Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
Kessel’s always been an underrated passer because of his early sniping.
That said, I don’t think he’s the answer. I also am not sure Monahan plays that well with guys who are really fast. Johnny was one thing because he is quick and elusive as opposed to just beating guys with speed like Dube maybe could.
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If we're operating on the assumptions that
i) Dube-Monahan-Kessel would be a line
ii) Phil Kessel can still skate fast
then I don't think it's really important where Monahan fits. Kessel's always played with some centres who actually have a similar playstyle to Monahan (Tyler Bozak, Nick Bonino) and opposite some quality wingers (JVR, Carl Hagelin). If Monahan is your centre, what's most important isn't how effective he is, but how much you can take the puck out of his hands when leaving the D zone. That's where Monahan and Gaudreau worked so well, because Gaudreau handled the majority of the breakouts off of a 30-foot pass from Monahan. Can Dube be Carl Hagelin for us? He has the speed, and in the past he's had some good play defensively too.