First thing first, you want to make your team the best team, not a team with the 14 best forward.
Role, chemistry, experience are variables that should not be neglected.It is sure that there will be high quality excluded which is perhaps found in the 6-7 best foward, but the difference between the 7th and the 20 is so minimal. You have to look at the big picture.
After that, what do you want in your roster? For my part, I want speed and size. I want at least 1 player per row who is very responsible defensively. I want a quality left-handed center and a quality right-handed center to take the faceoffs. I have at least two wingers (one left handed and one right handed) who excel on the strip. I want at least two players who are good at forward chess to kill momentum. I want 2 players who specialize as PP bumpers and two players who excel on the wall. I want at least 4 players who are able to rush the play by their entry speed and at least 2 players who can calm things down.
For me, McDavid and Nathan Mackinnon is the center of my lineup. The first one had speed and driving hability and the second is strong, very good on the half wall and play a solid 200 game. I keep Mcdavid on center.
I bring back Crosby, pretty solid player on the PP on the goal line. Marchand and Bergeron are lock for me, they will play again with Sid the Kid on a third line who will play against the first.
I really like Stone's two-way game. His speed is ok but his presence with Mcdavid will be reassuring, in addition to the large number of tunrovers created will be dangerous with the speed of mcdavid
McDavid - Stone
Mackinnon
Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
At this point, anything is open. I want the ability to drive of Brayden Point on my team. Pretty good bumper, and great passing ability with a speed who's match Mackinnon speed. I put him on center with Mackinnon on the wing. I want Matt Barzal on my team to increase puck possession. I don't want him to play on the top 3 line, but I want him as my 12 or 13 forward,
it is an interesting card to have.
McDavid - Stone
Point - Mackinnon
Marchand - Crosby - Bergeron
Barzal
I have now 4 driver and puck possession guy with Barzal, Point, Mackinnon and McDavid. I have Stone and Bergeron to play PK and in end game. I have Marchand who is notable left winger complement.. I have Bergeron who solide on face-off has a R, and Crosby solid on the L.
I would like to add a player who would be able to slower down the pace with a more cerebral game, I find that this is missing in the lineup, a player with a hockey sense A +. I feel like Suzuki and Tavares could be a fit but I like more the speed of Mitch Marner, adding that he had some defensive ability. I put him on the fourth line as of now. I have to find two lefty to play on the top 2 line. Ryan O'Reilly, Huberdeau, Hall,Tavares, Nugent-H,Couturier, Horvat,Dubois are on the map but I feel like I don't want any of these player to play on my top 2 line, so I'm thinking of re-adjusting my provisional alignment a little bit. I have Mcdavid at center who are a lefty so I put him on the board, and I want a R Center with him to passe him the puck. Crosby stay on center.
Mcdavid - Point - Stone
Marchand - Bergeron - Barzal
Crosby - Makinnon
Couturier - Marner
So I separate Marchand-Bergeron and Crosby, but there still a solid option in the tourney. I keep Bergeron/Marchand together and I add Barzal to add some speed on the wing. I like Bergy at center. I put mcdavid on the wing, but a center righty with him and keep stone with Mcdavid. I put Mackinnon on the wing with a lefty center. Marner are on the fourth but I can see him on the second replacing Barzal
I want a solid two-way center on the 4th line with size is a plus. Scheifele,Couturier,ROR,Dubois,Horvat,Giroux,Stamkos,Toews,RNH,Monahan. Giroux,Stamkos, not the type of player I want there, . I feel like Toews is not good enough to catch up the year with no games. I'd go with Sean couturier here. I have to find two LW's for the third and fourth line. Mackinnon drive the line with his speed, Crosby manage the OZP. A great IQ is not necessary here, more a good shooting guy with speed and size. Huberdeau could be a fit, or Hall too. I'd go with Jo Huberdeau here
Mcdavid - Point - Stone
Marchand - Bergeron - Barzal
Huberdeau- Crosby - Makinnon
Couturier - Marner
I let the thing like that at Foward position.
I have to work on the defensive to watch what kind of experience I'm going to have. No brainer for me is Cale Makar. Solid two-way game, excellent shooter with great breakout ability. Samuel Girard is a good fit here, they already know each other well. Girard is very underestimated, he controls the matches of colorado and defends very well. Because of his size, this pairing turn into my second pairing. My favorite Canadian defenseman is Alex Pietrangelo, I'm pretty confident with him on the ice for a lot of minutes. theodore, another underestimated defender who knows Pietrangelo well in 2022 go with him. I have four two way defenseman with a good first pass, I miss a solide offensive threat and a solide defensive defenseman. On the left side, Rielly and Chabot are strong option, Giordano and Nurse are considered. Weber,Spurgeon,Parayko,Burns,Letang,Hamilton,Doughty,Ekblad,Ellis are option on the right side. I like Ryan Ellis to be a solid PP option. I like Doughty or Weber for the leadership, and I like a lot Spurgeon for the two-way game. I Weber-Rielly-Parayko and Chabot
Theodore - Pietrangelo
Girard - Makar
Rielly - Weber
Chabot - Parayko
The third and the fourth pairing could be interchangeable. So with Price,Weber,Pietrangelo,Crosby and Bergeron, I have 5 player of the 2014 roster. I don't know if this is enough. Experience and leadership is very important
Mcdavid - Point - Stone
Marchand - Bergeron - Barzal
Huberdeau- Crosby - Makinnon
Couturier - Marner
I have Point and Mcdavid who are pretty good on shootout so I'm okay. I will go with ROR on the fourth line.
PP
Crosby
Mcdavid - Bergeron - Mackinnon
Makar
Barzal
Marchand - Point - Marner
Rielly
PK
Couturier - Stone
Bergeron - ROR
Crosby can play,
I feel like I have two equal power-plays, I don't really have a threat of a powerful throw. i dont want weber on power play, dont have enough runtime. So I would bring Stamkos as a potential weapon.
Tavares/Horvat/Scheifele for my final spot. I like the speed and the game of Bo Horvat. I think he his the next J. Toews. He can take face-off, can play bumper PP, can play PK, leadership, can play center. Love him. Scheifele was close as a lock but I have to let him on the bench. Not the greatest fan of Tavares. Hall could end up in the lineup but he his the same player as Huberdeau. No room for Dubois. Suzuki is not far off if he continue to play like that. RNH not too far.
So my team
Mcdavid - Point - Stone
Marchand - Bergeron - Barzal
Huberdeau- Crosby - Makinnon
ROR - Couturier - Marner
Stamkos - Horvat
Theodore - Pietrangelo
Girard - Makar
Rielly - Weber
Chabot - Parayko
Price
Binnington
Hart/Blackwood
PP
Crosby
Mcdavid - Bergeron - Mackinnon
Makar
Barzal
Marchand - Point - Marner
Rielly
PK
Couturier - Stone
Bergeron - ROR
Crosby can play,
