Quote:
Originally Posted by TheScorpion
Is there any evidence that van Riemsdyk can play the right side? He shoots left and has always played left
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You're right, he's always been a LW and both guys are left shots. Most guys can swap from LW to RW and if he can't swap to RW, there are options for the lines.
Gaudreau - Monohan - Bennett
JVR - Backlund - Tkachuk
Frolik - Jankowski - Athanasiou
or
Gaudreau - Monohan - Bennett
JVR - Jankowski - Tkachuk
Frolik - Backlund - Athanasiou
or
Gaudreau - Monohan - Bennett
JVR - Jankowski - Frolik
Tkachuk - Backlund - Athanasiou
To me the need for scoring and speed trumps. What exactly the lines will look like can be figured out in training camp. The added benefit is that being able to swap guys around in the line-up should allow the coach to create favourable match-ups. Either way it's essentially swapping out Brouwer and Hathaway for JVR and Athanasiou (that alone is a massive improvement). If JVR isn't your guy and Kane is, I think that works too. I think Kane is the better player of the 2, but I still worry about whether he disappears after a big contract. Down the road I see Foo or Dube as the Frolik replacement.