the defense core will be interesting both at the top and the bottom, as both have implications on who plays with who.
I think decision number one is the Giordano / Brodie pairing. They were dynamite together, but they both shoot left, and Brodie has now proven he can carry a pairing which to me is huge.
It's one thing to have a top pairing with the two of them together, but if you can now have two top pairings because they both can anchor a duo the team is that much stronger.
Does Hartley reunite them? Or does he see the roster as three left shooting defensemen in Giordano, Brodie and Russell and let chemistry decide which righties go with each of them?
If Hamilton is money with Brodie then go with it? Or do you push the Giordano / Hamilton pairing and give them time to find that pairing voo doo?
Then from the bottom you have Engellend as a righty but what if he's pushed to #7 by ...
Smid (left)
Wotherspoon (left)
then you likely can look at playing Giordano and Brodie together again as two lefties have to hook up in one of the pairings.
Whereas if either of Nakladal or Morrison push there way on you're back to the Engellend situation
Won't even go there on Kyllington
|