Line Combos: Roster 2019-2020

[Canadienna]

Jonathan Drouin - Max Domi - Paul Byron
Tomas Tatar - Phillip Danault - Brendan Gallagher
Artturi Lehkonen - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Joel Armia
Nick Cousins - Ryan Poehling - Jordan Weal
Nate Thompson

Victor Mete - Shea Weber
Ben Chiarot - Jeff Petry
Brett Kulak - Christian Folin
Mike Reilly

Carey Price
Keith Kinkaid

Phil Varone - Jake Evans - Riley Barber
Joël Teasdale - Nick Suzuki - Alex Belzile
Nikita Jevpalovs - Lukas Vejdemo - Alexandre Alain
Matthew Peca - Hayden Verbeek - Dale Weise
Michael Pezzetta

Xavier Ouellet - Cale Fleury
Otto Leskinen - Josh Brook
Gustav Olofsson - Maxim Lamarche
Karl Alzner

Cayden Primeau
Michael McNiven

​

I think you forgot Juulsen who I would heavily prefer over Folin on the 3rd pair right side.

 

[Adam Michaels]

With most of the summertime moves completed, here's where...

John Vogl of The Athletic wrote an article where he ranks each team in the Atlantic Division by lines and pairings. Here is where Habs ranked:

1st Line: #6 (Tatar - Danault - Gallager)
2nd Line: #3 (Drouin - Domi - Byron)
3rd Line: #1 (Lehkonen - Kotkaniemi - Armia)
4th Line: #1 (Weal - Cousins - Poehling)

1st Pair: #3 (Kulak - Petry)
2nd Pair: #2 (Mete - Weber)
3rd Pair: #3 (Chiarot - Juulsen)

Goaltending: #4 (Price)

He based the lines and pairings by each team's local The Athletic writers who projected their own line combinations in each team's Athletic section. He then proceeded in using the ratings of each player from Corsica Hockey and thus came to these conclusions.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I think you forgot Juulsen who I would heavily prefer over Folin on the 3rd pair right side.

You are correct. I actually have him starting in the AHL only because he missed significant time last year and will eventually be called up. But yes, in Montreal, I have him ahead of Folin.

So for me, it would be to start in Laval:

Ouellet - Juulsen
Leskinen - Fleury
Olofsson - Brook

 

[26Mats]

You are correct. I actually have him starting in the AHL only because he missed significant time last year and will eventually be called up. But yes, in Montreal, I have him ahead of Folin.

So for me, it would be to start in Laval:

Ouellet - Juulsen
Leskinen - Fleury
Olofsson - Brook

That's a really good defense. Brook may see 1st pair if Juulsen starts in Montreal. Who replaces Juulsen in the top 6 in Laval?

 

[26Mats]

Jonathan Drouin - Max Domi - Paul Byron
Tomas Tatar - Phillip Danault - Brendan Gallagher
Artturi Lehkonen - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Joel Armia
Nick Cousins - Ryan Poehling - Jordan Weal
Nate Thompson

Victor Mete - Shea Weber
Ben Chiarot - Jeff Petry
Brett Kulak - Christian Folin
Mike Reilly

Carey Price
Keith Kinkaid

Phil Varone - Jake Evans - Riley Barber
Joël Teasdale - Nick Suzuki - Alex Belzile
Nikita Jevpalovs - Lukas Vejdemo - Alexandre Alain
Matthew Peca - Hayden Verbeek - Dale Weise
Michael Pezzetta

Xavier Ouellet - Cale Fleury
Otto Leskinen - Josh Brook
Gustav Olofsson - Maxim Lamarche
Karl Alzner

Cayden Primeau
Michael McNiven

​

Byron never worked last year with Domi and Drouin...

I can't stand the no finnish line...

I hope Poehling and Suzuki are ready for top 9 duty. Ready as in ready, not forced. We sorely need them. But I don't want them there until they're ready.

Where's Lindgren?

 

[NekkiChiconey]

What I would try:
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Domi - Kotkaniemi - Lekhonen
Drouin - Poehling - Armia
Byron - Weal - Cousins
Thompson

Mete - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Chiarot - Juulsen
Folin
Reilly

I could see Suzuki slotted at RW on the 2nd or 3rd line with an impressive camp, or even Brook playing LD with Petry/Weber.
Kotkaniemi would finally get a potent winger, Lekhonen had good chemistry with Domi and he would be the "sniper" on that line. Placing Drouin with Poehling and Armia relieves him of the many board battles he would lose anyway, and allows him to focus on keeping his offensive game simple with 2 solid "north-south" linemates.

 

[1909]

What I would try:
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Domi - Kotkaniemi - Lekhonen
Drouin - Poehling - Armia
Byron - Weal - Cousins
Thompson

Mete - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Chiarot - Juulsen
Folin
Reilly

I could see Suzuki slotted at RW on the 2nd or 3rd line with an impressive camp, or even Brook playing LD with Petry/Weber.
Kotkaniemi would finally get a potent winger, Lekhonen had good chemistry with Domi and he would be the "sniper" on that line. Placing Drouin with Poehling and Armia relieves him of the many board battles he would lose anyway, and allows him to focus on keeping his offensive game simple with 2 solid "north-south" linemates.

They won't place their most paid forward on a third line again. Drouin has to prove and work like a top six forward from now on or else.... Suzuki is not, and will not be ready to jump from OHL to NHL next season. And Brook is a RHD , not a LHD. Him too has to work at AHL level for at least a good full season.

 

[The Real Timo]

This roster isn't making the playoffs... Last year very few injuries and quite a few players with a career year and they still missed it. Price was lights out second half of the season. Still missed it. Bergevin just doesn't get (have) it.

 

[Zorba]

What I would try:
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Domi - Kotkaniemi - Lekhonen
Drouin - Poehling - Armia
Byron - Weal - Cousins
Thompson

Mete - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Chiarot - Juulsen
Folin
Reilly

I could see Suzuki slotted at RW on the 2nd or 3rd line with an impressive camp, or even Brook playing LD with Petry/Weber.
Kotkaniemi would finally get a potent winger, Lekhonen had good chemistry with Domi and he would be the "sniper" on that line. Placing Drouin with Poehling and Armia relieves him of the many board battles he would lose anyway, and allows him to focus on keeping his offensive game simple with 2 solid "north-south" linemates.

Who’s the potent winger?? Leks??? Domi is the most productive centre we had in years and you wanna play him wing? Why?
Cause Bergevin failed to get us legit top line players ?

 

[The Real Timo]

Who’s the potent winger?? Leks??? Domi is the most productive centre we had in years and you wanna play him wing? Why?
Cause Bergevin failed to get us legit top line players ?

Can always go back to Droo-ehn at center.

 

[Zorba]

Can always go back to Droo-ehn at center.

Id rather never see him again anywhere

 

[NekkiChiconey]

Who’s the potent winger?? Leks??? Domi is the most productive centre we had in years and you wanna play him wing? Why?
Cause Bergevin failed to get us legit top line players ?

Domi has played almost all of his career at wing. Do you really think he would stop being productive if he is placed there? I think pairing Domi and Kotka, while keeping Kotka at center, would allow both to produce even more as they can both score and create plays. Am I the only one who's tired of seeing Kotka's playmaking wasted by Armia?

 

[NekkiChiconey]

They won't place their most paid forward on a third line again. Drouin has to prove and work like a top six forward from now on or else.... Suzuki is not, and will not be ready to jump from OHL to NHL next season. And Brook is a RHD , not a LHD. Him too has to work at AHL level for at least a good full season.

I think the top 3 lines could get 2nd line ice time, meaning around 16-17 minutes per game each, with the Danault line playing against opposing top lines. I did not pencil Suzuki in the line-up, I only noted the possibility that he could have an amazing camp and get a chance on the roster. As for Brook, he played as a LD many times both in Moose Jaw and at the WJC.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

This roster isn't making the playoffs... Last year very few injuries and quite a few players with a career year and they still missed it. Price was lights out second half of the season. Still missed it. Bergevin just doesn't get (have) it.

Very few injuries lol......

Games missed due to injury

Weber - 24
Shaw - 19
Byron - 26
Armia - 25
Juulsen - 61* Was sent down for a stint but was sent down because he was playing poorly due to not sharing the severity of his first injury.
Schlemko - lol

Injuries played a huge part in not making the playoffs.

You act like players had crazy numbers and "career years" that can't be replicated. Scoring was way up all over the NHL due to goaltender equipment changes. Nobody on this team had a year that they shouldn't be able to replicate. There is actually alot more room for improvement than there is for regression.

This point of view is becoming tiresome as I can't be bothered to annihilate it for the umpteenth time in the last month. People refer to these "career years" in broad strokes but never attempt to individually support this claim. Somehow they miss the fact that Price was attrocious for two months, Drouin was awful for long stretches, longterm injuries to key players (Weber, Shaw, Byron, Armia, Juulsen), Lehkonen's offensive woes, Mete was terrible for the first half of the season, Kotkaniemi was only in the infant stages of his development and Poehling was only there for one game.

How ever shall we improve on that?

 

[Mrb1p]

Laine-Kotkaniemi-Gallagher
Tatar-Domi-Lekhonen or Suzu if ready
Byron-Poehling-Armia
Weal-Danault or Thompson-Cousins

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-brook
Kulak-Juulsen

Moved out Drouin and Petry for moneys.

Line 3 and 4 play 14-15 minutes a night nothing more, call Danault the 3rs if you want I dont care, but Poehling needs the offensive talent, weal and armia could ve shifted.

Dont come in with the Petry BS Juulsen is better defensively and Brook is a guaranteed 30 points, thats how good he is. This is a young mans game the wait and see approach dont work no mo.

Alternatively, Danault, Drouin and Petry could be traded for some cap relief for Laine and a 4th line C that can take pressure off Kotkaniemi because Thompson, while reliable, isnt winning any matchup.

 

[Mrb1p]

Byron never worked last year with Domi and Drouin...

I can't stand the no finnish line...

I hope Poehling and Suzuki are ready for top 9 duty. Ready as in ready, not forced. We sorely need them. But I don't want them there until they're ready.

Where's Lindgren?

Lets run the rxact same line as last year! See what happens

 

[Thebesthockey]

FANTASTIC Lines

2 teams fighting for the calder cup

 

[David Suzuki]

Geez, we really are screwed. Another non playoff year.

Who cares? I thought we were all about big picture not immediate satisfaction? Build for the future. Let Brooks, Poehling and Suzuki get ready so you can move some of your veteran players.

 

[Miller Time]

Very few injuries lol......

Games missed due to injury

Weber - 24
Shaw - 19
Byron - 26
Armia - 25
Juulsen - 61* Was sent down for a stint but was sent down because he was playing poorly due to not sharing the severity of his first injury.
Schlemko - lol

Injuries played a huge part in not making the playoffs.

You act like players had crazy numbers and "career years" that can't be replicated. Scoring was way up all over the NHL due to goaltender equipment changes. Nobody on this team had a year that they shouldn't be able to replicate. There is actually alot more room for improvement than there is for regression.

This point of view is becoming tiresome as I can't be bothered to annihilate it for the umpteenth time in the last month. People refer to these "career years" in broad strokes but never attempt to individually support this claim. Somehow they miss the fact that Price was attrocious for two months, Drouin was awful for long stretches, longterm injuries to key players (Weber, Shaw, Byron, Armia, Juulsen), Lehkonen's offensive woes, Mete was terrible for the first half of the season, Kotkaniemi was only in the infant stages of his development and Poehling was only there for one game.

How ever shall we improve on that?

You provide info without properly contextualizing it.

All NHL teams deal with injuries. Last year we were one of the least affected teams, and comparitavely, the team's team had as few man games lost to injury as we did almost all made the playoffs.

& we were fully aware of our most important injury, Weber, before the season, yet, despite ample cap room, did nothing to address it proactively.

Our injury luck last year was a major reason for why we got close to the playoffs... Without that kind of luck next year, we are more likely to be a lottery team than a playoff bubble team.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

You provide info without properly contextualizing it.

All NHL teams deal with injuries. Last year we were one of the least affected teams, and comparitavely, the team's team had as few man games lost to injury as we did almost all made the playoffs.

& we were fully aware of our most important injury, Weber, before the season, yet, despite ample cap room, did nothing to address it proactively.

Our injury luck last year was a major reason for why we got close to the playoffs... Without that kind of luck next year, we are more likely to be a lottery team than a playoff bubble team.

I would need to see data to support these claims of us being relatively healthy. It is also important to note that teams have players that are salary dumps that they have acquired for the purpose of putting on LTIR. They also have scrubs who are fringe NHLers accounting for huge swaths of man games lost.

We incurred major injuries to important players, this can not be seen as lucky in any context. You can not dismiss Weber's absence as something that we could have adressed. We obviously couldn't pick up a #1 dman to fill in for him so why even mention it.

 

[JianYang]

This roster isn't making the playoffs... Last year very few injuries and quite a few players with a career year and they still missed it. Price was lights out second half of the season. Still missed it. Bergevin just doesn't get (have) it.

Alot of thing went right, but alot of things went wrong too.

At the top of the list was not having shea weber for several weeks, which also affected Price's play in earlier stretches. Losing a number 1 dman for that long would hurt anyone.

Secondly, Niemi was probably the worst backup in the league last year. Kinkaid posted a poor GAA last year, but even he was almost a half goal better than Niemi, which is saying something.

I commend what the club was able to accomplish last year given the circumstances, but if the habs insist on keeping price, and weber around, we have to assume that they are in the business of making the team better today, and that clearly hasn't been the case so far. They are worse off, actually.

 

[Miller Time]

I would need to see data to support these claims of us being relatively healthy. It is also important to note that teams have players that are salary dumps that they have acquired for the purpose of putting on LTIR. They also have scrubs who are fringe NHLers accounting for huge swaths of man games lost.

We incurred major injuries to important players, this can not be seen as lucky in any context. You can not dismiss Weber's absence as something that we could have adressed. We obviously couldn't pick up a #1 dman to fill in for him so why even mention it.

It's been posted before in various threads. Google can help you find it easily.

Begs the question of why you would offer an argument on something to which quantitative data is readily available, without first checking your point against the data.


We were "lucky" on the injury front last year relative to the league average (both quantity & quality, to the degree that can be captured)...

That the team was, I believe, sporting a higher win % before Weber returned suggests that his absence wasn't as detrimental to our playoff near-miss as you imply... But again, an injury return that is well known before the previous offseason even starts, is hardly a reasonable excuse for a team with loads of cap space.

If anything, MB was right in predicting (if the non-addressing was intentional & not ineptness) that the team would be fine without Weber... Which it was.

 

[Mrb1p]

Who cares? I thought we were all about big picture not immediate satisfaction? Build for the future. Let Brooks, Poehling and Suzuki get ready so you can move some of your veteran players.

Let the kids get ready but play them limited minutes in the NHL or the A

 

[David Suzuki]

Let the kids get ready but play them limited minutes in the NHL or the A

I don't get it? There are roster sports all over for them be it in the AHL or if they make it to the NHL it stands to reason there is going to be room. Best case, Suzuki pushes for a spot and it makes a guy like Tatar expendable. Grab a first + b prospect and we'd be laughing.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I think the big question is if Domi stays at C. Going after Duchene and Aho says to me they'd like to move Domi to LW. If so, I could see him playing with Kotkaniemi- if they think KK is ready.