GDT: Week of Emptiness: Nothing until Friday, then @WPG, vsCGY
- Thread starter Avsboy
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- Apr 25, 2006
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I don't understand why he didn't leave ERod with Mack and put Lehky on the 2nd line.
We don't need Nuke and Lehky on the same line.
The Kingslayer
Registered User
because Nathan will kill ERod. I agree Lehk or Nuke should be on the second line to help out defensively. ERod is the worst defensive forward on this team on par with Newhook.
- Feb 24, 2012
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I'd rather ERod be with MacK with the current lineup. MacK might get pissy with him, but they play off each other well offensively... and ERod without MacK struggles massively to finish.
- Apr 25, 2006
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cinchronicity
Registered User
I'm still praying that Sak/Mac pulls off something amazing at the TDL. Short of that, the biggest issue the team has had over the past 24 months ( aside from injuries obviously) is the awful 3rd line. So let's go backwards:
The 4th line of Cogs / Helm / LOC is one of the better 4th lines in the NHL. Leave it alone, especially since Helm will be fresh for the playoffs.
After that, might I suggest breaking up the stars in order to balance the lines and not get caved when the 3rd line is playing:
1st line: ERod - Mac - Nuke
2nd Line: Newhook - JTC - Mikko
3rd line: Landy - Meyers - Lehky (Or switch Newhook and Lehky to keep the Finns together.)
4th Line: Cogs - Helm - LOC
Malgin / LBN
I think we need to discard old notions of positions and lines, and consider - instead - the talent on the roster. Landy already has taken a lot of the Center weight from Mac. He could so the same for Meyers, whose speed could generate chances. Each of these lines has a workhorse (Nuke, JTC, Lehky, LOC) and a shooter ( ERod, Mikko, Landy, Cogs).
I'd also suggest using that 4th line to counter the opponents' 1st lines and simply out-hustle them, then let Mac & Nuke feast on 2nd lines, and Mikko have a field day against 3rd lines. At home, that matchup is infuriating. On the road, at least it forces the opposing coach to alter his lines in order to match 4th lines. This ought to distribute minutes as well. Cogs / Helm / LOC can easily play 15 minutes plus some PK, if it is planned well. One could make an argument that each of the 4 lines could get 15 minutes, with perhaps a sighting, here and there, of 9296 together gain if some fire power is needed.
The same can be said of the D. The bottom pair is going to have either Girard or Byram on it with EJ or a TDL replacement. That is not the typical 9 minute 3rd pair. Even Girard and JMFJ is good enough to play 15 minutes. This would be even more true is Sak/Mac decided to trade for a rental #3D which they would then turn around and trade in the summer for futures. But a D of:
Makar / Toews
New Guy / Byram
Girard / Manson
EJ - Hunt - Englund - MacPunchyface
A crazy good defense would also take some weight off Georgiev as well.
I love coming in here and reading hot takes. That said, JTC is in a contract year and playing like it. Most of the names mentioned as potential 2Cs (plus Kadri) have stats barely better than JTC. With the possible exception of Hayes at 50% retained ( which realistically is not happening) the players demonstrably better than JTC are off the market, never were on the market, or are recently injured ( Henrique and Monahan, though I submit neither is demonstrably better than the season JTC is having.)
I doubt any silver bullets are on the way. Bednar needs to think long and hard about solidifying all three lines and ABSOLUTELY CEASE the Bednar Blender.
The 4th line of Cogs / Helm / LOC is one of the better 4th lines in the NHL. Leave it alone, especially since Helm will be fresh for the playoffs.
After that, might I suggest breaking up the stars in order to balance the lines and not get caved when the 3rd line is playing:
1st line: ERod - Mac - Nuke
2nd Line: Newhook - JTC - Mikko
3rd line: Landy - Meyers - Lehky (Or switch Newhook and Lehky to keep the Finns together.)
4th Line: Cogs - Helm - LOC
Malgin / LBN
I think we need to discard old notions of positions and lines, and consider - instead - the talent on the roster. Landy already has taken a lot of the Center weight from Mac. He could so the same for Meyers, whose speed could generate chances. Each of these lines has a workhorse (Nuke, JTC, Lehky, LOC) and a shooter ( ERod, Mikko, Landy, Cogs).
I'd also suggest using that 4th line to counter the opponents' 1st lines and simply out-hustle them, then let Mac & Nuke feast on 2nd lines, and Mikko have a field day against 3rd lines. At home, that matchup is infuriating. On the road, at least it forces the opposing coach to alter his lines in order to match 4th lines. This ought to distribute minutes as well. Cogs / Helm / LOC can easily play 15 minutes plus some PK, if it is planned well. One could make an argument that each of the 4 lines could get 15 minutes, with perhaps a sighting, here and there, of 9296 together gain if some fire power is needed.
The same can be said of the D. The bottom pair is going to have either Girard or Byram on it with EJ or a TDL replacement. That is not the typical 9 minute 3rd pair. Even Girard and JMFJ is good enough to play 15 minutes. This would be even more true is Sak/Mac decided to trade for a rental #3D which they would then turn around and trade in the summer for futures. But a D of:
Makar / Toews
New Guy / Byram
Girard / Manson
EJ - Hunt - Englund - MacPunchyface
A crazy good defense would also take some weight off Georgiev as well.
I love coming in here and reading hot takes. That said, JTC is in a contract year and playing like it. Most of the names mentioned as potential 2Cs (plus Kadri) have stats barely better than JTC. With the possible exception of Hayes at 50% retained ( which realistically is not happening) the players demonstrably better than JTC are off the market, never were on the market, or are recently injured ( Henrique and Monahan, though I submit neither is demonstrably better than the season JTC is having.)
I doubt any silver bullets are on the way. Bednar needs to think long and hard about solidifying all three lines and ABSOLUTELY CEASE the Bednar Blender.
GirardSpinorama
Registered User
- Aug 20, 2004
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Arg, still can't believe we have to ice McDermaid in the line up. Thankfully, its probably as a 4th line winger. Good luck Cogs..
GirardSpinorama
Registered User
- Aug 20, 2004
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I have no idea why Bednar doesn't trust Englund/Hunt just a bit more. They are not terrible as 3rd pairing.
Bill Peckerskull
Fargin' Icehole
Just looking at the schedule after this weekend's B2B, with the Avs traveling and having a rested Calgary waiting for them in Denver, they get 1 day off before playing VGK, then 1 day off before playing NJD, the another B2B next weekend with Dallas and Seattle where the Avs again travel back to Denver to play Seattle who will be rested here waiting for them.
Further, they have another B2B on the 15th and 16th with Toronto and Ottawa, where Ottawa will be rested and waiting and the Avs traveling, and another on the 26th and 27th with Arizona an Anaheim, where the Avs again are the traveling team and Anaheim rested and waiting for them.
Absolute hoseshit scheduling by the NHL. That's 5 consecutive B2Bs where the Avs will be traveling and the team they play on the 2nd half of the B2B will have not played the night before.
Further, they have another B2B on the 15th and 16th with Toronto and Ottawa, where Ottawa will be rested and waiting and the Avs traveling, and another on the 26th and 27th with Arizona an Anaheim, where the Avs again are the traveling team and Anaheim rested and waiting for them.
Absolute hoseshit scheduling by the NHL. That's 5 consecutive B2Bs where the Avs will be traveling and the team they play on the 2nd half of the B2B will have not played the night before.
SirLoinOfCloth
Registered User
I think it's that way because of the back-to-back, we don't usually have 8PM starts in Denver.
Bill Peckerskull
Fargin' Icehole
- Apr 25, 2006
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McMetal
Writer of Wrongs
- Sep 29, 2015
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I love how we're just not counting Minnesota. As it should be.
SirLoinOfCloth
Registered User
UncleRisto
Not Great, Bob!
AvsFan29
Registered User
- Mar 15, 2018
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Metallo
NWOBHM forever \m/
Could the Avs buy him out of his KHL contract? Would he have to go through waivers to join this year? Can he be signed to an ELC or cheap contract?
Metallo
NWOBHM forever \m/
He's playing low event hockey and I'm fine with that.
TomppaKoo
Registered User
- Jan 27, 2021
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I agree, that they should've already made a move. Boston, Toronto made them already and Tampa is Tampa. The D is not a problem. It is one of the best, if not the best in the league.
Pat Kane would be awesome since no great 2C is available no more. But if you have a line of Landy - JT - Mikko. You actually have 3 2nd line quality centers in one line. MacK likes to play with Lehkonen and he brings in skill, speed and grit. Why would you put ERod into 1st line over Lehkonen?
John Mandalorian
2022 Avs: The First Dance
- Nov 29, 2018
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Because of a belief that Rodriguez is dependant on playing next to MacKinnon to be effective. But I agree with you, Lehkonen is better for the 1st line than Rodriguez. And Rodriguez not pulling his weight on a different line isn't a good reason to shoe-horning him onto the 1st line. A lot of guys have more success next to MacKinnon.
If they really believe JTC is a suitable 2C during the playoffs, maybe they should super-size the bottom six as an alternative.
This board has been so hyper focused on 2C, that maybe people should also look at C for the bottom 6. If it's a player comparable Compher and can play up a line in short stints but also solidifies the bottom 6 if Compher remains 2C, you'd have some flexibility.
You can question Compher but you can also question Myers.
cinchronicity
Registered User
The motivation for placing ERod on the 1st line is to balance the first three lines better. It's the same reason Newhook is on the second line. The point of the post was that the third line will get crushed if it is ERod / JTC / Newhook, but would be fine if it were Landy , Lehky and a speedy center. The idea is that by breaking up 9296, the individual parts could actually be more valuable than the sum. It's not exactly true, but the minutes could be split as if the lines were 1a, 1b, and 1c.
I am not stating that this is the ideal situation. Rather, it is the situation in which the Avs find themselves. As you point out, Boston, Toronto and the Rangers have all managed to make themselves better this season. The Avs really have not, as they have have overpaid incrementally on a number of players. I got a lot of grief for being on Team $250K overpay, but, boy, could we use that extra $1.25M right around now.
Just as in the game on the ice itself, the one place you do not want to be is stuck in the middle. Sak / Mac needs to either pull something stupendous out of their butts, which would ship out 1 to 3 pieces otherwise thought to be here for the duration, or they need to commit to the players on the roster, and distribute the talent to provide 3 legitimate lines, even if none come close to 9296.
