Would you try Poehling on the wing in the top 9?

[Habssince89]

I don't think a player like Poehling is going to struggle if he's put on the wing. As I've said before he should be put with domi and can switch in for faceoffs and win the puck and make space for Domi. And while Suzuki is being paired with him, I think Poehling can't be worse than Drouin, and completes a Domi/Suzuki duo way better.

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Poehling-Domi-Suzuki
Drouin-KK-Lehkonen/Armia
Byron-Weal-Armia/Lehkonen

If he won't be put on Domi's wing because of Suzuki, then I think he should play with Byron and Armia on the fourth line.

Drouin-Domi-Suzuki
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Lehkonen-Kotkaniemi-Weal
Byron-Poehling-Armia

Maybe creating some competition between these KK and Poehling lines will help consistency. Lots of competition on this team is going to help when injuries hit but also for good efforts night in night out. We need to wear other teams out.

 

[SakuKoivu11]

Poehling will be a very good defensive player. Someone who we wanted de la Rose to be.

 

[BenchBrawl]

Some people seem to believe (including our GM) that you can learn to play center at the NHL level by playing on the wing ...



Are you surprised though? When Danault was made our first line center at the end of the 2016-2017 season it was clear as day he would keep his sport for a long while. I called it day one. He's not going anywhere unless MB is fired. So there's just a 2nd line center spot available.

No I am not surprised.

 

[26Mats]

I don't think a player like Poehling is going to struggle if he's put on the wing. As I've said before he should be put with domi and can switch in for faceoffs and win the puck and make space for Domi. And while Suzuki is being paired with him, I think Poehling can't be worse than Drouin, and completes a Domi/Suzuki duo way better.

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Poehling-Domi-Suzuki
Drouin-KK-Lehkonen/Armia
Byron-Weal-Armia/Lehkonen

If he won't be put on Domi's wing because of Suzuki, then I think he should play with Byron and Armia on the fourth line.

Drouin-Domi-Suzuki
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Lehkonen-Kotkaniemi-Weal
Byron-Poehling-Armia

Maybe creating some competition between these KK and Poehling lines will help consistency. Lots of competition on this team is going to help when injuries hit but also for good efforts night in night out. We need to wear other teams out.

Poehling might be our 4th best winger, after Gallagher, Tatar, and Suzuki...

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Put Poehling at center between Domi and Suzuki.

 

[Intangir]

I'd try these lines if I was in CJ's shoes. Then again, I'm known to be quite wild and unbound (Witness Gaxkang!) when it comes to line combos, so it might be better if he doesn't listen to me.

All our kids in the top 6:

Drouin-Domi-Suzuki (small offensive line with skill, 65/35 offensive usage)

Poehling-Kotkaniemi-Gallagher (much more jam and two-wayness here, still quite a bit of skill, 50/50 usage)

Tatar-Danault-Lehkonen (checking line with heart, D, speed and underrated offense, 35/65 defensive usage)

Byron-Thompson-Weal (can switch around if needed, built around speed and faceoffs, a little light though)

Cousins, Armia

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Fleury
Folin

Price
Kinkaid

​

- OR -​

More realistic lines:

Lehkonen-Domi-Suzuki (zaibatsu playing with Domi + a pretty good two-way guy to retrieve pucks)

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher (same old line that we loved last year)

Drouin-Kotkaniemi-Weal (Drouin to go alongside KK and a more offensive guy than Armia in Weal)

Byron-Poehling-Armia (a talented, complete and heavy trio that you can put out against anyone, if they all play to potential we could have the single best fourth line in the NHL, with Poehling scoring a hattrick every time we play the Leafs)

Cousins, Thompson

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Fleury
Folin

Price
Kinkaid

 

[Kriss E]

Why dont you have “no, have him be a top 2 C in Laval”?...

 

[Habssince89]

Poehling might be our 4th best winger, after Gallagher, Tatar, and Suzuki...

That's why I said he should play with Domi...

 

[BaseballCoach]

I don't think a player like Poehling is going to struggle if he's put on the wing. As I've said before he should be put with domi and can switch in for faceoffs and win the puck and make space for Domi. And while Suzuki is being paired with him, I think Poehling can't be worse than Drouin, and completes a Domi/Suzuki duo way better.

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Poehling-Domi-Suzuki
Drouin-KK-Lehkonen/Armia
Byron-Weal-Armia/Lehkonen

I would switch Poehling and Drouin. Domi should be able to handle having Drouin better than a 19 year old.

 

[abo9]

Why is not there a 4th option?

Why in the world do we want to use the 4th line for development purposes???

If Montreal forgot, there's this thing called the AHL which is primarily a developmental league. The Habs even have a team there!!! And on this team, they can play prospects on the first and second line without worrying about losing or hurting the ego of established players!

If they can't play Kotkaniemie, Poehling and Suzuki top 9 and give them good linemates (no Weal or Cousins please, give them Domi, Tatar, Gallagher, Danault), I would prefer them to play in the AHL. As of now, I understand that one of the 3 will play fourth line...

 

[mitchmagic]

No. Maybe on the PP.

 

[Sand94]

Some people seem to believe (including our GM) that you can learn to play center at the NHL level by playing on the wing ...



Are you surprised though? When Danault was made our first line center at the end of the 2016-2017 season it was clear as day he would keep his spot for a long while. I called it day one. He's not going anywhere unless MB is fired. So there's just a 2nd line center spot available.

And until someone can show that they are actually a better and more complete center than Danault, he will stay put, as he should.

None of our young guys are even close to Danault's complete game. The disrespect this guy gets is unbelievable. He started out on our 4th line and proved he was able to handle #1 minutes. The guy put up over 50 fkn points last year WITHOUT PP TIME!

Is it because he is french? Is it because he doesn't dangle people and break ankles? Is it because he doesn't roof it from the goal line top shelf? Like what is the issue?

He's extremely smart, defensively responsible, tenacious, and quite fast. With some PP time he could potentially score 60-70 points. All while facing other team's TOP lines and coming out ahead.

But no, let's move him to wing, or bump him down to 3rd C because KK and Poehling are the second comings...meanwhile they can't even produce facing 3rd and 4th line opponents.

I swear some of you are so delusional with youth you would actually BELIEVE this lineup wold win us games:

Drouin - Kotkaniemi - Caufield
Tatar - Poehling - Gallagher
Lekhonen - Suzuki - Byron
Cousins - Evans - Danault

Mete - Weber
Romanov - Brook
Leskinen - Fleury

f***'it...
Primeau
Price

 

[VAN-HAB]

I'd try these lines if I was in CJ's shoes. Then again, I'm known to be quite wild and unbound (Witness Gaxkang!) when it comes to line combos, so it might be better if he doesn't listen to me.

All our kids in the top 6:

Drouin-Domi-Suzuki (small offensive line with skill, 65/35 offensive usage)

Poehling-Kotkaniemi-Gallagher (much more jam and two-wayness here, still quite a bit of skill, 50/50 usage)

Tatar-Danault-Lehkonen (checking line with heart, D, speed and underrated offense, 35/65 defensive usage)

Byron-Thompson-Weal (can switch around if needed, built around speed and faceoffs, a little light though)

Cousins, Armia

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Fleury
Folin

Price
Kinkaid

​

- OR -​

More realistic lines:

Lehkonen-Domi-Suzuki (zaibatsu playing with Domi + a pretty good two-way guy to retrieve pucks)

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher (same old line that we loved last year)

Drouin-Kotkaniemi-Weal (Drouin to go alongside KK and a more offensive guy than Armia in Weal)

Byron-Poehling-Armia (a talented, complete and heavy trio that you can put out against anyone, if they all play to potential we could have the single best fourth line in the NHL, with Poehling scoring a hattrick every time we play the Leafs)

Cousins, Thompson

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Fleury
Folin

Price
Kinkaid

I like your first lineups

 

[domiwroze]

And until someone can show that they are actually a better and more complete center than Danault, he will stay put, as he should.

None of our young guys are even close to Danault's complete game. The disrespect this guy gets is unbelievable. He started out on our 4th line and proved he was able to handle #1 minutes. The guy put up over 50 fkn points last year WITHOUT PP TIME!

Is it because he is french? Is it because he doesn't dangle people and break ankles? Is it because he doesn't roof it from the goal line top shelf? Like what is the issue?

He's extremely smart, defensively responsible, tenacious, and quite fast. With some PP time he could potentially score 60-70 points. All while facing other team's TOP lines and coming out ahead.

But no, let's move him to wing, or bump him down to 3rd C because KK and Poehling are the second comings...meanwhile they can't even produce facing 3rd and 4th line opponents.

I swear some of you are so delusional with youth you would actually BELIEVE this lineup wold win us games:

Drouin - Kotkaniemi - Caufield
Tatar - Poehling - Gallagher
Lekhonen - Suzuki - Byron
Cousins - Evans - Danault

Mete - Weber
Romanov - Brook
Leskinen - Fleury

****'it...
Primeau
Price

Of course u won't win any game with that Line up. Domi is not there and you put Danault on the 4th line behind Drouin? What?

Using the same players :

Domi - Kotkaniemi - Caufield
Tatar - Poehling - Gallagher
Drouin - Danault - Suzuki
Lekhonen - Evans - Byron

 

[VAN-HAB]

And until someone can show that they are actually a better and more complete center than Danault, he will stay put, as he should.

None of our young guys are even close to Danault's complete game. The disrespect this guy gets is unbelievable. He started out on our 4th line and proved he was able to handle #1 minutes. The guy put up over 50 fkn points last year WITHOUT PP TIME!

Is it because he is french? Is it because he doesn't dangle people and break ankles? Is it because he doesn't roof it from the goal line top shelf? Like what is the issue?

He's extremely smart, defensively responsible, tenacious, and quite fast. With some PP time he could potentially score 60-70 points. All while facing other team's TOP lines and coming out ahead.

But no, let's move him to wing, or bump him down to 3rd C because KK and Poehling are the second comings...meanwhile they can't even produce facing 3rd and 4th line opponents.

I swear some of you are so delusional with youth you would actually BELIEVE this lineup wold win us games:

Drouin - Kotkaniemi - Caufield
Tatar - Poehling - Gallagher
Lekhonen - Suzuki - Byron
Cousins - Evans - Danault

Mete - Weber
Romanov - Brook
Leskinen - Fleury

****'it...
Primeau
Price

I like the delusional lineups

 

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

By game 15, especially if KK isn't producing, CJ will put KK on wing and Poehling at 3C.

The only line that will be stable is the Tatar - Danault - Gally line.

The 2nd line and especially the 3rd will be a rorating door all year.

Weal, Couzins, Armia, Lehkonen, Suzuki, Poehling, Byron, KK, Drouin will all see time on the 2nd and 3rd trio.

We basically need a true top 6 RW or LW.

Drouin as LW #2 is a problem because he's a basket case and Suzuki as RW #2 can be a problem if he can'r sustain the rigors of a whole NHL season.

I get why MB tried to get Duchene... I am pretty sure the plan was to put Domi back on LW.

This was the plan I am betting
Tatar - Danault - Gally
Domi - Duchene - Drouin

Duchene never really wanted to sign here, Drouin can't handle top 6 minutes in Montreal and now we have only one stable line.

Looks like the 2nd line thise season will be
Lehky - Domi - Suzuki

Some trades will need to be done in roder to get some stability otherwise we will see musical chaires galore and chemistry will be hard to create.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

No, send him to Laval

That’s the option I was looking for.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Here is what I would do based on the current climate- I would play him at 3rd line center and have Kotkaniemi start in Laval. I know it sounds unpopular but I think Kotkaniemi needs big minutes playing on the top line in Laval. He needs to be groomed for becoming a top line center.

I wouldn't be opposed to this if KK starts slow.

 

[yianik]

No. We need centres, play him at centre either with us ( not 4th line ) or in Laval.

 

[MasterD]

Some people seem to believe (including our GM) that you can learn to play center at the NHL level by playing on the wing ...



Are you surprised though? When Danault was made our first line center at the end of the 2016-2017 season it was clear as day he would keep his spot for a long while. I called it day one. He's not going anywhere unless MB is fired. So there's just a 2nd line center spot available.

Oh please. Domi is the #1 center anyway, and you don't throw a rookie as #1C unless he's McDavid.

 

[26Mats]

Of course u won't win any game with that Line up. Domi is not there and you put Danault on the 4th line behind Drouin? What?

Using the same players :

Domi - Kotkaniemi - Caufield
Tatar - Poehling - Gallagher
Drouin - Danault - Suzuki
Lekhonen - Evans - Byron

Armia and Weal replaced by Caufield and Evans...

I suspect Caufield will take 2 years before coming to the NHL.

I'd rather trade Byron and keep stock-piling 2nds. Byron is older and more expensive than Weal - and weaker on the boards. We should get a good idea this year of how much Weal is able to contribute offensively.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Why have Danault at 6m on a 3rd line when Poehling can do the same thing for ELC money ? Its just not wise investment..

Oh my God, that is SOOOOOO dishonest.

If Danault is getting $6M, it's because we are in 2021-22 and he has a new contract. But Poehling gets a new contract at the same time, so he won't be on ELC.

Try to be honest next time.

 

[26Mats]

Hearing Knuckles on tsn690 talking about how Byron-Poehling-Weal is completely different 4th line than Byron-Thompson-Weal. I agree. I hope Poehling is up and playing 12 minutes a night on the 4th line. I think it could put extra pressure on the opposition and thus get us more points in the standings.

 

[TrapGod Jr]

I'd try these lines if I was in CJ's shoes. Then again, I'm known to be quite wild and unbound (Witness Gaxkang!) when it comes to line combos, so it might be better if he doesn't listen to me.

All our kids in the top 6:

Drouin-Domi-Suzuki (small offensive line with skill, 65/35 offensive usage)

Poehling-Kotkaniemi-Gallagher (much more jam and two-wayness here, still quite a bit of skill, 50/50 usage)

Tatar-Danault-Lehkonen (checking line with heart, D, speed and underrated offense, 35/65 defensive usage)

Byron-Thompson-Weal (can switch around if needed, built around speed and faceoffs, a little light though)

Cousins, Armia

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Fleury
Folin

Price
Kinkaid

​

- OR -​

More realistic lines:

Lehkonen-Domi-Suzuki (zaibatsu playing with Domi + a pretty good two-way guy to retrieve pucks)

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher (same old line that we loved last year)

Drouin-Kotkaniemi-Weal (Drouin to go alongside KK and a more offensive guy than Armia in Weal)

Byron-Poehling-Armia (a talented, complete and heavy trio that you can put out against anyone, if they all play to potential we could have the single best fourth line in the NHL, with Poehling scoring a hattrick every time we play the Leafs)

Cousins, Thompson

Mete-Weber
Chiarot-Petry
Kulak-Fleury
Folin

Price
Kinkaid

I like the 1st lineup with all the kids! Make em play.

 

[WickedPegJets]

In last season's final regular season game against Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen, Ryan potted a hat-trick and the game winning shoot-out goal in his NHL debut. He might become the fearless LW that Patches didn't become. Let Ryan play LW for 10 straight games and gauge the results.