Quote:
Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper
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.
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I agree for the most part, but I have to respectfully disagree about Huberdeau needing an elite play-driver to put up numbers, as he had 115 pts last year playing primarily with Bennett and Duclair-neither of which I would classify as play-drivers. In fact, both of those guys benefited from playing with Huby. I think the issue is that Sutter employs a very details-oriented system that will take time for him (and Weegar) to get used to, but both should be fine. Florida played a bit more run-and-gun.