What’s the best starting lineup you can come up with?

[MyDogSparty]

If you had to create the best starting lineup you could and each of the original 6 franchises had to have a representative, who would make your lineup?

RULES
1.) if a player didn’t play the majority of his career with the original six franchise he’s representing then he can’t be used. (IE: Wayne Gretzky & Mark Messier don’t qualify as Rangers since they played more games for the Oilers and therefore cannot be in the lineup.)
2.) no original 6 franchise can have more than one representative in the starting lineup.
3.) forward positions matter. (IE: Maurice Richard & Guy Lafleur can’t play LW if they spent more time playing another position).

a sample lineup might be:
C: Jean Beliveau (Canadiens)
R: Gordie Howe (Red Wings)
L: Frank Mahovlich (Maple Leafs)
D: Bobby Orr (Bruins)
D: Brian Leetch (Rangers)
G: Glenn Hall (Blackhawks)

or

C: Jean Ratelle (Rangers)
R: Maurice Richard (Canadiens)
L: Bobby Hull (Blackhawks)
D: Bobby Orr (Bruins)
D: Tim Horton (Maple Leafs)
G: Terry Sawchuk (Red Wings)

What the best starting lineup you can come up with?

Click to read more...

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

based on your rule, Park is a Bruin (501 games vs 465 for NYR)

Hull - Beliveau - Howe
Orr - Horton
Lundqvist

man, toronto and NYR are a lot tougher to find guys from compared to the other 4

 

[MyDogSparty]

based on your rule, Park is a Bruin (501 games vs 465 for NYR)

Thanks for pointing that out. Park is off the team then. I’ll edit the example.

I came to the same conclusion regarding the Maple Leafs & Rangers.

 

[mrhockey193195]

Hull-Beliveau-Howe
Orr-Salming
Lundqvist


Alternatively:
Hull-Boucher-Richard
Orr-Lidstrom
Bower

 

[BenchBrawl]

I'll go weird and just pick Ching Johnson (NYR) to play with Orr so I can boost the rest.

Hull is a no-brainer at LW, and Howe and Orr are the only Top-4 available so I really want them.Then I can pick Beliveau too, giving me four players who are all arguably Top 5-7 of all-time.I'm fine with Broda the clutch goalie to back that squad.

Hull-Beliveau-Howe
C.Johnson-Orr
Broda

With Orr there I much rather have Ching than say Leetch.

While Ching looks like a weak player there, for his role he is not out of place.Elite defensive defenseman.Also supports Howe on the physical level making the whole unit well-rounded.

Edit: I guess you could trade Beliveau/Ching for F.Boucher/Harvey, making the lineup:

Hull-Boucher-Howe
Harvey-Orr
Broda

But I don't know I feel the first is better even if the players are better in the second group.Harvey-Orr is overkill to me, in a way that Hull-Beliveau-Howe is not.Ching is a perfect partner for Orr.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Alternatively:
Hull-Boucher-Richard
Orr-Lidstrom
Bower

I see no reason not to trade Richard/Lidstrom for Howe/Harvey in your scenario.

Edit: I can see one reason actually, but it's not that important: Lidstrom is a natural LD whereas Harvey can play both sides but played more RD.Orr is a RD, so you'd need to swap them.

 

[VanIslander]

We did a similar type of thing in a draft format (on the ATD subboard a year or two ago) with one player from a different franchise, a full 20-man team.

It was fun and challenging. Lots of trade-offs to consider.

If there were 4 to 8 guys interested in GMing a team to build in a draft, it might be worth doing another such draft.

 

[BenchBrawl]

We did a similar type of thing in a draft format (on the ATD subboard a year or two ago) with one player from a different franchise, a full 20-man team.

It was fun and challenging. Lots of trade-offs to consider.

If there were 4 to 8 guys interested in GMing a team to build in a draft, it might be worth doing another such draft.

Yes it was an entertaining format.

 

[MyDogSparty]

This matrix may be helpful...

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Before reading other posts, I know I want Hull, Howe and Orr:

Bobby Hull - Frank Boucher - Gordie Howe
Doug Harvey - Bobby Orr
Turk Broda

If Brad Park is allowed as a Ranger:

Bobby Hull - Jean Beliveau - Gordie Howe
Brad Park - Bobby Orr
Turk Broda

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Before reading other posts, I know I want Hull, Howe and Orr:

hull and orr are my automatics.

but to me, the trade off between howe and rocket isn't so big that i wouldn't at least consider it if it helps me in another area. but it doesn't really, because you don't gain anything by taking lidstrom over harvey, or sawchuk over roy/plante.

you lose big by not taking beliveau, so i'd be tempted to go with the team you put together, but i feel like you lose too much having to take either a ranger of leaf in goal, so i settle for boucher at center to get plante. basically, i'm sacrificing beliveau so i don't have to sacrifice howe to get sawchuk, or hull to get hall.

hull boucher howe
orr clancy
roy

 

[GMR]

This matrix may be helpful...

View attachment 130681

Gilbert over Bathgate? And no Bill Cook?

 

[GMR]

based on your rule, Park is a Bruin (501 games vs 465 for NYR)

Hull - Beliveau - Howe
Orr - Horton
Lundqvist

man, toronto and NYR are a lot tougher to find guys from compared to the other 4

For sure. Cook is the best Ranger, but he's not Howe or Richard. The best Leafs are Apps and Conacher, but it feels like a big dropoff to have them in this starting lineup rather than other choices.

 

[BenchBrawl]

hull and orr are my automatics.

but to me, the trade off between howe and rocket isn't so big that i wouldn't at least consider it if it helps me in another area. but it doesn't really, because you don't gain anything by taking lidstrom over harvey, or sawchuk over roy/plante.

you lose big by not taking beliveau, so i'd be tempted to go with the team you put together, but i feel like you lose too much having to take either a ranger of leaf in goal, so i settle for boucher at center to get plante. basically, i'm sacrificing beliveau so i don't have to sacrifice howe to get sawchuk, or hull to get hall.

hull boucher howe
orr clancy
roy

Clancy is Ottawa by an hair.

 

[tony d]

Fun idea.

Hull-Beliveau-Howe
Orr-Leetch

Bower

Would be my team. Oh and @VanIslander if you decide to go with that draft again you can sign me up. Was quite fun and could get some more action on the ATD draft board.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Frank Mahovlich - Phil Esposito - Gordie Howe
Bobby Orr - Larry Robinson
Glenn Hall

FTW!

 

[VanIslander]

Here could be your non-O6 opposition:

Ovechkin - Messier - Jagr
Fetisov - Potvin
Hasek

 

[BenchBrawl]

Here could be your non-O6 opposition:

Ovechkin - Messier - Jagr
Fetisov - Potvin
Hasek

No Gretzky, Lemieux?

 

[VanIslander]

No Gretzky, Lemieux?

Now, that wouldn't feel fair, would it?

Even without the greatest center (forward/player some say), the opposition for the best O6 line-up is formidible. At their peak, Ov-Mess-Jagr, Fetisov-Potvin, Hasek could beat any O6 line-up.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Now, that wouldn't feel fair, would it?

Even without the greatest center (forward/player some say), the opposition for the best O6 line-up is formidible. At their peak, Ov-Mess-Jagr, Fetisov-Potvin, Hasek could beat any O6 line-up.

Ha ha, yeah, I don't think so... if you believe that, you're seriously underrating Bobby Orr & Gordie Howe, who show up on pretty much every team.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

last six roster:

kovalchuk - w karlsson - wheeler
weber - suter
bobrovsky

cheated a bit with the games played requirement for suter and karlsson