Line Combos: Roster 2019-2020

[Playmaker09]

I reeeealllly dislike Suzuki on the wing.

He doesn't create his own separation with the puck on his stick, he doesn't have the speed to beat guys to the outside, he's not going to be heavily involved in the forecheck and he's not going to win many battles.

His game is much more cerebral and much better suited to C where he can receive the puck in stride, make good decisions with it in the neutral zone and offensive zone entry, and read the play as the last man back.

It may have worked at times in the OHL where he's much better than his peers but it didn't work on Team Canada and won't work in the NHL.

 

[Archijerej]

Updated lineup:

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Lehkonen
XXX-Kotkaniemi-Armia
Byron-Poehling-Weal
Thompson

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Juulsen
Reilly-Folin

I wonder if we go after Dzingel or Johansson.

 

[ahmedou]

April 2019/May 2019/June 2019

Tatar/Domi/Gallagher
Lehkonen/Kotkaniemi/Shaw
Drouin/Danault/Armia
Byron/Poehling/Weal

Mete/Weber
Kulak/Petry
Benn/Folin

Price/Lindgren

 

[Roadhouse]

I reeeealllly dislike Suzuki on the wing.

He doesn't create his own separation with the puck on his stick, he doesn't have the speed to beat guys to the outside, he's not going to be heavily involved in the forecheck and he's not going to win many battles.

His game is much more cerebral and much better suited to C where he can receive the puck in stride, make good decisions with it in the neutral zone and offensive zone entry, and read the play as the last man back.

It may have worked at times in the OHL where he's much better than his peers but it didn't work on Team Canada and won't work in the NHL.

I'm really, really not trying to suggest he's anywhere close to the other guy in terms of proven ability, but couldn't Suzuki freely skate the puck in even East-West if given the 'ok' from the coach - similar to how Marner disrupts the play from the wing by cutting off left right and centre?!

Let Thompson slow-mo down the wing, Suzuki said he could turn on the jets when necessary during OHL playoff interviews - let him to do that at centre. Restricted ice time on the 4th line for him to learn the ropes given the hard transition, and play Poehling on Kotka's wing to add another horse to his line. Ryan and Joel together as big bodies on Kotka's wings could change the dynamic a little, and Poehling's body is ready for that kind of ice time it seems.

 

[Playmaker09]

I'm really, really not trying to suggest he's anywhere close to the other guy in terms of proven ability, but couldn't Suzuki freely skate the puck in even East-West if given the 'ok' from the coach - similar to how Marner disrupts the play from the wing by cutting off left right and centre?!

Let Thompson slow-mo down the wing, Suzuki said he could turn on the jets when necessary during OHL playoff interviews - let him to do that at centre. Restricted ice time on the 4th line for him to learn the ropes given the hard transition, and play Poehling on Kotka's wing to add another horse to his line. Ryan and Joel together as big bodies on Kotka's wings could change the dynamic a little, and Poehling's body is ready for that kind of ice time it seems.

Marner has explosiveness and agility that blows Suzuki out of the water.

I fear Suzuki would have the same struggles to do what you’re saying as Galchenyuk did at wing. Except without being a liability defensively. His offensive impact would be greatly reduced because wingers far more often are receiving the puck at a standstill and need to use their legs to create that initial separation. Be it east-west or north-south.

 

[Dichow Stopper]

If we don’t add another forward and that Suzuki proves he is ready :

Domi-Suzuki-Gallagher
Drouin-Danault-Byron
Lehkonen-Kotkaniemi-Tatar
Weal-Poehling-Armia
*All lines would get decent icetime in this scenario

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Juulsen

Price
Kinkaid

 

[ahmedou]

July 2019 (Update #1)

Tatar/Kotkaniemi/Gallagher
Drouin/Domi/Byron
Lehkonen/Danault/Poehling
Armia/Thompson/Weal

Mete/Weber
Chiarot/Petry
Kulak/Folin

Price/Kinkaid

 

[ottawa]

Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Drouin - Domi - Byron
Lehkonen - Kotkaniemi - Armia
XXX - Poehling - Weal
Thompson

Mete - Weber
Chiarot- Petry
Kulak - Folin

Price
Kinkaid

 

[Zorba]

Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Drouin - Domi - Byron
Lehkonen - Kotkaniemi - Armia
XXX - Poehling - Weal
Thompson

Mete - Weber
Chiarot- Petry
Kulak - Folin

Price
Kinkaid

Byron on 2nd line ...

 

[ottawa]

Byron on 2nd line ...

Landing Ferland (LW) can do us a lot of good since Tatar can play RW as well

Drouin - Domi - Gallagher
Ferland - Kotkaniemi - Tatar
Byron - Danault - Armia
Lehkonen - Poehling - Weal

Good scoring on every line

 

[crazyd74]

Updated lineup:

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Lehkonen
XXX-Kotkaniemi-Armia
Byron-Poehling-Weal
Thompson

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Juulsen
Reilly-Folin

I wonder if we go after Dzingel or Johansson.

A bit early to peg down Poehling at center. As a fourth:
Byron - Thompson - Poehling

...would be solid.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Why in the world are there lineups with Domi on the wing after the season he had? He proved to be a top-6 centre and was the best centre we had in god knows how long. Why move him? Even when KK develops into the role, there’s no harm in a 1-2-3 punch of KK-Domi-Poehling. I don’t understand this.

 

[crazyd74]

Tatar - Domi - Gallagher
Drouin - Danault - Poehling
Lehkonen - Kotkaniemi - Armia
Byron - Thompson - Weal
x: Weise and trade acquisition

We need a speedy LW with decent size to play in the bottom 6. This implies that either one of Lehkonen or Byron is expendable.

I have hope that McCarron will be able to take Weise's place before the end of the season.

Domi will move to wing to replace Tatar when Suzuki is ready to crack the lineup at C.

 

[crazyd74]

Why in the world are there lineups with Domi on the wing after the season he had? He proved to be a top-6 centre and was the best centre we had in god knows how long. Why move him? Even when KK develops into the role, there’s no harm in a 1-2-3 punch of KK-Domi-Poehling. I don’t understand this.

It will depend on Suzuki's development.

 

[Thebesthockey]

let me add some perspective that really matters


Tatar 5’ 10” /Domi 5 ‘ 10” Gallagher 5” 9
Lehkonen 5’ 11” Kotkaniemi 6’2” /armia 6’3”
Drouin 5 ‘ 11’/ Danault 6” 1” /xx
Byron5’ 9’’ Poehling6’2”” suzucki 5 10”

 

[SakuKoivu11]

let me add some perspective that really matters


Tatar 5’ 10” /Domi 5 ‘ 10” Gallagher 5” 9
Lehkonen 5’ 11” Kotkaniemi 6’2” /armia 6’3”
Drouin 5 ‘ 11’/ Danault 6” 1” /xx
Byron5’ 9’’ Poehling6’2”” suzucki 5 10”

It’s about size and not much size like NBA.

I like Ferland but he’s injury prone.

 

[badi]

Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Drouin - Domi - Byron
Lehkonen - Kotkaniemi - Armia
XXX - Poehling - Weal
Thompson

Mete - Weber
Chiarot- Petry
Kulak - Folin

Price
Kinkaid

Mete on first pair

 

[HabsForHire]

Unless suzuki absolutely blows us away in training camp he shouldn't be on anyones starting roster, AHL we have to stop rushing prospects. Poehling is the only one i see possibly earning a spot

 

[dm1371]

Tatar - Domi - Armia
Drouin - Kotkaniemi - Gallagher
Byron - Danault - Suzuki
Lehkonen - Poehling - Weal
Thompson

Chiarot - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Mete - Folin

Could move a forward or 2 for help on defense

 

[26Mats]

We're actually in pretty good shape if one of Suzuki and Poehling are ready.

Tatar Danault Gallagher
Drouin Domi Suzuki
Poehling Kotkanimei Weal
Lehkonen Cousins/Thompson Armia

Byron traded for a 2nd.

 

[Archijerej]

So, this is how it looks like as of today:
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Lehkonen
Byron/Cousins-Kotkaniemi-Armia
Cousins/Byron-Poehling-Weal
Thompson

Mete-Weber
Chiarot/Kulak-Petry
Kulak/Chiarot-Juulsen
Reilly-Folin

Price
Kinkaid

That's not necessarily worse than last year.

 

[tooji]

So, this is how it looks like as of today:
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Lehkonen
Byron/Cousins-Kotkaniemi-Armia
Cousins/Byron-Poehling-Weal
Thompson

Mete-Weber
Chiarot/Kulak-Petry
Kulak/Chiarot-Juulsen
Reilly-Folin

Price
Kinkaid

That's not necessarily worse than last year.

I’ll take Poehling + Cousins over Shaw + Peca/DLO especially with Shaws contract

 

[Roadhouse]

I’ll take Poehling + Cousins over Shaw + Peca/DLO especially with Shaws contract

We're still not going anywhere in the playoffs with Mete on the first pair. It needs to be addressed before we can shift into 3rd gear i.e. make a splash at the TDL and hope to power through as many teams as we can. Look at what the first pairs had to go through on D this year in the playoffs, it's ridiculous abuse of a human body. Now look at Victor's build.

...and that kind of LHD will only be had via trade. No way Romanov saves us all in a year's time. We need a Lindholm, Provorov, Leddy type to play with Weber. Any other form of roster proposition is just us being on the outside looking in, and playing Hope games with ourselves.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

If things stay the same, here are the lines and pairings I would have:

Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Poehling - Domi - Lehkonen
Byron - Kotkaniemi - Armia
Cousins - Thompson - Weal
Hudon

Mete - Weber
Kulak - Petry
Chiarot - Juulsen
Reilly - Folin

Price
Kinkaid

PP Units

Danault
Gallagher - Tatar - Domi
Petry

Poehling
Weal - Drouin - Kotkaniemi
Weber

PK Units

Danault - Lehkonen
Chiarot - Weber

Byron - Thompson
Mete - Juulsen

Kotkaniemi/Poehling - Armia
Kulak - Petry

 

[CAR3YPR1CE]

Domi - Kotkaniemi - Drouin
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Byron - Brassard - Armia
Lehky - Thompson - Weal
Cousins - Peca

Vejdemo - Varone - Barber
Jevpalovs - Poehling - Suzuki
Teasdale - Evans - McCarron
Verbeek - Alain - Belzile
Pezzetta - Waked - Weise