You just gotta keep Ruzicka in the lineup going forward. His ability to play up and down the lineup is something this team sorely needs. You can't have guys like Richardson and Pitlick playing shifts with your second line, but you can with Ruzicka. That's super important.
Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk
Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
Lucic - Monahan - Dube
Lewis - Ruzicka - Pitlick/Phillips
That'd be pretty close to ideal with the current roster, IMO. Still need to add another scorer before the deadline.
I think Richardson is done being an NHL-calibre player, as good as he was in Arizona and before that. Ritchie is the only forward in the NHL with zero points in more than 15 games this year. I'm not convinced Pitlick is as bad as he's been so far but I wouldn't give him a huge leash after he gets back.
I'd really look at trying to rekindle the Ruzicka-Phillips AHL magic on that fourth line.
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