Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
I was more worried about 5v5 because the conversation with Bingo was about rolling 4 lines and the ability to play the lines more evenly at 5v5, instead of a 4th line that's going to get under 10 minutes a game.
If you look at the Flames they averaged 48:52 of 5v5 ice time, 4:52 of PP time per game, and 4:40 of PK time per game. So that's 58:24 and then you probably have the remaining 1:36 as empty net / 4v4 etc.
If you split the 5v5 time pretty equally that's 10-14 minutes per forward (give or take) on any given night. So that's actually not too bad and if you are aiming for about 12 minutes each, but then adjust based on how they are playing and what lines are going each night.
Then the question is how you distribute special teams:
PP1 - 2:50 : Kadri, Huberdeau, Coronato, Frost
PP 2 - 2:00 : Zary, Sharangovich, Klapka, Farabee
PK1 - 2:20 : Backlund, Coleman
PK2 - 1:30 : Huberdeau, Frost
PK3 - 1:00 : Zary, Sharangovich/Farabee/Pospisil
So really the guys that aren't getting much special teams time would be like Pospisil, Lomberg, and whoever the young forward is that fills out the roster.
If I look at Kadri specifically - he played 19:21 in all situations last year which was actually the highest of his career. Most of his career he played in the 16-18 minutes range in all scenarios (averaging slightly above 17 minutes a game).
If he's getting 13 minutes of 5v5 time, 2:50 of PP time, and then a big chunk of that remaining 1:36 of empty net / 4v4 etc time that would put him at around 17 minutes a night.
Huberdeau also played the most of his career last year and generally plays more in that 18:30 range. If he got 13 minutes of 5v5, 2:50 of PP, and 1:30 of PK that would have him at 17:20 per game, and then he'd probably get right around 18 minutes when you factor in that other 1:36 that's remaining.
Personally I have no issue with those guys playing 17-18 minutes a night, with more of a balance at 5v5. I think you could say both guys playing over 19 minutes, which was above their prior career highs was maybe a necessity last year but shouldn't be this year.
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It can work for most, but most players will have a threshold that if they go under, they won't be happy.
Based on this example, 1st guy that gets lost in the shuffle is Ras. You have 4 forwards on both PP units. If he is still on the team, are you completely removing him from the PP? That's 2 mins a game less and prime time minutes for him to have a bounce back year. Without the PP, his value is going down. Trade him now then, or send Parekh to the AHL until Ras is traded? Don't like that idea but IMO if Parekh is on the team, he needs PP time.
The Flames had 5 forwards over 14 mins ES last year.
Kadri 16:22
Huberdeau 15:24
Coronato 15:05
Backlund 14:39
Coleman 14:15
Taking Backlund and Coleman off the PP still leaves them at a respectable ice time.
I also think it would be ok for Huberdeau and Kadri to give up some ice too. This is your top 4 forwards in ice all giving up 1-2 mins a game. That is great and I think it works, but it will change the trade value of these players who are all veterans that could be on the block.
Backlund is getting less than 30 points
Kadri's 3 best season of his career he was 18-19 mins - the 16 mins a year seasons have him rolling back to a 50-point guy
Coleman will be hard pressed to get 30 points too
Huberdeau has no trade value so doesn't matter
Rooney and Lomberg average 7-8 minutes a night. Lomberg might be ok with it, but that's it as Rooney is gone. Unless Kirkland is in every night, he would be ok with those minutes. If these 2 play every night, who is out of the lineup and what young player will make the team from the AHL?
Klapka average 10 a night - has to get much more to have a chance to succeed.
As players establish themselves, who else will take less? Klapka is getting most of the minutes the top 4 are giving up. If Lomberg or Kirkland sit, it's hard to bench Kerins or Morton or Pospisil for a period and give them 7 minutes ice like you can a veteran like Rooney who is just happy to still be in the league. Someone else has to give up minutes or the top 4 have to give up more which eventually they will not be happy with or the production plummets and there goes any chance at a good trade involving these vets. Might as well trade 1 now while the value is still very high.