Speculation: Line Combinations

[Micklebot]

Tkachuk- White- Dadonov
Stutzle- Stepan- Batherson
Paul - Norris - Watson

Chabot - Gudbranson
Coburn- Zaitsev
Wolanin - Zub

Murray
Hogberg

Next game I want to see against Jets

So... Are we just not dressing a 4th line?

 

[Golden_Jet]

Maybe we should claim Spezza so we can win a face-off once in a while.

 

[Micklebot]

Maybe we should claim Spezza so we can win a face-off once in a while.

Who are we waiving to make room?

I don't see Dorion being willing to waive any of our one way contracts to make this happen, i suspect we won't pay a guy an NHL salary to be on the taxi squad

 

[Sweatred]

Winnipeg’s on a back to back Monday - Tuesday. We prob get their back Tuesday and CH Thursday.

 

[DrEasy]

Who did we have pencilled in as our top 2 centres before the Stepan acquisition? Tierney and White. So how about:

Tkachuk - Tierney - Dadonov <- Tierney a good passer
Stutzle - White - Batherson <- give this line O-zone time
Paul - Stepan - C. Brown <- the shutdown line
Paquette - Norris - Watson <- occasionally switch Norris with White

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Galchenyuk is the center stutzle needs no one will admit it but it’s true.
Put a defensive guy on the other side.

 

[DrSense]

But the best players Are NOT playing. Watson is nothing. Anisimov is trash. L Brown and White are better than Connor Brown.

Incorrect. At least according to our coaches, and not right now.

 

[JD1]

But the best players Are NOT playing. Watson is nothing. Anisimov is trash. L Brown and White are better than Connor Brown.

This is where you get into fa fantasy stuff

Watson is a solid bottom end player. Physical. Can pop the odd goal. He's not competing for the same ice time as a Logan Brown. He's more competing for ice with a guy like Chaplik.

Logan versus Connor. Connor is a pretty versatile established NHL player. He played some hard minutes this weekend including the PK. Logan and Connor aren't really competing for the same ice time.

Now, with Anisimov versus White you have a point I'd rather see White in.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Batherson and Tkachuk need to stay on the top line together
Norris can’t be put with 4th line plugs that can’t produce.

Based on that I would try.

Tkachuk- Tierney- Batherson
Stutzle- Norris- Dadonov
Paul- White - Brown
Chlapik- Stepan- Watson

Chabot- Z
Wolanin- Brown
Coburn- Gubranson

 

[JD1]

Not me. I was for getting the youth in this year in key situations. It was Dorion and management who got these veterans and that's what we have now. If we had White/Norris/L.Brown playing in key roles, and losing important faceoffs, you would not hear a peep out of me. But the management made a decision this year to bring in vets to improve things. Well, it won't improve things if the vets can't win a FO.

Depends what you mean by improve things. Stepan and Tierney played hard minutes against a Matthews Tavares one two punch. And out west they've got McDavid and Draisaitl. Stepan is here so a guy like Norris has a year to acclimate. So White has more time to grow. Feeding Logan Brown and Josh Norris to a steady diet of the guys i mentioned is more likely to give them PTSD than develop them.

 

[HSF]

But the best players Are NOT playing. Watson is nothing. Anisimov is trash. L Brown and White are better than Connor Brown.

Best player for a 3rd 4th line role ? Absolutely Watson is better than Brown

 

[JD1]

Tkachuk- White- Dadonov
Stutzle- Stepan- Batherson
Paul - Tierney- C.Brown
Paquette- Norris- Watson

Chabot - Gudbranson
Coburn- Zaitsev
Wolanin - Zub

Murray
Hogberg

Next game I want to see against Jets

We took 2 of 4 points against the Leafs, Norris had two points in the first game, i can't see him going to the 4th line just yet. I hope not

 

[Crosside]

We took 2 of 4 points against the Leafs, Norris had two points in the first game, i can't see him going to the 4th line just yet. I hope not

I prefer him to acclimate slowly. Give him some time on the pp and switch with other center when don’t work

 

[JD1]

I prefer him to acclimate slowly. Give him some time on the pp and switch with other center when don’t work

It's funny you know, he missed a relatively open net on the PP yesterday and he's known as a shooter

If that puck goes in....the praise for his weekend here would be everywhere

But it didn't and the reviews are mixed

 

[God Says No]

Depends what you mean by improve things. Stepan and Tierney played hard minutes against a Matthews Tavares one two punch. And out west they've got McDavid and Draisaitl. Stepan is here so a guy like Norris has a year to acclimate. So White has more time to grow. Feeding Logan Brown and Josh Norris to a steady diet of the guys i mentioned is more likely to give them PTSD than develop them.

Yeah, I understand that. But that does not preclude the team to put someone else for FOs, as Stepan is not cutting it.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Yeah, I understand that. But that does not preclude the team to put someone else for FOs, as Stepan is not cutting it.

He has been inconsistent. He was 71% in game 1 and 14% in game 2. He was having a terrible game in the dot. It is likely to be an anomaly for his performance to be that bad. With that said Smith should have turned to someone else last game for key draws once it was clear that Stepan wasn't cutting it.

 

[SENATOR]

You always put as a coach your two best players on the team together to generate offence. Those players are right now Stutzle and Batherson. And let Stutzle play the centre. Those two players will save coach's ass from being fired.
People can not handle his hard crisp passing game, which is on a super elite level. People can not keep up the cycle game with him in the offensive zone or support him with break out passes in a neutral zone.
I see something like this as the number one line.

Tkachuk - Stutzle - Batherson

 

[RAFI BOMB]

I like these lines.

 

[God Says No]

He has been inconsistent. He was 71% in game 1 and 14% in game 2. He was having a terrible game in the dot. It is likely to be an anomaly for his performance to be that bad. With that said Smith should have turned to someone else last game for key draws once it was clear that Stepan wasn't cutting it.

Yes and no. Draws are not Stepan's forte. He's actually below average in the dot. He's basically on the same level as White has been so far in his career.

 

[DrSense]

Tierney is the only decent face off guy we have. Paul is actually decent, but has been playing with Tierney. We're going to be below average on the faceoffs all year. Will definitely cost a few wins along the way.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[Answer]

We could really use that kid Duclair on our 2nd line right now

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Yes and no. Draws are not Stepan's forte. He's actually below average in the dot. He's basically on the same level as White has been so far in his career.

Good point. He was really bad yesterday and it was a coaching mistake to try to switch him on lines to try to win key draws. Hopefully Smith learns from that mistake.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Chucky-Norris-Bath
Stutzle-Stepan-Dadonov
Paul-Galchenyuk-Brown
Paquette-White-Watson

 

[JaredCowen4Norris]

Obviously give it a few more games with the players currently on the roster, but I'd love to see the lines end up looking something like this later in the season:

Tkachuk - L. Brown - Batherson
Stutzle - Norris - Dadonov
Paul - Tierney - C. Brown
Formenton - Chlapik - Watson

Chabot - Zaitsev
Brannstrom - Gudbranson
Wolanin - J. Brown
Coburn