Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
Sorry why are all these guys playing 13 minutes/4th line just because one rookie makes the team?
And aren’t we very literally talking about what Huska’s lines should be if we’re trying to figure out whether a logjam even exists?
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Why? Because Huska's job is to coach to win games.
Only so many players can play on Kadri's line. If his line is the top scoring line, sure there will be some rotation and times where Kadri isn't going and maybe Frost's line gets more ice. But by the end of the year, Kadri is playing 17+ mins a game, maybe more.
If Backlund continues to be the best by quite a bit against the best players in the league. When they are on the ice, Backlund is option #1. Only so many players can play on that line and Huska is going to play who plays the best with Backlund. If that is Coleman, most of the year he will be on the line with some rotation.
If Kadri's line plays similar to last year and so does Backlund's, 3rd and 4th line won't get a ton of time unless they play on the PK or PP.
If Huberdeau plays well with Kadri, that leaves 2 players.
Coronato
Sharangovich
Zary
Klapka
Pospisil
Farabee.
2 will play with Frost, Frosts gets big PP mins so he should be fine unless he loses those minutes.
I see 4 guys struggling for minutes and 2 will be 4th liners. All IMO should not be 4th liners. This doesn't factor in a young player having a good camp and making the team.
0 times in NHL history has a team played 4 lines even. Even if you have top forwards at around 16 and bottom around 14, it's never happened. Coach is going to coach to win games and Kadri's line is the line that more than likely will be asked to score the big goals and Backlund will be asked to shut down other team's best players.