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Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent
so is this season showing that lindholm was the weakest member of that top line ? or at least the most "complementary" player? or do people just see it as lindy is having a slow start
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I don't think it's a slow start. Elias never takes a shift off and plays to his identity every game. Lindholm's biggest is issue is that he's not a prototypical #1 center IMO. He doesn't drive play up the middle of the ice, he deferred to Gaudreau and Tkachuk to do the heavy lifting for him in that department.
So is Lindholm the ideal center to play with Huberdeau? Probably not. I know for myself, I didn't see that combo working from day one. In theory, it probably made sense to substitute a 115 point player with another 115 point player, but that's not how hockey works unfortunately. Huberdeau and Gaudreau play completely different styles.
From what I've seen, Huberdeau needs someone who can push the pace of play for him, someone who can drive defenses back and give him the time and space to work his magic and find his line mates. I do still wonder if Backlund could work well with Jonathan, that remains to be seen.
But as for Lindholm, I think a line that's focused heavily on checking would be ideal for him. He's a got a heavy stick and a ton of jam. He has no problem playing grinder hockey and that's not a bad thing. The 4th line is doing that right now and they're producing a lot at 5 on 5 right now.