Speculation: [Predict the] 2017-18 Jets Roster / Lines

[veganhunter]

Montreal, Ottawa and Calgary are all playoff teams, could you identify their 3 scoring lines? Starts with goaltending and defense. Areas we need to upgrade. Scoring is not our problem. And when it is, it is usually because our skilled players are frequently outmuscled. I am afraid of how Connor-Petan-Roslovic would fare against a veteran line of physical players, the failures both Connor and Petan have had is not in their linemates but their lack of physicality. Lowry is going to wear an A someday, for the Jets, giving him up, for nothing, would be a mistake, imo.

To answer your first question

Flames

Gaudreau Monahan Ferland (probably not fair to include Ferland all recent streaks aside, but even if you take him out still closer at 8/9 than we are)
Tkachuk Backlund Frolik
Versteeg Bennett Brouwer

Their 4th line C Stajan has as many points as Lowry and 4th line winger Chiasson is outscoring both of our 3rd line wingers as well.

Canadians
Yeah that's a mess and their D is awful too. They have the best goalie in the league by a significant margin though.

Ottawa (when healthy)

Ryan Turris Stone
Burrows Brassard Hoffman
Dzingel JGP Smith

Dzingel is probably borderline but he's on pace to score nearly same amount of points as Lowry and Matthias combined (as is Smith) and on pace to outscore every player not on our top 2 lines (as are JGP and Smith).

The outmuscled aspect we aren' going to agree on nor the line mates issue. Maurice should be salivating about deploying those guys against the remaining "Thorburn types" though.

Not saying I want to give Lowry up, he's an elite 4th liner but I'd rather have Myers (especially when you consider the importance of defence which we seem to agree on) and Perrault. Can't see Vegas passing on Lowry for Dano, Copp, or Armia.

Or to put it another way, would you trade Myers for a guy like Lars Eller or Patrik Berglund? I wouldn't and they are both big defensively sound 3rd lines centres who score/have scored a lot more than Lowry is ever likely to.

 

[kunekune]

No major changes. Perreault gets taken by Vegas.

Laine-Scheifele-Ehlers
Connor-Little-Wheeler
Copp-Petan-Dano
Matthias-Lowry-Armia

Morrissey-Trouba
NEWLD-Buff
Enström-Myers

Helle
VetBUGK.

 

[voyageur]

To answer your first question

Flames

Gaudreau Monahan Ferland (probably not fair to include Ferland all recent streaks aside, but even if you take him out still closer at 8/9 than we are)
Tkachuk Backlund Frolik
Versteeg Bennett Brouwer

Their 4th line C Stajan has as many points as Lowry and 4th line winger Chiasson is outscoring both of our 3rd line wingers as well.

Canadians
Yeah that's a mess and their D is awful too. They have the best goalie in the league by a significant margin though.

Ottawa (when healthy)

Ryan Turris Stone
Burrows Brassard Hoffman
Dzingel JGP Smith

Dzingel is probably borderline but he's on pace to score nearly same amount of points as Lowry and Matthias combined (as is Smith) and on pace to outscore every player not on our top 2 lines (as are JGP and Smith).

The outmuscled aspect we aren' going to agree on nor the line mates issue. Maurice should be salivating about deploying those guys against the remaining "Thorburn types" though.

Not saying I want to give Lowry up, he's an elite 4th liner but I'd rather have Myers (especially when you consider the importance of defence which we seem to agree on) and Perrault. Can't see Vegas passing on Lowry for Dano, Copp, or Armia.

Or to put it another way, would you trade Myers for a guy like Lars Eller or Patrik Berglund? I wouldn't and they are both big defensively sound 3rd lines centres who score/have scored a lot more than Lowry is ever likely to.

I don't think Lowry is really a change from Pageau, he is more physical for sure, and Pageau benefits from better wingers (in the healthy scenario), and has taken on more top 6 time, given his versatility. I didn't realise Bennett was a 3rd line centre. But he benefits from having a stellar defensive 4th liner in Stajan behind him to balance the roles. I would say that other than Gaudreau and Monahan, Calgary is a team of two way players. Montreal is a very good defensive team, and their defense is underrated, very physical, and good at transitioning their speed. But yeah starts in net.

The point I was trying to reinforce is that we are 8th in scoring, would be top 5 with a top 10 PP. Scapegoating our 3rd line for lack of production, when we have great top end production isn't addressing the real problems. We lack defensive structure, alot of that falls on our skilled players.

Goaltending is a work in progress, imo.

As a side I like the previous poster's lineup, i think that once we are out though Connor and Petan have to show they can fit their alotted spots, to make Frenchy replaceable. He has been a point per game player of late. Connor I think will need some extra weight, core strength in the offseason. Petan just needs confidence, and a little more quickness and toughness to stick. Maybe Perreault moves into Matthias's spot short term to see if this alignment works.