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Old 01-20-2024, 08:27 AM   #54
browna
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Loss of Pospsil is big for that line; the space it afforded Zary and the style that it allowed Kadri to play his own game.

Kadri has two players on that line that really compliment him. A skilled guy and a gritty energy guy. I think part of the problem with Kadri last year is that he (right or wrong) thought that he had to do it all on his line, both for skill and for energy and grit, and he seemed/seems to became easily frustrated when he feels he has to do too much heavy lifiting on his line in the skill dept or grit dept, and shut down a bit.

With Zary and Pospsil, he has a guy he can mesh with on the skill level in Zary, and also a guy who has energy, a bit of skill and can skate will get dirty to get the puck in Pospsil...so Kadri has the right balance and doesn't feel he has to do it all, or devote too much time to pick retrival or skill because he has linemates that do that...so he can just play his game.

Ruzicka isn't Pospisal energy wise or grit wise or create space wise for his linemates. Obviously Coronato isn't that type of player either. No idea about Klapka and how much different he is from Ruzicka. I would lean towards putting a bigger body on that line as opposed to another skilled guy (like Coronato) to help create space for Zary and someone else willing to get knocked around to get/keep the puck.

Regardless, be interesting to see how Kadri responds because his season really took off when he got lined up with Zary and Pospsil and he could focus on doing what he was well, and not trying to do too much.
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