on the team to a defensive role and then you give him two wingers who are a defensive liabilty, which in turn makes his job all that more difficult.

 

[avsfan89]

lol guys the avs have tried this 3 center attack thing for a few years now, and where has that gotten the avs? I'd rather have a loaded 2 lines and one actual checking line than 3 weaker diluted ones.

Didn't stas play wing on sakic's line to get 78 points?

 

[CobraAcesS]

lol guys the avs have tried this 3 center attack thing for a few years now, and where has that gotten the avs? I'd rather have a loaded 2 lines and one actual checking line than 3 weaker diluted ones.

Didn't stas play wing on sakic's line to get 78 points?

We haven't had anything close to the winger depth needed to do it until now. The forwards were not the problem this season, the defense was.

Throwing the '3 center thing hasn't worked' out there as a blanket comment is pretty weak IMO.

If we add ONE competent top 9/6 forward, as well as Downie being healthy. Like others have said, we'll actually be able to roll a very deep top 9 group just like Boston.

(I'm not against trying Stastny at wing, but I am against trading him without seeing him under the new coach.)

 

[Freudian]

The problem with three scoring lines isn't the centers. It's the wingers. Especially with one-two being injured at pretty much all points in the past few years. One of the centers get stuck with BadJones, Mitchell and Olver and so on.

The problem with for example moving Stastny to wing is that suddenly we have these crap wingers with a much worse center on the third line and that line will get annihilated if used against tough opposition.

 

[CobraAcesS]

The problem with three scoring lines isn't the centers. It's the wingers. Especially with one-two being injured at pretty much all points in the past few years. One of the centers get stuck with BadJones, Mitchell and Olver and so on.

The problem with for example moving Stastny to wing is that suddenly we have these crap wingers with a much worse center on the third line and that line will get annihilated if used against tough opposition.

There will always be injuries, but losing a winger like Downie for an entire season, thankfully isn't the norm. It's much easier to deal with for 5-15 games over an 82 game season. This season any short injuries were amplified by the constricted schedule as well.

We need one more legit top 6 winger if we are able to keep all three centers, we need a legit top line winger for sure if we are not using our center depth as a strength.

This team will look exponentially weaker over an 82 game season without one of our centers, and without picking up a winger who can put up 30 goals on a regular basis.

 

[Avs For Life]

If we move Stastny to the wing (which I would be fine with if it meant keeping him), I'd like to see Sgarbossa brought up and have him play between McGinn and Downie.

I love that but we are still missing a winger to go with one of the two top lines

??? - Duchene - PAP

Lando - ROR - Staz

McGinn - Sgar - Downie

McLeod - Mitchell - Bords

Could Jones benefit from being on Duchene's wing with PAP? I dont think he deserves that playing time or that role, but otherwise he doesnt really have a spot...

 

[shorn89]

Guess I would like to see a couple of things happen before the Avs do something like move Factor or Stats to wing;

Hire a coach that better utilizes the resources on this team and can get the development of its stars back on track

Sign Pascal Dupuis. Brings a veteran presence to the offense and would be a great compliment to Stats line as the scorer he needs

Lines

Lando Duchene PAP

Dupuis Stats Downie

Ginner Factor Jones

McCleod Mitchell Palushjai

 

[cgf]

Dutchy is the only center Landy's not a perfect fit with. McPing is just fine playing there, he has the speed to keep up with Duchene, and the physicality to give that line some sandpaper. If his puck luck doesn't suck he'll even chip in goals with that nice wrister without needing the puck to be really effective.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Dutchy is the only center Landy's not a perfect fit with. McPing is just fine playing there, he has the speed to keep up with Duchene, and the physicality to give that line some sandpaper. If his puck luck doesn't suck he'll even chip in goals with that nice wrister without needing the puck to be really effective.

Quite true, good post.

I could also see Downie working on Duchy's left side.