Is it finally time to make Willy a C and Kadri a W?

nobody

Registered User
Aug 8, 2017
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Nazem Kadri had been used primarily as our shutdown C on our shutdown line that was always line matched by Babs vs other teams top lines over the past few seasons. This year however, we have seen Babs give that responsibility to the Marner/ JT line.

Right now, Kadri has no identity on the team and his line has no defined role. He gets to play with the scraps that get left over from the top 2 lines and because of injuries and the Willy sit out, he has had very limited consistency in line-mates this year. As seen last season, Kadri becomes exponentially more productive with Mitch on his line compared to anyone else, so why not combine the two without taking anything away from JT.

Auston was doing quite fantastic before his injury and even after coming back while he was playing with Marleau and Kapanen. I think it's time we go back to lines that are tried and tested. And give Willy a lesser role as a 3C with good hardworking players to work on his game. I think he is much more offensively creative than Kadri is and I believe he can survive on his own line and produce respectively compared to Naz who is completely lost out there right now.

I hope Babs can give the following lines a shot.

Marleau - Matthews - Kapanen --> Matthews has two good finishers to work with and two guys who can fly and create space.

Kadri - JT - Marner --> Marner has fantastic chemistry with both. Kadri goes back to playing vs Top lines of opposing teams. I think this will keep him more engaged in games and we all know more engaged Kadri is the best version of Kadri. He also gives that line some grit and insane amount of skill.

Hyman - Nylander - Johnsson --> Willy can play his game and be the main distributor. AJ is a shoot first player and playing on this line would actually allow him to be the main shooter. Hyman provides the meat and potatoes puck retrieval.

Brown - Goat - Lindholm --> Solid 4th line. All defensively responsible players capable of playing 6-10 mins plus speciality teams.
 

A1LeafNation

Obsession beats talent everytime!!
Oct 17, 2010
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Yes

Johnsson Tavares Marner
Kadri Matthews Kapanen
Marleau Nylander Hyman
 

SHANNYPLAN

Registered User
Nov 24, 2016
5,224
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Yeah, ive been wanting to try it for a little while now, and what better time to try then at a time when we could use a shakeup.

Kadri - - Matthews - - Kapanen
Hyman - - -Tavares - - -Marner
Marleau - Nylander - Johnsson
Lindholm - Gauthier - - Brown
 

nobody

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Aug 8, 2017
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I doubt he can handle the C position as he's barely skating enough to handle the wing.
It's not like Babcock would be playing him 20 mins a night. He will obviously get reduced playing time. The point is to re-engage two of our key players that have been playing terrible so far this year. Plus if we ever decide to trade Willy down the line, he has much more value as a C than he does as a W.
 

supermann_98

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May 8, 2002
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Nothing else is working, why not?
Lots of reasons to try it out:
1. Nylander is a better passer/playmaker than he is a sniper/scorer coming down the wing.
2. This team is full of LH centers, having a RH center is a better balance for faceoffs.
3. Kadri is not a prototypical center, in that he's more of a goal scorer than he is a playmaker.
4. It forces Willy to play a mote 200 foot game, something I think he's better at when he's fully engaged.
5. We could use a little more of a physical presence on the wing, something sorely lacking and something Kadri can bring.
6. Kadri isn't exactly a good faceoff man, never really has been.
 
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StevenB

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Oct 7, 2014
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North York
Kadri-JT-Marner would be a wonderful line. Then:
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Johnsson-Lindholm-Kapanen
Marleau-Goat-Brown

Gives Marleau a break and some easier minutes as he’s been lacklustre this year. That Matthews line has worked in the past so I don’t see why it wouldn’t now.
Lindholm seems snake bitten so to play him with two capable players in Johnsson and Kapanen seems viable.
 
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Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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Maybe they should consider putting Kadri with Tavares. He seems to have some serious motivation and identity issues. Throw him with his slow skating friend and give him a bigger role and see if he's of any use. At present he's not very useful at all.

Would Nylander and Marner make sense together?
 

Buds17

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Nov 29, 2015
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It's not like Babcock would be playing him 20 mins a night. He will obviously get reduced playing time. The point is to re-engage two of our key players that have been playing terrible so far this year. Plus if we ever decide to trade Willy down the line, he has much more value as a C than he does as a W.

Don't see a Kadri-Nylander switch as a long term option. I think the only way Nylander would have more trade value as a C than as a W would be if he were to remain as a third liner. Based on the numbers put up in his first two seasons, I'd hope he would eventually rediscover his game and find his way back to lining up alongside Matthews. Whomever is 3C (Kadri or Nylander) is in tough to pass Tavares and Matthews on the depth chart, in my opinion.
 
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Martin Skoula

Registered User
Oct 18, 2017
11,816
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Nothing else is working, why not?
Lots of reasons to try it out:
1. Nylander is a better passer/playmaker than he is a sniper/scorer coming down the wing.
2. This team is full of LH centers, having a RH center is a better balance for faceoffs.
3. Kadri is not a prototypical center, in that he's more of a goal scorer than he is a playmaker.
4. It forces Willy to play a mote 200 foot game, something I think he's better at when he's fully engaged.
5. We could use a little more of a physical presence on the wing, something sorely lacking and something Kadri can bring.
6. Kadri isn't exactly a good faceoff man, never really has been.

Plus we can drop Hyman down to help Nylander defensively and stick Kadri with Marner/Tavares as a skilled crash and banger who can actually shoot.
 

nobody

Registered User
Aug 8, 2017
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I can live with these lines as well.
Kadri-JT-Marner would be a wonderful line. Then:
Hyman-Matthews-Nylander
Johnsson-Lindholm-Kapanen
Marleau-Goat-Brown

Gives Marleau a break and some easier minutes as he’s been lacklustre this year. That Matthews line has worked in the past so I don’t see why it wouldn’t now.
Lindholm seems snake bitten so to play him with two capable players in Johnsson and Kapanen seems viable.
 

thewave

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
40,522
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I just want to add that Kadri just doesn't have the pop in his legs to be as good a C as he was. Getting married also called him down. Time for the wing and MAKE Nylander work for his money. Paid like a C, wanted to be a C, let him try it out.
 

Trapper

Registered User
Nov 21, 2013
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I just want to add that Kadri just doesn't have the pop in his legs to be as good a C as he was. Getting married also called him down. Time for the wing and MAKE Nylander work for his money. Paid like a C, wanted to be a C, let him try it out.
One of the things we are lacking is aggressive play from the wings.
A player who will also take the body. I'm not talking Scott Stevens hits, I'm talking in a 7 game series, making the opposition D always have to work harder to get the puck out.

Nylander-Marleau can be this years Bozak-JVR.
So either get Kadri on the wing with Tavares/Matthews.

This will give Nylander much more room for his zone entry abilities.

Johnsson-Matthews-Kadri (4.5 mil Oshie type play)
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Nylander-Kapanen
 
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Crease Master

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Dec 17, 2016
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I'm sure we'll be much better off with a 3rd center who doesn't win puck battles quite as often. That will improve everything I'm sure. Having the puck is a bad thing right?
 
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Guided by Veseys

Registered User
Nov 14, 2011
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I’d be okay with it. Probably would boost Naz’s offense and he is a solid board player even if he falls, he get the pucks to the point better than anybody. A big hindrance would be that he won’t adjust to the switch well and will get caught roving around the ice all the time, it would take at least a full season for him to mentally adjust guaranteed
 

ER89

Registered User
Jul 25, 2018
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I'm sure we'll be much better off with a 3rd center who doesn't win puck battles quite as often. That will improve everything I'm sure. Having the puck is a bad thing right?
Tf you on about. William's possession numbers have been good.
 

GoonieFace

Registered User
Jun 24, 2013
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His zone entries and possession numbers are elite, so of course he should play C. He should supplant Matthews and Tavares for sure.
 

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