Roster Speculation – 2015-16 – Part V

[Wisent42]

How about PP units?

Unit #1

Molson - ROR - Ennis
Eichel - Risto

Unit #2

Kane - Reinhart - Gionta
Georges - McCabe

I haven't pieced together any PP units yet so I can't really offer any better solution than this, but Gorges/McCabe feels like a sub-par blueline pairing. I'd think Pysyk is a better fit for a PP unit, and I would expect Carlo I'mnotevengonnatryspellinghislastname to be a strong candidate. Also, if Donovan is not sent to Rochester, he would probably get a shot at playing PP. That may even be his leverage to stay with the big team.

 

[cramdizzl]

PP1
Kane-Eichel-Ennis
Risto-Pysyk

PP2
Moulson-Reinhart-O'Reilly
Donovan-Bogo

 

[Jame]

PP1
Kane-Eichel-Ennis
Risto-Pysyk

PP2
Moulson-Reinhart-O'Reilly
Donovan-Bogo

I like it

 

[Wisent42]

PP1
Kane-Eichel-Ennis
Risto-Pysyk

PP2
Moulson-Reinhart-O'Reilly
Donovan-Bogo

This I like. And incredibly, we could still round up a few guys who could contribute on the PP, like Girgs, McGinn, Larsson... Armchair coaching as a Sabres fan hasn't been this much fun in years!

 

[tsujimoto74]

PP1
Kane-Eichel-Ennis
Risto-Pysyk

PP2
Moulson-Reinhart-O'Reilly
Donovan-Bogo

Mostly like it. I'd flip Kane and Moulson. Kane is not very productive on the PP, while Moulson can absolutely clean up in front of the net. I'm also unsold on the idea of Donovan making the team/being a regular, everyday top 6 player for us. And I might rather sneak another forward out there, like Girgensons, even if he were.

 

[Jame]

Mostly like it. I'd flip Kane and Moulson. Kane is not very productive on the PP, while Moulson can absolutely clean up in front of the net. I'm also unsold on the idea of Donovan making the team/being a regular, everyday top 6 player for us. And I might rather sneak another forward out there, like Girgensons, even if he were.

I think you need a guy like Kane on that 1st unit. You need someone who can get in and get the puck, create some space down low, work the walls, etc.

You can flip Kane and Oreilly if you want, but flipping Kane and Moulson leaves that 1st unit lacking IMO.

 

[phosphene*]

I honestly can't believe how good our forwards look on paper. It's incredible imo. Maybe my perspective is just skewed from the roster we iced the past two seasons.

 

[Irving Zisman]

I think you need a guy like Kane on that 1st unit. You need someone who can get in and get the puck, create some space down low, work the walls, etc.

You can flip Kane and Oreilly if you want, but flipping Kane and Moulson leaves that 1st unit lacking IMO.

Keep Moulson, subtract Kane, and Ennis at the point:

Moulson-O'Reilly-Eichel
Bogosian/Risto-Ennis

Kane-Larsson/Reinhart/Girgensons (pick any 2 at a time)
Bogosian/Risto-Pysyk

we have options, that's for sure.

 

[Jame]

Keep Moulson, subtract Kane, and Ennis at the point:

Moulson-O'Reilly-Eichel
Bogosian/Risto-Ennis

Kane-Larsson/Reinhart/Girgensons (pick any 2 at a time)
Bogosian/Risto-Pysyk

we have options, that's for sure.

Ennis playing the point is not one of them

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

I'd rather play a forward at the point than an ES liability like Donovan.

 

[Jame]

I'd rather play a forward at the point than an ES liability like Donovan.

Separate issues. Your disapproval of Donovan is that he's in the lineup at all. As I've said before, I really don't know about Donovan's game. You can take Donovan out of the lineup, but you still shouldn't want Ennis on the point.

I have no interest in playing Ennis at the point. He's a half wall player who does well in tight space, and can create his own separation. I don't want him trying to keep pucks in, and having to make quick passing decisions, and getting shots through from the point... those are not his skills.

Am I missing something? Has Ennis played the point at all? Why would we want him there?

 

[Man of Principles]

The thing I don't get is - if a large constituent of us agree that Kane and Eichel's play styles don't complement one another, why would we like the idea of them on a PP together?

Split it up so the forwards are

PP1: Kane, O'Reilly, Moulson

PP2: Ennis, Eichel, Gionta/Girgensons (I prefer Girgensons, though I don't see anyone else really penciling him in for PP time)

I get it that possession is all the more important on the man advantage, but I still think they should be separated from one another.

I like the idea of 2 net drivers and a garbage man on the first unit. Then we throw the 2nd unit out with a net driver, a perimeter guy who is good at working the puck around, and a rambunctious, high energy corner worker/space creator.

 

[Zip15]

PP1
Kane-Eichel-Ennis
Risto-Pysyk

PP2
Moulson-Reinhart-O'Reilly
Donovan-Bogo

I don't see Eichel being given PP1 minutes off the hop. Bylsma has stated a belief in the importance of the O-zone faceoff to start the PP. Jack will likely have to work on his faceoff skills, so I don't see him being the go-to at center to start the PP. Plus, if Kane-ROR-Ennis is an ES line, I would virtually guarantee they'd be the first three forwards over the wall for the PP.

That said, if Bylsma wants to go to a 1-2-2 PP with four forwards, I could see Eichel on the first unit--but likely not at center. Still, from my viewings of Eichel, it seems he likes the puck on the RW half-wall on the PP; that's Ennis' garden spot, as well, so I'm not sure they'd mesh on the PP1 initially. I'd go:

Kane-ROR-Ennis
????-Bogosian

 

[Wisent42]

How about penalty killing then? Who do we want out there? Four forwards, four defensemen, organised in two units.

I really can't remember who did the heavy lifting last year. We always had Kaleta as a specialist in killing penalties, but other than that, I really don't know.

Bogosian, Gorges, Weber and Ristolainen seem like resonable options to me, but forwards? O'Reilly? Larsson? Girgensons? Gionta? Deslauriers? McGinn? I recall a couple of Jets fans suggesting that we may want to put Kane on the ice when killing penalties, maybe even more so than having him on the ice for the power plays.

 

[Jacob582]

Didn't Ennis play the point at the end of last season?

 

[nate8891]

How about penalty killing then? Who do we want out there? Four forwards, four defensemen, organised in two units.

I really can't remember who did the heavy lifting last year. We always had Kaleta as a specialist in killing penalties, but other than that, I really don't know.

Bogosian, Gorges, Weber and Ristolainen seem like resonable options to me, but forwards? O'Reilly? Larsson? Girgensons? Gionta? Deslauriers? McGinn? I recall a couple of Jets fans suggesting that we may want to put Kane on the ice when killing penalties, maybe even more so than having him on the ice for the power plays.

Definitely see O'Reilly and Girgensons killing penalties this year.. doubt it will be a set 4 forwards and can see multiple people rotating in and out

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Separate issues. Your disapproval of Donovan is that he's in the lineup at all. As I've said before, I really don't know about Donovan's game. You can take Donovan out of the lineup, but you still shouldn't want Ennis on the point.

I have no interest in playing Ennis at the point. He's a half wall player who does well in tight space, and can create his own separation. I don't want him trying to keep pucks in, and having to make quick passing decisions, and getting shots through from the point... those are not his skills.

Am I missing something? Has Ennis played the point at all? Why would we want him there?

Hey, Ennis doesn't have to be that forward. I just don't buy into the PP specialist #6 role like, at all.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

I think we're gonna go 6 deep in terms of PK forwards.

O'Reilly-Girgs
Larsson-Gio
Legwand-Kane/Reinhart/Foligno/McGinn/Eichel

 

[Revelate]

Separate issues. Your disapproval of Donovan is that he's in the lineup at all. As I've said before, I really don't know about Donovan's game. You can take Donovan out of the lineup, but you still shouldn't want Ennis on the point.

I have no interest in playing Ennis at the point. He's a half wall player who does well in tight space, and can create his own separation. I don't want him trying to keep pucks in, and having to make quick passing decisions, and getting shots through from the point... those are not his skills.

Am I missing something? Has Ennis played the point at all? Why would we want him there?

Unless Ive totally lost it, he played on the point with Risto at the end of last year and looked quite good at it.

 

[old kummelweck]

I think we're gonna go 6 deep in terms of PK forwards.

O'Reilly-Girgs
Larsson-Gio
Legwand-Kane/Reinhart/Foligno/McGinn/Eichel

Maybe not this year, but Kane/Eichel.

 

[Husko]

Kane and ROR will both be on the #1 unit. I don't know how anyone could argue with that

 

[joshjull]

Unless Ive totally lost it, he played on the point with Risto at the end of last year and looked quite good at it.

Yep. Ennis and Risto were very effective playing the points on the PP together.

 

[tsujimoto74]

How about penalty killing then? Who do we want out there? Four forwards, four defensemen, organised in two units.

I really can't remember who did the heavy lifting last year. We always had Kaleta as a specialist in killing penalties, but other than that, I really don't know.

Bogosian, Gorges, Weber and Ristolainen seem like resonable options to me, but forwards? O'Reilly? Larsson? Girgensons? Gionta? Deslauriers? McGinn? I recall a couple of Jets fans suggesting that we may want to put Kane on the ice when killing penalties, maybe even more so than having him on the ice for the power plays.

O'Reilly-Girgensons
Gorges-Bogosian

Larsson-Kane
Weber-Risto

Could also see Reinhart, Gionta, and Pysyk getting a good amount of PK minutes. Does Legwand kill penalties?

 

[Onslow]

Kane and ROR will both be on the #1 unit. I don't know how anyone could argue with that

I don't either. The whole point of a power play is to score. And you have the best chance at that when your best five players are on the ice. Right now that includes Kane and ROR.

 

[Weaves]

Living in Winnipeg, I've seen my fair share of Jets game. One of the interesting dynamics of the PP this year will be if Kane can be a PP1 guy or more of a PP2 guy. To be fair, the Jets main PP guys didn't have big PP numbers either (Ladd, Wheeler) and the Jets shuffled their PP's often. Something to keep an eye on this year.