Dvorak 55-60% in the dot
Evans 52%
Evans and Armia are our top penalty killers who have drastically upped their numbers since we switched to a more aggressive style.
The days of goons on your fourth line are gone. Teams need players who won't get wolfed down for lunch on the road. All three of the players I listed can chip in on offence and that is a must these days.
Could Heineman replace Armia and Beck replace Evans? Yes perhaps, and that is what we will find out in the coming 12-18 months. All three of the contracts expire in June 2025 so we are not stuck with $9.55M for that line beyond then.
They DO have good FO numbers, they DO forecheck well, they CAN kill penalties, and they will outscore almost any other 4th line in the league.
The Vegas 4th line stood out showing the ability to play against any line because they have a modicum of talent.
This sub-thread started with you supporting the idea that we should not bring in a top D or some very good second line players to bolster our third line because we need an upgrade on Pezzetta first (not ALSO but first!!). You want us to wait a YEAR with up to $18,000,000 of unused cap space until Pezzetta is replaced.
However, Armia and Evans ARE the upgrades to Pezzetta. Maybe soon Florian Xhekaj or Luke Tuch or Jared Davidson will take over. None of the guys I suggest for next year's 4th line have too much term and will not block any good up and comers.
You mean since Jake Allen was our main goaltender?
A Montour will help. Keep Savard. Develop Struble and Xhekaj as solid d-zone guys liike Chiarot and Edmundson were on the PK in 2021. Get Suzuki and Matheson off PK duty so they can dominate the first shift after a kill or even rebound after an unfortunate GA.
He'll be playing for his next contract and I'm fairly sure he will be three times the player Pezzetta is.
Dude
First of all our good PK during the Covid C was Danault Suzuki and Armia plus our lumber jack Dmen.
Look at the standings and numbers these past three seasons and tell me all this with a straight face.
What could possibly make anyone want to hang on to these guys they are not getting the job done.
Dvorak seems to lose his critical draws both when he was tasked with it on the PP and OT and obviously on our dog shit PK.
The dude would have to maintain above 60% to hold worth given the little else he does.
As for Vegas and their fourth line the reason they are ideal is because they check far more boxes than most other fourth lines around the league.
They all skate well they all finish checks well they cycle the puck well and control the boards well.
They have some nastiness and can drop them when necessary... and it will be necessary on occasion.
Nobody is asking for goons where did I ask for a goon?
Find me players who can check these boxes because ours don't even come close.
Find me the players who can wear down the opposition and allow us to control a zone for lengthy periods of time.
The ones who allow us to get in shift changes while stranding the opposition.
You know like teams do to us.
Do you see that in Evans and or Dvorak because I don't and neither are suited for that type of role.
Damphousse was talking about our center group last evening after Suzuki and Dach he's not a fan like at all.
One of those two will likely start as a third line center next year but keeping both is redundant.
They will both be gone by the following season no doubt about it.
I'm not ignorant of what we have in the pipe but those players are likely two and three years out.
Heineman like Evans like Dvorak are suited for 3rd line roles not 4th.
The third line is going to be one crowded place very soon.
We can't keep them all and we've already seen what the placeholders can't do.
Oh and stop it with you pipe dream acquisitions while you are at it.
We aren't spending a dime on Brandon Montour.
