Pre-Game Talk: Wings @ Canucks, Wednesday at 10:30 (Franzen out with injury, Glendening Recalled)

[Vladdy84]

It's sad that two players that provide energy and excitement are the ones most likely to be sat.

 

[Frk It]

Wait....

If datsyuk Tatar cleary Zetterberg alfredsson Abdelkader is the top 6...

And weiss tootoo Samuelsson is the 4th line....

Then wtf is the 3rd line????

Miller-Andersson-Glendening???

Ewwwwwwwwwww lol

 

[Winger98]

I think too much is being made of the lines today and where Weiss is lining up. I still think it might just be a function of needing a center on that line and Weiss drawing the short straw.

If they had any legitimate reason to worry about putting Nyquist on waivers it would make sense. Unfortunately I've seen too much this last year or so to try and make sense of most of the moves they have been making.

As it stands, Nyquist should be allowed a full year in the pros without them having to worry about putting him in the press box or back in the minors. He is a dynamic player even if he may not put up 60 points his first year.

None of these roster or lineup choices make any sense to me.

The only reason I can think of where Holland doesn't want to back himself into a corner with Nyquist losing his waiver eligibility is if he doesn't believe there is a way out of a cap violation. Maybe the trade market is that dry and their internal number crunching doesn't show a way of beating a cap violation through waivers alone.

 

[SoupNazi]

Wait....

If datsyuk Tatar cleary Zetterberg alfredsson Abdelkader is the top 6...

And weiss tootoo Samuelsson is the 4th line....

Then wtf is the 3rd line????

Miller-Andersson-Glendening???

Ewwwwwwwwwww lol

Nope.

Bert - Andersson - Eaves

 

[Frk It]

Tatar from press box to line 1 with Datsyuk?

Hmmmmm

Have to figure he's being showcased for a trade. Seems kinda obvious actually.

 

[TatarTangle]

I think what's really going on here is that Babcock is going for a pity win. When the Sedin's see Cleary going up against them how are they not supposed to feel bad for them?

 

[SoupNazi]

Tatar from press box to line 1 with Datsyuk?

Hmmmmm

Have to figure he's being showcased for a trade. Seems kinda obvious actually.

Or they could be trying to find his fit. He's practiced/played with Zetterberg too.

 

[SoupNazi]

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 1m
Babcock said Miller left early because of the flu. He said he hasn't decided on lineup for Wednesday but Eaves is in and Helm not ready.

 

[Frk It]

The only reason I can think of where Holland doesn't want to back himself into a corner with Nyquist losing his waiver eligibility is if he doesn't believe there is a way out of a cap violation. Maybe the trade market is that dry and their internal number crunching doesn't show a way of beating a cap violation through waivers alone.

What kind of an even decently competent GM puts themselves in this situation you just described?

 

[joe89]

Put Nyquist in Tootoo's spot and we'd have an above average 3rd line right there. But with Tootoo it's just another grind line. Babcock needs to stop spreading out the wealth until we actually have wealth. (He should still keep Tootoo in the lineup, just on the 4th line)

Oh yeah, unless he plays Alf-D-Z as a line we'll have at least one useless offensive player on each line.

 

[Brick Top]

I think too much is being made of the lines today and where Weiss is lining up. I still think it might just be a function of needing a center on that line and Weiss drawing the short straw.

That's a pretty damn short straw for Weiss to draw. If Glendening plays they have Z, D, Andersson and Glendening down the middle- no need to banish Weiss to the 4th line where he'd have 5-7 mins a night to figure out his offensive game.

Sure, he'd be playing against lesser competition but he's also stuck with lesser linemates. Should be in place of Cleary on the wing in the top six. If Babs keeps DFC in the top 6 for the whole WC trip, he'll end up having to demote Pavel to the 4th line to rediscover his offensive game after Cleary completely murders it.

 

[Winger98]

What kind of an even decently competent GM puts themselves in this situation you just described?

Lou put himself into some nasty cap problems in NJ a little while back. Philly seems to dance with cap problems every other year or so. Calgary had to go a guy short in the roster for at least a game because they didn't have cap room. And those are just off the top of my head.

Looking at capgeek right now and they have 11 teams with zero cap space, and two more with less than $300K.

A lot of teams are scraping against the ceiling this season, and don't have a lot of wiggle room.

 

[Winger98]

That's a pretty damn short straw for Weiss to draw. If Glendening plays they have Z, D, Andersson and Glendening down the middle- no need to banish Weiss to the 4th line where he'd have 5-7 mins a night to figure out his offensive game.

Sure, he'd be playing against lesser competition but he's also stuck with lesser linemates. Should be in place of Cleary on the wing in the top six. If Babs keeps DFC in the top 6 for the whole WC trip, he'll end up having to demote Pavel to the 4th line to rediscover his offensive game after Cleary completely murders it.

I meant just for practice. Glendening shows up, takes over that fourth line, and Weiss gets moved to another line.

 

[Chance on Chance]

Lou put himself into some nasty cap problems in NJ a little while back. Philly seems to dance with cap problems every other year or so. Calgary had to go a guy short in the roster for at least a game because they didn't have cap room. And those are just off the top of my head.

Looking at capgeek right now and they have 11 teams with zero cap space, and two more with less than $300K.

A lot of teams are scraping against the ceiling this season, and don't have a lot of wiggle room.

Heput himself in the not getting Nyquist up by signing Cleary for 1.75 million at the end of year. No cleary and we have Nyquist up

 

[Brick Top]

I meant just for practice. Glendening shows up, takes over that fourth line, and Weiss gets moved to another line.

That does make sense.

But I'm pretty sure I'm developing some sort of PTSD from seeing Babs' asinine lineups this season, so at this point I'm expecting to see Weiss centering the 4th line for the foreseeable future.

 

[Roy S]

Lines will likely change when Glendening comes up. Also, just b/c a reporter says that is the 4th line doesn't mean that's how Babcock will utilize it- they have no idea. Sammy-Weiss-Tootoo could actually be getting the 3rd line minutes with Bert-Andersson-Eaves getting 4th line.

 

[Frk It]

Lou put himself into some nasty cap problems in NJ a little while back. Philly seems to dance with cap problems every other year or so. Calgary had to go a guy short in the roster for at least a game because they didn't have cap room. And those are just off the top of my head.

Looking at capgeek right now and they have 11 teams with zero cap space, and two more with less than $300K.

A lot of teams are scraping against the ceiling this season, and don't have a lot of wiggle room.

You conveniently left the whole "Nyquist part" of that situation out.

And I said competent GM's, and you cited Jersey and Calgary

Who else has a player as good as Nyquist being left off their team for crap like Cleary and Andersson because they are pushed up against the cap?

Let me save you some time. no body.

 

[BF3]

In the spirit of Babcock murdering the lines, let's just post ideal scenarios that will never happen. That's fun at least.

Z-Dats-Alfie
Franzen-Weiss-Tatar
Nyquist-Andersson-Abby
Miller-Helm-Tootoo

There, I feel much better now.

 

[Mort Divine]

Z - Dats - Alfie
Nyquist - Weiss - Tatar
Franzen - Helm - Abby
Miller - Andersson - Tootoo

 

[Kronwalled55]

I look at those lines and see someone who has lost control of their team. Storming out of a presser, and this is the solution? He better hope that Tatar and Datsyuk playing together sounds as good as expected, because the rest of the garbage here certainly isn't going to change the 2 goals or less per game that we are becoming accustomed to seeing.

 

[mindfly]

Management of this team is a joke, nothing new here. I won't be watching this team in the near future.

 

[Frk It]

We can't score goals so conventional wisdom would be to demote Abdelkader and Cleary.

So what does Babcock do.... Play them both in the top 6

I think he's lost it.

 

[SoupNazi]

I'm still waiting to hear what sort of injury Franzen has.

 

[Frk It]

I'm still waiting to hear what sort of injury Franzen has.

A strained work ethic

 

[Flowah]

I'm still waiting to hear what sort of injury Franzen has.

He has a hole in his heart. When they patch it, he'll have the work ethic of Zetterberg and Datsyuk combined and win the Rocket Richard trophy by 40 points.

Edit: damn Frk. by 1 minute. one damn minute.