Line Combos: Ottawa 2016-2017 thoughts
- Thread starter NickHockey
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I was watching old world junior games yesterday (one of the TSN channels) and watched 2 games with Sweden in 2011/12.
In that tourney he played RW and looked like a differnet player. His skillset seems to be he could be a RW.
In all accounts, when Lazar plays his natural C he looks significantly better. The problem was he was playing 4C with a guy like Neil so it's tough to get something going. With both of those in mind, why not try:
Macarthur-Turris-Ryan
Hoffman-Lazar-Stone
Smith-Pageau-Zibby
Puempel-Paul-Neil/Dzingel
In that tourney he played RW and looked like a differnet player. His skillset seems to be he could be a RW.
In all accounts, when Lazar plays his natural C he looks significantly better. The problem was he was playing 4C with a guy like Neil so it's tough to get something going. With both of those in mind, why not try:
Macarthur-Turris-Ryan
Hoffman-Lazar-Stone
Smith-Pageau-Zibby
Puempel-Paul-Neil/Dzingel
BonkTastic
ಠ_ಠ
I think Boucher is going to be under some pressure to get Zibanejad going this year. What's the best way to do that? Play him with our best wingers in Hoffman and Stone.
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Stone
MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
Smith-Pageau-UFA
Dzingel/Paul-Lazar-Niel
That's how I see our lines. One UFA I'd love to get is Darren Helm, an underrated guy that can really help our 3rd line. Only thing is he's a LW/C and I'm not sure if he could play RW
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Stone
MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
Smith-Pageau-UFA
Dzingel/Paul-Lazar-Niel
That's how I see our lines. One UFA I'd love to get is Darren Helm, an underrated guy that can really help our 3rd line. Only thing is he's a LW/C and I'm not sure if he could play RW
ReginKarlssonLehner
Let's Win It All
Samsquanch
Raging Bull Squatch
Absolutely love that top 6.
I really want to see Zibby and Stone together next year. We've seen far too little of them together, and I never could figure out why. We also know that the MoToR has had some great chemistry at times, and would probably get the benefit of some easier matchups with Hoffman and Stone on the 1st line.
As long as Zibby and Ryan are split up, I'll be happy. I think that both look better when paired with someone else.
Last edited:
Icelevel
During these difficult times...
- Sep 9, 2009
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I'm also a big fan of rolling 9 lines.
yeah why not?
realized i left smith out of the bold lines which were the more serious wishes. hmmmm, where's that drawing board?
aragorn
Do The Right Thing
- Aug 8, 2004
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I'm also a big fan of rolling 9 lines.
While I doubt this is a lineup we will see next season I wouldn't mind seeing it in action at some point. It's easy to make two good lines with this roster but it's much harder to make three good lines unless they sign a good scoring top 6 RWer or centre. In the meantime Paul may not be quite ready for prime time offensively but his defensive game is pretty good already. Playing him with two offensive players gives him time for his offensive game to catch up & with his size, reach & strength he should be able to free up some pucks for the other two as well. If Smith can't get his scoring back he can move down a line & Puempel, the sniper we drafted can play with the playmaker Stone to see if he can start putting the puck in the net consistently.
2. Hoffman - Paul - Zibanejad - Paul at centre turns Zibby into a scoring RWer
2. MacArthur - Turris - Ryan - Dzingel replaces Mac, if required
2. Smith - Pageau - Stone - Stone's playmaking ability turns these two into scorers
4. Puempel - Lazar - Robinson/Neil - hopefully, these three find their offence
While I doubt this is a lineup we will see next season I wouldn't mind seeing it in action at some point. It's easy to make two good lines with this roster but it's much harder to make three good lines unless they sign a good scoring top 6 RWer or centre. In the meantime Paul may not be quite ready for prime time offensively but his defensive game is pretty good already. Playing him with two offensive players gives him time for his offensive game to catch up & with his size, reach & strength he should be able to free up some pucks for the other two as well. If Smith can't get his scoring back he can move down a line & Puempel, the sniper we drafted can play with the playmaker Stone to see if he can start putting the puck in the net consistently.
2. Hoffman - Paul - Zibanejad - Paul at centre turns Zibby into a scoring RWer
2. MacArthur - Turris - Ryan - Dzingel replaces Mac, if required
2. Smith - Pageau - Stone - Stone's playmaking ability turns these two into scorers
4. Puempel - Lazar - Robinson/Neil - hopefully, these three find their offence
Paul should be in the AHL continuing to develop.
I really hope this team signs a UFA or trades for a player so that guys like Paul, Puempel and Dzingel can start in the AHL. Dzingel i can see making the team on the 4th line with Lazar and Niel.
our defencemen should rank top 10 in the league this year. I haven't gone into a season thinking that in a hell of a long time
Sensinitis
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- Aug 5, 2012
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trentmccleary
Registered User
Let's wait to see if the defense can get back to average first. I'm hopeful that they can do it, but they'd basically have to o from dead last and up 15 spots.
BonkTastic
ಠ_ಠ
105 points would have put us 2nd in the Eastern Conference this past season, and 4th in the league overall.
It is, unquestionably, enough to get us into the playoffs.
Super Cake
Registered User
- Jun 24, 2013
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105 points may not be enough to get into the playoffs? What?
The team with the lowest points to make the playoffs in the east was Detroit with 93. The ONLY team that got above 105 in the east this season was Washington with 120.
Last season, the lowest points to make the playoffs in the east was 98. Really was an anomaly year with so many teams tanking though.
The 2013-2014 season, the lowest points needed to make the playoffs was again 93.
The 2011-2012 season, the cutoff was 92.
You are way overestimating how many points it will take to make the playoffs next season. It will be the usual get at least 90-95 points and you should in the playoffs. That is unless the majority of eastern teams all of a sudden become amazing. If the Sens get 105 points next season, it will be a pretty safe bet that they will be in the playoffs.
trentmccleary
Registered User
This team is effectively 2 years old.
Additions of Stone, Hoffman, Phaneuf and big improvements from Zibby & Ceci were within the past 2 seasons.
Not to mention that even within the past 2 seasons: MacArthur missed a full year, Methot missed half a year and Turris was ineffective due to injury for 2/3's on last year.
These are the top-11 players on the team (top-6 F, top-4 D and #1 G). They've never played together.
We don't have a lot of depth. Injuries happen, and Ottawa wasnt able to get the job done when those injuries happened last year.
Hopefully Phaneuf and a new coach can make this team better, but I definitely understand why some fans won't be optimistic that we make the playoffs if there aren't additions to the roster by October
aragorn
Do The Right Thing
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First, there is a transition in the NHL & a lot of young players are starting to play in the league at a much earlier age. Second, Paul has the size, skills & is good enough defensively to not be a burden on the team in any way. He is every bit as good defensively as Lazar was who got to play at a younger age. IMO Lazar was not rushed into the NHL although I argued he should have been returned to junior mostly because of the numbers. His offensive game has not materialize yet but his defensive game was NHL ready. Same for Paul & I don't expect a lot of offence from Paul either but his two linemates would bring enough offence for that line & Paul can concentrate on shutting down the other team's centre.
What I do like is the fact that Paul is big enough & fast enough to hold his own against the other big centres in the league & it allows Zibanejad to move to the wing which creates three scoring lines. The only thing Paul lacks IMO is experience & he has all yr to gain that. Having said that though it wouldn't surprise me at all if Paul starts the yr in Bingo along with Dzingel, if Dorion signs a UFA forward.
Another point to make is that Puempel will need to go through waivers to be sent down to the AHL (Bingo). He is a former first round pick & the chances are that rather than take that chance & lose him on waivers they will keep Puempel in Ottawa just like they did with Prince last yr who was a 2nd rd pick. Dzingel was a 7th rd pick & I assume he will be sent down to Bingo before Puempel is unless of course one of them is traded at the draft or before the start of the season.
I agree, this coming season at the start anyway should be interesting assuming everyone makes it through training camp & the exhibition season injury free. We should see a pretty good lineup to start the yr & the only real questions should be the bottom pairing on defence which I expect to play well together & the 3rd or 4th line which is up in the air as to who will be playing in those spots. I expect the top two defensive pairings & the top two forward lines should be pretty good but we'll see.
Micklebot
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- Apr 27, 2010
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I think it's a bit disingenuous to brush of the injuries to Turris and MacArthur (not to mention Michalek who was the guy expected to help insulate us from injury issues to the forward corps) as the norm.
We didn't just have injuries, we had significant injuries that any rational person would expect to have a significant influence on the end results. No team expects to lose a top 6 winger all year, and their #1 center for a large chunk of it (and playing significantly injured most of the games he did play).
We shouldn't expect all our players to play 82 games, but we can and probably should expect a healthier season than what just happened.
The trap however, is thinking that we were a bubble team last season, and the return of Turris/MacA will turn us into a sure fire playoff team. The reality is we were a bubble team which injuries took out of contention for the wildcard. The real question is does adding Phaneuf (over Wier/Cow) and a new coaching staff turn this team from a bubble team to a solid playoff team. I think so, but I don't expect us to crack the 100 pts threshold.
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