Proportional value of a real 4th line

[LarKing]

Investing in players that should be high turnover is how you quickly put yourself into cap hell. Ideally your 4th liners don't suck but I'd take another first liner over a good 4th line any day

 

[InfinityIggy]

To answer this question you'd first have to define who is on the ideal (modern) 4th line. Which seems very challenging to me.

 

[DJJones]

To answer this question you'd first have to define who is on the ideal (modern) 4th line. Which seems very challenging to me.

Anyone you can sign for a million bucks that doesn't suck. That's the whole problem, if anyone is actually a fantastic 4th liner, they get priced out of that role on their next contract. At which point if they are still getting 4th line minutes they are hurting the team at the higher contract.

 

[wetcoast]

What would be the proportional value of the best fourth line in the league?

As in straight up trade value, it would not take too much to build an ideal fourth line - but when it is in effect (an easy example of this would be Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck), what is the proportional value of that line?

I had a discussion with a friend of mine regarding this, and I stand my ground in saying that the best fourth line in the league would have more value, than a first line player (something along the lines of Scheifele, Buchnevich, Necas, Fiala, etc.)

What is the opinion of HFBoards regarding this matter?

In a nutshell the best 4th line in the league can't be determined but that the SC winner obviously has it right?

The reality is that there is little to no actual difference between most teams 4th lines.

Also to answer your second question no the best 4th line isn't the equivalent of the players you are mentioning.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Investing in players that should be high turnover is how you quickly put yourself into cap hell. Ideally your 4th liners don't suck but I'd take another first liner over a good 4th line any day

I think you also don't want players getting comfortable in a 4th line role and losing their edge because they have a 6 year contract and don't have to prove themselves anymore. You want fresh, hungry players there every 2-3 years to keep pushing from the bottom.

 

[Riseonfire]

Also, while Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck were effective, they were like 5th, 6th, and 8th on the team in 5v5 ice time when Trotz was coaching the team. Coleman-Gourde-Goodrow was also demonstrably not the 4th line.

The lines people are thinking of are not 4th lines.

I'd have to agree. When the that "4th" line of ours was really going, they were our 3rd line in reality and ice time.