GDT: Preseason to Regular Season - Let's kill some time

[mpp9]

Sid does stuff too fast for Kuhn to keep up, IMO. Sheary can at least help Sid lug the puck and get to pucks quickly.

I think you put Kuhn with Bonino if you break up HBK. Bonino's a more methodical at his own pace type of player. He could also tap into some of Kuhn's scoring ability with his playmaking.

Guentzel's the replacement for Sheary, IMO. Hopefully he gets the chance.

 

[Ogrezilla]

That would be a lot of minutes for Kuhn to handle given that he will likely be pking again.

If Sid and Geno's lines both crash and burn we pretty much have to break up the HBK line. If one of those lines is going and the other is not then we can probably live with that provided HBK continues to do what it has done, although long term Sid and/or Geno will get quite frustrated in that scenario unless our powerplay is popping. Those are proud guys who want their points.

I don't expect whoever plays Sid's LW or Geno's wings to have as many minutes as Sid, Geno, and Horny. Kunitz maybe. But in the playoffs, Sheary and Kunitz were both only getting 14 minutes a game despite playing on Sid's line. Rust had 4th line minutes despite playing on the 2nd line.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Sid does stuff too fast for Kuhn to keep up, IMO. Sheary can at least help Sid lug the puck and get to pucks quickly.

I think you put Kuhn with Bonino if you break up HBK. Bonino's a more methodical at his own pace type of player. He could also tap into some of Kuhn's scoring ability with his playmaking.

Guentzel's the replacement for Sheary, IMO. Hopefully he gets the chance.

I agree that Guentzel has the best upside as Sid's (or Geno's) LW. I really hope he gets a real shot sometime this year.

 

[Jacob]

It's going to be a revolving door on Sid & Malkin's wings. Just whoever is hot or clicking at that point in time. And if they're not, they'll rotate someone else in.

 

[Ogrezilla]

They don't all just randomly catch fire. Sheary was a guy who had some very high highs and some very low lows. He's one that would probably fit your perspective.

Kuhn, on the other hand, showed he has legit NHL skills to play a 3rd or 4th line. Very responsible and can finish. Rust also showed he's a 3rd/4th liner who can jump up when he's on fire. Wilson is still the unknown but has shown flashes of really solid play.

We didn't just catch random fire. Those guys had more than enough games to show what they have. Sheary is the one curious case. He has shown times where he's an NHL player and times where he's an AHL call-up. Kuhn/Rust don't fit that mold.

definitely. I would be shocked if Kuhn and Rust don't at least play like solid bottom 6 guys this year. Wilson and Sheary are less sure things.

 

[Pancakes]

They don't all just randomly catch fire. Sheary was a guy who had some very high highs and some very low lows. He's one that would probably fit your perspective.

Kuhn, on the other hand, showed he has legit NHL skills to play a 3rd or 4th line. Very responsible and can finish. Rust also showed he's a 3rd/4th liner who can jump up when he's on fire. Wilson is still the unknown but has shown flashes of really solid play.

We didn't just catch random fire. Those guys had more than enough games to show what they have. Sheary is the one curious case. He has shown times where he's an NHL player and times where he's an AHL call-up. Kuhn/Rust don't fit that mold.

I hope you're right. I just think 82 games is a different kettle of fish than playoff hockey, and I don't know what to expect yet. Is it what we saw at the end of the year when the whole team was gelling? I hope so. I really do. If they can bring *that* consistently then we're gonna be a damned good hockey team.

 

[PensandCaps]

just break up HBK for the reg season and let our stars have help on the wings. dont need that 3 line attack in the reg season. let sid and geno pile up points.

hags/sid/hornqvist
wilson/geno/kessel

 

[PensPlz]

just break up HBK for the reg season and let our stars have help on the wings. dont need that 3 line attack in the reg season. let sid and geno pile up points.

hags/sid/hornqvist
wilson/geno/kessel

I agree 100℅. A lethal top 6 and reliable goaltending is how you pile up points in the regular season. We can adjust lines for depth in the playoffs as needed. Let Sid and Geno compete for the Art Ross.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Sid does stuff too fast for Kuhn to keep up, IMO. Sheary can at least help Sid lug the puck and get to pucks quickly.

I think you put Kuhn with Bonino if you break up HBK. Bonino's a more methodical at his own pace type of player. He could also tap into some of Kuhn's scoring ability with his playmaking.

Guentzel's the replacement for Sheary, IMO. Hopefully he gets the chance.

Worth a shot though, can't cross it off unless you give it a shot.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I agree 100℅. A lethal top 6 and reliable goaltending is how you pile up points in the regular season. We can adjust lines for depth in the playoffs as needed. Let Sid and Geno compete for the Art Ross.

I agree, until others step up, splitting up HBK is the smart move. It allows Sullivan to plug in the youngsters still, but it gives the team a more balanced attack.

I do want to see a Rust, Bonino, Sheary 3rd line though and a Kuhnhackl, Cullen, Fehr 4th line.

 

[Penske]

just break up HBK for the reg season and let our stars have help on the wings. dont need that 3 line attack in the reg season. let sid and geno pile up points.

hags/sid/hornqvist
wilson/geno/kessel

Malkin still is going to pile up the points since he will be getting the easiest matchups of his career.

 

[Mattpilf]

I agree 100℅. A lethal top 6 and reliable goaltending is how you pile up points in the regular season. We can adjust lines for depth in the playoffs as needed. Let Sid and Geno compete for the Art Ross.

Part of the issue is Sullivan likes having a more even 5v5 time. He likes that depth means hr won't have to overload the stars and likes that that they can keep that fast paced game up. If you put Sid and Geno at 21+ minutes they're going to player a slower game, that's not the style of play and that's also how he'd like to stay rested for the 100+ game season.

HBK will be broken up eventually. Injuries will probably force things to be shuffled, but I don't think we'll see the imbalanced top 6 at least not for the bulk of the season. He doesn't want the pace to slow down, he was pleased he could keep forwards with less than 20 minutes in the playoffs, and I think he wants to keep that going.

How he brings in AHL guys with zero NHL games though, idk. I dont think he'll just plug them with Crosby and Malkin, but I think hes going to try to keep this a top 9 team in the regular season.

 

[SEALBound]

I agree 100℅. A lethal top 6 and reliable goaltending is how you pile up points in the regular season. We can adjust lines for depth in the playoffs as needed. Let Sid and Geno compete for the Art Ross.

I like it but that means a likely Kunitz-Bonino-Rust/Sheary line and I don't think that it will be effective.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I agree, until others step up, splitting up HBK is the smart move. It allows Sullivan to plug in the youngsters still, but it gives the team a more balanced attack.

I do want to see a Rust, Bonino, Sheary 3rd line though and a Kuhnhackl, Cullen, Fehr 4th line.

I don't understand how going from 3 stars on 3 lines to 3 stars on 2 lines gives the team a more balanced attack.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I don't understand how going from 3 stars on 3 lines to 3 stars on 2 lines gives the team a more balanced attack.

I am suggesting Kessel gets moved up with Sid or Malkin, Hagelin stays with Bonino at least, since there are options with Sheary and Wilson on Sid's LW and then there's Kunitz for the 2nd line.

How does it give a balance attack? If HBK stays together, the 1st line is Sid with Horny and a rotation of Wilson or Sheary and the 2nd is a combo of Fehr, Kunitz, Sheary, Wilson with Malkin.

Yeah...that 2nd line gets shafted hard.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I am suggesting Kessel gets moved up with Sid or Malkin, Hagelin stays with Bonino at least, since there are options with Sheary and Wilson on Sid's LW and then there's Kunitz for the 2nd line.

How does it give a balance attack? If HBK stays together, the 1st line is Sid with Horny and a rotation of Wilson or Sheary and the 2nd is a combo of Fehr, Kunitz, Sheary, Wilson with Malkin.

Yeah...that 2nd line gets shafted hard.

But...in a scenario where you move Kessel into the top 6, Bonino's line is going to be weaker than Malkin's line is now no matter how you configure them.

 

[mpp9]

We got Bonino for Sutter. Hagelin for Perron. Daley for Scuderi. All in less than a year. It isn't that hard to find the type of talent flanking Kessel for 87 and 71. Let the kids audition to start the season and see what you need to sustain the model we ran in the playoffs.

JR isn't going to sit on his hands if say, Malkin isn't producing. We made major trades after we won in 91. This team is legitimately trying to repeat. They'll acquire help if/when need be.

 

[Peat]

We got Bonino for Sutter. Hagelin for Perron. Daley for Scuderi. All in less than a year. It isn't that hard to find the type of talent flanking Kessel for 87 and 71. Let the kids audition to start the season and see what you need to sustain the model we ran in the playoffs.

JR isn't going to sit on his hands if say, Malkin isn't producing. We made major trades after we won in 91. This team is legitimately trying to repeat. They'll acquire help if/when need be.

This.

Also, while I've no issue with them taking an extended look at what a pumped up top 6 looks like, I think the point about short shifts to deal with Sullivan's model and keep everyone fresh(ish) for the play-offs is on the money. Whatever happens, we need the kids to step up and keep it up as genuine NHL attacking players, or we need to trade.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

just break up HBK for the reg season and let our stars have help on the wings. dont need that 3 line attack in the reg season. let sid and geno pile up points.

hags/sid/hornqvist
wilson/geno/kessel

If it isn't broke yet, why fix it? I don't think Sid and Geno care about points if we win games. Our lines will still be putting up points since the opposing team will have matchup problems.

I've been thinking for a while, What would be a serious counter to running three scoring lines? I don't think that we've ever discussed this honestly. I guess teams that have good enough forwards can also try running three balanced scoring lines, which would make their matchups a bit better, or they could shuffle their D-pairings to make them balanced. But if they do this only when they are up against us, they will have pretty terrible chemistry I believe. I find it hard to find a legit counter.

 

[FinProspects]

Just let HBK be.

Crosby and Malkin will score nevertheles.

If you are interested in Art Ross, then fix the god damn powerplay.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Sid does stuff too fast for Kuhn to keep up, IMO. Sheary can at least help Sid lug the puck and get to pucks quickly.

I think you put Kuhn with Bonino if you break up HBK. Bonino's a more methodical at his own pace type of player. He could also tap into some of Kuhn's scoring ability with his playmaking.

Guentzel's the replacement for Sheary, IMO. Hopefully he gets the chance.

It makes me wonder why Hornqvist does well with Sid then, he's not the fastest, but he knows where to be. That's the biggest thing for Crosby, not that someone can keep up, the excuse is to find someone that can skate with him and pray it works out half decently like Dupuis did, but even then, Pascal worked so well because he knew where to be. Or more importantly, where Crosby needed him to be.

To say Kuhnhackl wouldn't work without trying him there seems odd to me, I hope it's tried so we can put it to rest. But if there's a player I would love to see with Sid, it's Rust, not Sheary. If Sheary was a decent 35-40pt guy, then trying both would be a fantastic thing to see with both on their off wings, allowing Crosby to really hurt teams when he gives both of them angles that goalies would have trouble stopping (moving Horny down to Geno's line, probably better suited there since Geno is a self professed puck hog on his line).

 

[Honour Over Glory]

We got Bonino for Sutter. Hagelin for Perron. Daley for Scuderi. All in less than a year. It isn't that hard to find the type of talent flanking Kessel for 87 and 71. Let the kids audition to start the season and see what you need to sustain the model we ran in the playoffs.

JR isn't going to sit on his hands if say, Malkin isn't producing. We made major trades after we won in 91. This team is legitimately trying to repeat. They'll acquire help if/when need be.

And this.

I am all for moving Pouliot and maybe one of the grinder kids to land a more talented younger winger on a team that is deep and wants a kid like Pouliot in their fold.

I know it's not going to happen, but to land a kid like Haula, it's the perfect fit for the style this team plays and for Sid's line.

Sheary + Pouliot, if that was enough (it definitely isn't), it'd be perfect.

Or trading for Jaskin for Malkin's RW/LW.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Sid and Geno piling up the points doesn't always mean they are piling up the wins, but having 3 potent lines will help in that sector for both.

Greed. Wanting Sid and Geno to have it all, and then the bottom six suffers when they don't produce enough.

Do you really want to play into the hands of the opposition and put all the eggs in two little baskets for them to defend?

I'll take what teams can't defend over what they could minimize. There is only one puck.

 

[hoyster]

Hey, did we release Irving from his PTO? Or just send him to WB/S camp? Or neither?

I believe he's technically on a PTO with WBS now.
You can play so many games on a PTO, atleast in the AHL i think, so he likely starts there and sees some action.

He signed with Finnish League team KooKoo
http://www.kouvolansanomat.fi/Online/2016/10/10/Leland Irving KooKoon maalille/2016221355058/4

 

[Tender Rip]

moving Horny down to Geno's line, probably better suited there since Geno is a self professed puck hog on his line.