I'm surprised at how many people like these new lines and I'm disappointed that Mclellan is line juggling already. How is the team supposed to develop chemistry if the lines are always being juggled?
The 3rd line is interesting but the top 2 lines look gross. Hall and RNH don't really click that well. It worked better when RNH would defer to Hall as the line driver in his early years but since RNH is morphing his game into more of a line driver, I think he works better with players who play off of him. Now, Hall is going to carry the puck most of the time which will likely turn RNH into a passenger.
It's nice that McDavid has vets flanking him but is that line ever going to score? The top 6 not only has one line anchor in Purcell but now two with Korpikoski who should ideally be on the 3rd line and even more ideally on the 4th line. McDavid isn't good enough yet to carry dead weight. Even Pouliot is more of a 3rd liner playing a top 6 role especially when there is a plug on his other wing.
Ugh, I just don't like that top 6 at all. I think Mclellan should have given the previous combinations more of a chance to gel. Too much of a panic reaction to a struggle against an elite team on the road. Not a fan of this move and all this faith he has in Purcell.
