Line Combos: With Matthews+Nylander back, What does the roster look like?

[Popeye7735]

Dermott goes to tye minor. Mark my word. Hehe.

 

[Leafsman]

Kappy-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Ennis
Leivo-Lindholm-Brown

Or just to be crazy

Kadri-Tavares-Marner
Kappy-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Marleau-Leivo
Ennis-Lindholm-Brown

Not sure if Marleau wants to play the wing

 

[TheBigThree]

I really don't want marleau on the first line with matthews, he's the new hyman but worse.

 

[BigBlu]

I really don't want marleau on the first line with matthews, he's the new hyman but worse.

he's totally washed

 

[Kiwi]

I really don't want marleau on the first line with matthews, he's the new hyman but worse.

I'd say put him with Kadri but I don't know he's up for carrying him either

 

[Ulysses31]

i would keep marleaus usage low. 3rd line minutes (with the 4th line guy taking some shifts) plus 2nd PP unit.

i still think he had some juice left but keep him fresh for the playoffs.

 

[hector morrison]

Kappy-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Ennis
Leivo-Lindholm-Brown

Or just to be crazy

Kadri-Tavares-Marner
Kappy-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Marleau-Leivo
Ennis-Lindholm-Brown

Not sure if Marleau wants to play the wing

Would like to see the first line-up!

 

[glue]

Betting we see:
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Matthews-Nylander
Johnsson-Kadri-Kappy
Leivo-Lindholm-Brown

Eventually I think Marleau and Johnsson switch spots as Marleau at this stage of his career is a much better fit on the third line. That third line will be absolute money at home though as teams are going to have HUGE difficulty matching up against us now

 

[Maplebeasts]

I'm thinking it's gonna be one of AJ or Kap on Matthews' other wing.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

I'd like to see this:

Johnsson-matthews-nylander
Hyman-tavares-marner
Marleau-kadri-kapanen
Ennis-lindholm-brown

Poor leivo

 

[LeafalCrusader]

I'm thinking it's gonna be one of AJ or Kap on Matthews' other wing.

I hope you're right but I think it will be Marleau.

 

[WTFMAN99]

2 different options for me

1.

Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen
Leivo-Lindholm-Brown

2.

Nylander-Matthews-Kapanen
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Brown
Johnsson-Lindholm-Leivo

I prefer to try #1 first.

 

[PuckMagi]

While not my ideal lines... I think this is the best we could hope for with Babcock:

Nylander - Matthews - Kapanen
Johnsson - Tavares - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - Hyman
Leivo - Lindholm - Brown

If one of Nylander or Kapanen play on the LW... that opens up a spot on the right and Hyman is a natural RW and he always looks way better on the right side.

This is Babcock's chance to put Matthews with Nylander and Kapanen and move Hyman back over to the right side where he should have been all along.

 

[shakermaker]

I'd love to go full Video game type lineup. This obviously would never happen, but if you gave those top 2 lines a combined 42 min a night or so they would smoke a bunch of teams this way too. There's probably a coach or two in the NHL that would run a lineup something like this but Babs would never do it.

Tavares Matthews Nylander
Kapanen Kadri Marner
Hyman Marleau Johnsson
Leivo Lindholm Brown

 

[lovemyleafs]

They have to waive someone or make a trade to make room for Willy. I hope I wake up to news of Brown being traded lolololol. I hope Dubas and Shanny realize how trash Brown is. Babs got no say in this.

Waiiiit maybe this why all that scouting was taking place during the past few weeks.... welp in that case teams aren’t gonna offer more than a 7th round pick for brown

 

[unitedstars87]

So are we not legit cup contenders now? Like at least a shot? Can’t remember last time I felt like that.

 

[Leafsman]

Kappy-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Ennis
Leivo-Lindholm-Brown

Or just to be crazy

Kadri-Tavares-Marner
Kappy-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Marleau-Leivo
Ennis-Lindholm-Brown

Not sure if Marleau wants to play the wing

Whoops! Forgot Hyman in the first lineup

Kappy-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Kadri-Marleau
Ennis-Lindholm-Leivo
Brown

 

[Nineteen67]

Seeing these lines...it's never been clearer that this team is a top 4 RHD away from being a real threat.

Kapanen - Matthews - Nylander
Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Marleau - Kadri - Johnsson
Ennis - Lindholm - Brown

Reilly - X
Gardiner - Hainsey
Dermott - Zaitsev

That's a contender!

Where X = Larry Robinson?

 

[Nineteen67]

So are we not legit cup contenders now? Like at least a shot? Can’t remember last time I felt like that.

Maybe in this “new NHL”, but I watch games every night and I still see some heavy hitting hockey. Not as much as I’d prefer, but it’s still out there and I wonder how will this team fare when it gets a tougher and time and space are limited.

They other thing that they absolutely must fix is the number of scoring chances they give up. Teams like Tampa, Boston, Washington and Pitt will take advantage.

The good news is, it’s only December with lots of time to get better.

 

[SprDaVE]

I'd love to see Johnsson with Matthews and Nylander but fully expect to see Marleau there.

I'd be shocked if they put Kapanen on the LW. They are going to put him with Kadri.

 

[jfc64]

Sit down, sit down, sit down!

Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Grundström - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Leivo - Lindholm - Johnsson/Tennis/Brown

 

[Koolboss]

Sit down, sit down, sit down!

Hyman - Tavares - Marner
Grundström - Matthews - Nylander
Marleau - Kadri - Kapanen
Leivo - Lindholm - Johnsson/Tennis/Brown

What?
We signed Tennis?

 

[razkaz]

We've seen Babcock already play Johnsson-Matthews-Kapanen and was quoted as saying he would swap Marlea and Johnsson based on home and away. Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen also played top line while Matthews was out and performed well. Based on this I would love to see the following

Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Hyman-Tavares-Marner
Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen
Ennis-Lindholm-Brown/Leivo

The 4th line can be a combination of Ennis, Brown and Leivo with Lindholm anchoring it.

PP#1
Tavares
Matthews-Nylander-Marner
Rielly

PP#2
Marleau
Johnsson-Kadri-Kapanen
Gardiner

 

[Alerion]

Marleau can't keep up against top competition for 16 minutes a night any more, it's no fault of his own, he's just old. The Matthews line with Marleau hasn't looked good at all this year and Marleau's aging body would obviously benefit from more sheltered minutes. Johnsson Matthews Nylander would be my choice but I doubt Babcock will do it.

 

[sxvnert]

Post Leivo trade:

Kappy Matthews Nylander
Hyman JT Marner
Marleau Kadri Johnsson
Ennis Lindholm Brown