Line Combos: Opening Night Roster

[playasRus]

As is, without any more trades or external UFA signings, what would be your expected and ideal starting opening roster? This also means you have to predict if we sign Hoffman/Chiasson/Condra

Expected:

MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
Prince - Pageau - Lazar
Greening - Smith - Neil
Extra: Chiasson

Methot - Karlsson
Weircioch - Ceci
Phillips - Borowiecki
Extra: Cowen

Ideal:
MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
Condra - Pageau - Lazar
Prince - Smith - Chiasson
Extra: Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Weircioch - Ceci
Borowiecki - Wideman
Extra: Cowen/Phillips

Click to read more...

 

[Super Cake]

Condra > Greening

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

I think there's a good chance Phillips has played his last game.

 

[playasRus]

I think because of the whole "respect the vets" mentality in the NHL, we'll see both Phillips and Neil suit up for opening night. I have nothing against that, but I'd like to see them limited to 30-40 games for the season to keep them at the top of their game. It also allows us to break in a younger/inexperience prospect like Wideman/Prince/Puempel, or ease a guy like Cowen back in post surgery/terribad season

 

[benjiv1]

Sharp-Zibanejad-Ryan
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Puempel-Pageau-Lazar
Bickell-Smith-Neil

Methot-Karlsson
Wiercioch-Cowen
Boro-Ceci

Hoffman, Chiasson, Greening for Sharp and Bickell.

 

[Sens Rule]

Why would anyone think Greening would be on our opening night roster?

 

[Nordic*]

Cowen should play.

 

[playasRus]

Why would anyone think Greening would be on our opening night roster?

Cause it's a business, and you try to maximize you assets by hoping Greening rebounds and then you can trade him or have a 2 million dollar player contribute.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Sharp-Zibanejad-Ryan
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Puempel-Pageau-Lazar
Bickell-Smith-Neil

Methot-Karlsson
Wiercioch-Cowen
Boro-Ceci

Hoffman, Chiasson, Greening for Sharp and Bickell.

I could live with that.

 

[Senscore]

I doubt Murray will change the D outside of Wideman. I can see him adding a bottom 6 forward though.

 

[edguy]

Sharp-Zibanejad-Ryan
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Puempel-Pageau-Lazar
Bickell-Smith-Neil

Methot-Karlsson
Wiercioch-Cowen
Boro-Ceci

Hoffman, Chiasson, Greening for Sharp and Bickell.

Oh please no... Hoffman is better than Sharp (who is on the decline, if last season is any indication), and Bickell is a 5 mil cap hit and plays 4th line.. i would rather give Greening another chance than trade for bickell at 5mil..

 

[Sens Rule]

Cause it's a business, and you try to maximize you assets by hoping Greening rebounds and then you can trade him or have a 2 million dollar player contribute.

We didn't play him last year. We have a better team this year.

No way we play him to raise his value to trade him.

Greening is probably bought out.
If not bought out sent to AHL.
If he is on the NHL he is a healthy scratch.
He is 1,2,3 forward injuries from getting into the lineup. Not on the ice with a healthy team.

Putting him on the ice on out opening lineup is either trolling management for him not being gone or hopelessly naive in thinking Greening can get better after years of not doing so... Or is some misguided attempt at asset management to raise an unmoveabke asset to a moveable one.

I don't dislike Greening, i don't think the players do either, or Cameron, or Murray. He just is not good enough to skate regular on a team that wants to make the playoffs. He adds nothing and just eats icetime. We have far too many roster forwards still... Why ice the least useful forward of all?

 

[playasRus]

We didn't play him last year. We have a better team this year.

No way we play him to raise his value to trade him.

Greening is probably bought out.
If not bought out sent to AHL.
If he is on the NHL he is a healthy scratch.
He is 1,2,3 forward injuries from getting into the lineup. Not on the ice with a healthy team.

Putting him on the ice on out opening lineup is either trolling management for him not being gone or hopelessly naive in thinking Greening can get better after years of not doing so... Or is some misguided attempt at asset management to raise an unmoveabke asset to a moveable one.

I don't dislike Greening, i don't think the players do either, or Cameron, or Murray. He just is not good enough to skate regular on a team that wants to make the playoffs. He adds nothing and just eats icetime. We have far too many roster forwards still... Why ice the least useful forward of all?

I agree that we can play a better player than Greening. I just believe that management will give that one last shot to try and make it so the millions they paid him over the contract don't go to waste by giving him one more shot. Kind of like how Mike Richards was giving multiple shots at coming back to his old self...or at least to gain some trade value. It's kind of like the ex-girlfriend you constantly get back together thinking maybe this time, it'll work out. That is solely the reason I expect him in the lineup.

I'm likely wrong due to reasons you've brought up. My gut just says he'll be there. Maybe it's a self-preservation thing - making sure I'm not disappointed in October.

 

[Sens Rule]

Hoffman Turris Stone
MacArthur Zibanejad Ryan
Puempel Pageau Michalek
Prince Lazar Chiasson
Smith Neil

Methot Karlsson
Cowen UFA
Wiercioch Ceci
Borowiecki Wideman

Anderson
Hammond

24 guys for 23 spots... 1 guy is injured during camp and someone moves up in the lineup. Deal with losing the body to AHL or waivers/trade during first month of season. Defence sorts itself out with pairings and ice time and personel as the season progresses.

My prediction of our opening day lineup.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Expected (no moves)

Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Michalek - Smith - Chiasson
Prince/Puempel - Pageau - Lazar
Neil

Methot - Karlsson
Cowen - Ceci
Wiercioch - Borowiecki
Phillips, Wideman

Anderson
Hammond

Ideal (Michalek for Berglund, re-sign Condra)

Hoffman - Zibanejad - Ryan
MacArthur - Turris - Stone
Prince - Berglund - Chiasson
Condra - Pageau - Lazar
Neil (Puempel first call-up)

Methot - Karlsson
Cowen - Ceci
Wiercioch - Borowiecki
Phillips, Wideman (Claesson first call-up)

Anderson
Hammond

 

[Very Stable Genius]

If you hate Greening, you'll hate Bickell.

 

[Sens Rule]

I agree that we can play a better player than Greening. I just believe that management will give that one last shot to try and make it so the millions they paid him over the contract don't go to waste by giving him one more shot. Kind of like how Mike Richards was giving multiple shots at coming back to his old self...or at least to gain some trade value. It's kind of like the ex-girlfriend you constantly get back together thinking maybe this time, it'll work out. That is solely the reason I expect him in the lineup.

I'm likely wrong due to reasons you've brought up. My gut just says he'll be there. Maybe it's a self-preservation thing - making sure I'm not disappointed in October.

Mike Richards and Colin Greening are far different levels of players. They are so far away from comparable. And if a team can cut ties with a core Cup winning star player... That is young still and way more expensive with way worse Cap issues... We certainly can with Greening.

 

[Sens Rule]

If you hate Greening, you'll hate Bickell.

Agree. Makes no sense. He makes way too much money too. Not needed.

 

[MiscBrah]

Murray said he expects Cowen to be playing regular minutes. Not in/out of the line-up as an extra D man.

 

[Sens Rule]

Murray said he expects Cowen to be playing regular minutes. Not in/out of the line-up as an extra D man.

I hope so. I guess he has not been healthy at all for a long time. Really hope he can be the player he seemed he was going to become a couple of years ago. I like having Borowiecki. I feel confident he can fill in for anyone that isn't Methot or Karlsson if performance poblems/injuries occur.

I think Wiercioch really came on the last part if the season.

Ideal situation is Wiercioch/Ceci as the bottom pair. They would be so good facing lesser opponents and it would mean we can move the puck and have good possession numbers with all pairings. Makes us a contender.
But that means somehow we need a second pairing better then them. Hopefully we get a top echlon 3/4 vet D... Cowen can be healthy and a physical force and play off whomever we get as a UFA (maybe hoping for this over it being likely to happen). Say Green is signed. Second pairing vet RD. Can help out Cowen with vet savvy, move the puck, shoot it. Help the PP units. Mike Green is not nearly as one dimensional as people believe. He can play competent minutes over 200 feet of ice, make his teammates better. He would be Gonchar like as a presence here I think. But he is a lot less done then Gonchar was when we got him. Expensive risk... But we have the Cap Space and any UFA is a risk.

If we went in on 1 vet Star D to be the 3... Makes us into a contender... If all goes right a very strong one I think.

 

[edguy]

here's what i expect:

MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Ryan
Puempel-Pageau-Lazar
Michalek-Smith-Chiasson
Neil

Methot-Karlsson
Wiercioch-Ceci
Cowen-Wideman
Boroweicki/Phillips

Anderson
Hammond

Would definitely like to see us:

Sign Sekera
Trade Wiercioch Prince/Puempel and picks for a top 6 guy
If possible Dump greening, if not, waive him and hope he finds his game in bingo

 

[2XPRO31]

If Puempel has a good camp he's on this team.

Hoffman-Zibanejad-Ryan
Macarthur-Turris-Stone
Michalek-Pageau-Lazar
Puempel-Smith-Chiasson

Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Ceci
Weircioch-Boroweiki/Wideman

Anderson
Hammond

 

[Rodzilla]

Greening is so putrid I hope he never sees the ice again. So useless like he brings really nothing for us.


Mac-Turris-Stone
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Ryan
Condra-Pageau-Lazar
Michalek-Smith-Chiasson

Methot-Karlsson
Sekera/Ehroff-Ceci
Weircioch-Cowen/Boro/Wideman

Is what I'd like but Murray seems to think our D is good so prolly be

Meth-Karl
Weir-Ceci
Cowen-Boro (disaster)

And Weir in the top 4 over 82 games will show his flaws for sure to all his fanboys lately, mark it down!

 

[Benjamin]

MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
Michalek-Zibanejad-Stone
Hoffman-Pageau-Lazar
Prince-Smith-Chiasson
Neil

Hoffman on the 3rd line to split the offense a bit. Allows Hoffman to take advantage of weak competition.

Ryan on a line where he doesn't feel like he has to carry or be a playmaker. Let him go back to just focusing hitting and scoring.

Zibanejad-Stone could very well be the highest scoring combo on the Sens next year. Let Michalek be carried by them. Swap Prince with him at times.

Poor Prince is left to play with scrubs.

Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Ceci
Boro-Wiercioch/Wideman

Puckmover with defensive dman

 

[Qward]

MacArthur(NA) - Turris(NA) - Stone (6th)
Hoffman(5th) - Zibanejad(1st) - Ryan(NA)
Prince(2nd) - Pageau(4th) - Lazar(1st)
Greening(7th) - Smith(3rd) - Neil(6th)
Extra: Chiasson(NA)

Methot(NA) - Karlsson(1st)
Weircioch(2nd) - Ceci(1st)
Phillips(1st) - Borowiecki(5th)
Extra: Cowen(1st)

I am beginning to see why Management prefers to draft D in the first round.