Speculation: Our defensive pairings next year?

[DrEasy]

Methot - Karlsson
Cowen - FA
Wiercioch - Gryba
Phillips

PP1: Wiercioch - Karlsson
PP2: Cowen - FA

PK1: Methot - Gryba
PK2: Cowen - FA

With the scheme above, everybody plays to their strength. The Methot-Karlsson pairing was excellent before Karlsson's injury. Cowen is still young and should ideally be paired with an experienced D. This top 4 should get the bulk of the playing time. Wiercioch and Gryba aren't a great pairing, but they probably won't play that much together anyway: Wier will be used on the PP, and Gryba will be used on the PK. The rest of the time, we could see Wier sometimes paired up with that experienced FA, while Gryba could play a shutdown role paired with Cowen or Methot. The FA is really key - as we see pretty much every year, our D depth *will* be tested with injuries.

Phillips as the 7th guy is just in theory - in reality, we will probably always have at least one D injured, or Wiercioch will need the occasional benching for defensive lapses, and so Big Rig will play plenty of games. But it's not a bad thing to keep him fresh for the playoffs, since that's when he shines anyway.

The big flaw in my proposal: who is this mythical FA who can play alongside Cowen, and big minutes on the PP and the PK? We basically need someone as good as, or better than, Gonchar.

 

[Hammertyme]

Karlsson-Methot
Cowen-Weircioch
Gryba-Ceci
Boro

Why may I ask you would put two lefties and two righties together? Seems to defy logic.

 

[CanadianHockey]

So the Sens sign Ference and have both Cowen and Wiercoich trying to transition to the right side?

Flip the bottom two pairings then.

 

[trentmccleary]

If I wanted to discuss the team's needs up front, I'd do so in a different thread.

This one happens to be about our defense going into next year, hence mine and others' preoccupation with the defense corps.

If we want our beloved team to contend, the aforementioned upgrade (top 4 all around guy) is what I'd like to see. If it doesn't happen, I'm sure we'll manage to make the playoffs again, and hey, that's cool.

If we have a bunch of needs up front too, how are we close to being a contender such that we need to force moves to accelerate the program?

Methot - Karlsson
Cowen - FA
Wiercioch - Gryba
Phillips

Karlsson 27
Methot 22
Phillips 21
Cowen 20
Gryba 20
Wiercioch 15

15 minutes a night is borderline, it's not really close to competing with anyone else for a spot in the top-6 without massive improvement. As things stand, Wiercioch is needed to play every night because the talent level drops off drastically after Karlsson. But that chart above doesn't suggest to me that MacLean is anywhere near handing him a spot over any of the defensive d-men. So Wiercioch is either the #6 or 7 no matter which way you draw up the lineup.

Phillips will play every night in the top-4 and plenty on the PK, as he did last season and for the decade before that. But hey, this is HF and everything is dedicated to prospects and the succession movement. That's why Borowiecki replaced Phillips in the top-4 2-3 years like many posters on here were predicting.

Every time I look at this list, I realize how easy Gryba has it with so many left d-men to compete with. He's like a LH'ed pitcher in baseball. Are you LH'ed? Do you have a pulse? Here's your rotation spot!

 

[LuckyPierre]

Is it?

Is it not?

I'd hope we have our sights on progressing past the second round. You know, building on our success.

And if so, if we make it to round three, anything can happen.

That's making a strong push for the cup, is it not?

 

[LuckyPierre]

If we have a bunch of needs up front too, how are we close to being a contender such that we need to force moves to accelerate the program?

We were close to being a contender with that group up front this year. In fact, had the two bonafide first liners had some luck with their health, we very well might have contended.

That said, you got me. There are needs up front, to be sure. Realistically, a left shooting 20-30 goal scorer would be ideal to slot in with Spezza *coughCammallericough*.

But again, with Andy in nets and with the group we have on the back end, I think we're a quality defenceman away from being able to make a push, at least from the defensive side.

 

[aragorn]

If we have a bunch of needs up front too, how are we close to being a contender such that we need to force moves to accelerate the program?



Karlsson 27
Methot 22
Phillips 21
Cowen 20
Gryba 20
Wiercioch 15

15 minutes a night is borderline, it's not really close to competing with anyone else for a spot in the top-6 without massive improvement. As things stand, Wiercioch is needed to play every night because the talent level drops off drastically after Karlsson. But that chart above doesn't suggest to me that MacLean is anywhere near handing him a spot over any of the defensive d-men. So Wiercioch is either the #6 or 7 no matter which way you draw up the lineup.

Phillips will play every night in the top-4 and plenty on the PK, as he did last season and for the decade before that. But hey, this is HF and everything is dedicated to prospects and the succession movement. That's why Borowiecki replaced Phillips in the top-4 2-3 years like many posters on here were predicting.

Every time I look at this list, I realize how easy Gryba has it with so many left d-men to compete with. He's like a LH'ed pitcher in baseball. Are you LH'ed? Do you have a pulse? Here's your rotation spot!

Which is why I think Ceci also a RD, will get the most opportunity to make the roster at some point next season likely closer to the deadline. It will also depend on injuries & how everyone else is playing especially Wiercioch.