Senorsmooth
Wheels is my captain
It's interesting that you say this, because I've been thinking something along these lines with our rookies/newer players.
We really seem to have two camps of different types of good players. We have older guys like Ladd, Little and Enstrom for example who are very good players, but a little more 'old school' about playing and plays.
Most of our newer players (drafted or acquired by Jets 2.0) are quick not only as far as skating goes, but thinking the game. They all skate, pass, stick handle, and think very fast. Wheeler and Buff are probably the only two older players I would put into this category.
The problem comes when we mix the two. For example, Ladd is a very good first line winger, but doesn't really mix good with one of the newer players. Little, the same thing.
Ehlers, scheif, wheeler was an incredible line. Probably our best all season. Replacing Scheif with Little (who is a very good player as well), just messes up the chemistry. It's not that scheif is better than Little, they just play differently.
Right now we don't have enough of these new players to make up complete lines, so someone ends up on a line where they don't mesh. Armia with Ladd and Lowry is one of those mismatches imo.
I would argue that line combinations that include Ehlers, Scheif, Wheeler, Armia, Perrault, work better than mixing in Ladd, Little etc. (who are excellent players, just different).
I realize I'm rambling here, but it really is a chemistry and player skillset issue. We don't currently have enough of the young group of high IQ, quick players to make complete lines and have added depth. Next year that could be different with Connor and perhaps Petan, and who knows who else. But there certainly seems to be a direction when I look at it like this.
YMMV
Nice post. Rambling allowed when a valid point is made. Contrasting styles and mindsets sometimes have a tough time co-existing. Because we've seen a fair share of this "blending", I think the LLA line is working because of Lowry, a player who may "bridge the gap". Or my standards have shifted to the point where I'm happy seeing a line that reminds me of last year at points (the pressure, big game, not the players obviously)