If we were playing for a cup, I would agree. However, I think we saw that Horvat can play a two way game, I'd like to see what he could do with two offensive players on his wings, and I'd like to see what Baertschi could do with guys like Horvat and Vrbata.
If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but I'd love to let them develop their games together. We can give the Sutter line the tough matchups, and if the Horvat line does get a tough one, Horvat can play a bit more defensively and focus on moving the play up the ice.
Horvat clearly can play a two way game, but with the addition of Sutter, Sutter should be handling 15 minutes a night against the other teams top offensive line. Horvat, and the second line should be given free offensive reign. If we still had Nick Bonino, I'd be perfectly fine playing a line of Baertschi - Bonino - Vrbata, because Bonino is a steady presence, who understand the game very well, had chemistry with Vrbata, and can ease Baertschi along. I don't think Horvat and Vrbata will have chemistry. I think that Vrbata will, while be steady in the offensive zone, be at a difference pace and understanding than those two.
Barring any decline and injuries, Vrbata is a safe bet for 20+ goals and 40+ points. If he's playing with Horvat full time, I expect 20+ goals and around 50 points. Vrbata is more talented than Burrows and the numbers playing with and without the Sedins have reflected this.
Vrbata is definitely a safe bet for those statistics. However, will that even matter when this team is destined for a 7-11 seed in the west? He's more talented than Burrows, that's for sure. Burrows is clearly past it, but they're sticking with him on that line, and Willie indicated to the media this summer that he thinks that the sedins are at their best with someone to go to the dirty areas. Why that can't give RK41 that chance is beyond me.
The most important thing to me is the continued development of young players.
He's our best forward after the Sedins (you could make an argument for Burrows I suppose).
A second line of some combination of Higgins/Baertschi/Horvat/Sutter/Hansen/? and a third line of the leftovers is going to be a disaster.
And this management group does not want a (regular season) disaster.
He is.
Baertschi - Horvat - Kenins or Virtanen - again (given free offensive reign vs 3rd lines)
Higgins - Sutter - Hansen (shut down line)
Then this management is steering this pile of average into a pile of ****. We're wasting assets, wasting seasons.
Why would this group be "at least as good as last year" if we follow that posters suggestion and move the most prolific scorer from last year out of the group?
I expect Horvat and Baertschi to produce like young players, ie. inconsistently, and if they fall down the lineup due to a lack of production then you're talking about going from Higgins/Bonino/Vrbata to Higgins/Sutter/Hansen (no Burrows, he's on the Sedin line in this scenario) which is absolutely a downgrade - and the bottom six sees a corresponding downgrade as well.
Unless of course there's some misunderstanding here and you're not working within the scenario poster "peen" laid out..
We're not going to be as good as last year, and the rest of the western conference has gotten better.
Radim Vrbata has now lost Nick Bonino, a linemate who could actually be productive at even strength. Desjardins has told the media, indicated to me personally @ the summit that Baertschi will be given his chances as a top six f/w. Benning has said they see him as a top six f/w. He's ineligible to be send down without waivers. They're going to have to make Baertschi be the player he can be NOW.
If you're playing Sutter with Baertschi, his production will go down because Sutter is not a good even strength producer.
I've explained my side with a player development, and chemistry mindset - but tell me this everyone -
why, from an asset management perspective, do we keep a forward who we likely don't re-sign? He signed in this city to play with the Sedins. If we're going to be a low seed, or out of the race, and he is without a contract by the deadline, benning will trade him for less than what we could have gotten. And Benning was asked on 1040 if it's likely that both Hamhuis and Vrbata are either re-signed or traded - and he said that's fair.
