Quote:
Originally Posted by tvp2003
Backlund wouldn’t necessarily be your 4th centre, but if they can’t be a shut down line I don’t see why you’d put them out there. They’re producing nothing right now.
As for the “second” line, Gaudreau and Monahan can both play defence; the problem is that they’ve got such little confidence offensively that they’re cheating or otherwise trying to force it. Dube on the wing means they can simplify their game and let the young guy use his speed and do some of the work in the offensive zone.
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Monahan can play defence some. Gaudreau can sometimes backcheck, but his D zone defence is baaaaad at the best of times. You need a guy who plays defence as second nature when Gaudreau is on the ice. That’s been Lindholm. It could still be. Gaudreau and Lindholm have chemistry - I’d keep them together. Dube or Mangiapane have the speed and digging prowess to stay with the play. And Dube is an alternate centre for waive outs.
Putting Tkachuk, Monahan and Backlund together gives Monahan the second centre he presently has with Lindholm. Backlund can skate and make plays, he just can’t finish well - that’s Monahan and Tkachuk. And right now Tkachuk loves to throw the puck out front but there’s usually no one there. That’s Monahan.