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Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent
Except the Lindholm line was already one of their worst at even strength.
Lindholm wasn't elevating them in that situation this year. It could be argued he was a part of the issue this time around because of his horrid possession metrics as well as other underlying stats that were under water.
On paper they'll be worse down the middle, and the PK loses a key player, but the line was already a weakness and it's hard to see it being worse than it was. If there's some honest to god chemistry with Kuzmenko maybe it actually begins to produce. There will certainly be a lot of positional juggling there.
All depends on if they can find stability with a stopgap center (probably Sharangovich).
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I hadn't thought about the PK. This trade gets them down to just one centerman who has been on the PK in Backlund. Dube gone. Does Kadri get put on the PK? As you suggest, Sharangovich may be the way they go as a stopgap, but I wouldn't raise my expectations too high on a guy who would be figuring out a new position at the NHL level.