Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
I don't think it has anything to do with who is ahead of who. They are completely different players and play different positions.
I don't think there is any question that Granlund goes down before Ferland. Ferland is a big fast winger who plays the body. Glencross and Bouma are the only other guys that bring both speed and size. Ferland fits the mold of the team and he fills a position they are lacking in.
Granlund is a solid player, but there are a bunch of Cs ahead of him. When Backlund is back, I don't see any way that Granlund stays up.
Jooris is insanely valuable. He brings speed and some physicality. He is good in the dot (unlike Granlund). He can move up and down the lineup, and is just as effective on the wing as at C. He kills penalties (the 5 on 3 last night was unbelievable). And he is providing at least as much offense, if not more, than Granlund.
|
All very good points. Honestly, the reason I see Ferland going down before Granlund is for a lot of the reasons you mention, combined with the fact that I think Backlund will be the last of the injured players to return to the lineup. Granlund has been very responsible defensively, even when he's not scoring, and I think we'll see two of Jooris, Colborne, and Raymond on the wings. That will squeeze another body out on the wings, but still leave us needing a center until Backlund returns IMO.
Of course, one could just as convincingly argue that two of Jooris, Colborne, and Raymond should play at center, which squeezes out Granlund and leaves a spot for Ferland.
It will be interesting to see it unfold.