Quote:
Originally Posted by powderjunkie
Mango a pane-Monahan-Tkachuk
Gaudreau-Bennett-Lindholm
Lucid-Backlund-Dubé
Lol Autocorrect. Better balance up and down IMO.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
The distribution of ice-time needs for this team mess up this entire idea; it might work only if the team started 100% in the offensive zone. Backlund needs to be on the ice more than any other forward because of how important he is in the defensive zone. Because of this, he can't be saddled with a guy like Lucic on his wing all the time, and Bennett is simply not capable of replacing what Backlund can do.
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I get what you're saying, so you could flip Bennett and Backlund to resolve that. BUT, if Bennett does show progression/results this season, it may be ideal to go with that kind of lineup anyway.
The roster actually has a surplus in centres; which is a good thing since it's the most important skaters position. They just lack that all-star first liner that can drive the line themselves. But it does give Tre/Ward some options on how to go about making this team perform better next season, whether they do trade players within the top 6 or not.
There's certain dynamics that can come from whether you trade Gaudreau or Monahan. Move Gaudreau ideally brings in a top 6 winger, but the centres stay in their same respective lines. If you trade Monahan, it may also be for a top 6 winger, but the centre depth isn't hurt since you could move Lindholm to centre, and Backlund and Bennett will be centres for their own lines.
But if neither of them is moved, there still may be away to rejuvenate the offense by shuffling the top 9 to get combinations that have good chemistry. The suggestion above is one of a few where each player brings something that can elevate the play of the line as a whole together. But Ward and the coaching staff have to be willing to be flexible, and commit to letting combinations that have promise gel, rather than simply reverting back to the lineup they've had for the past couple of seasons after a period/game of no instant success.