Gaudreau
Monahan
Neal
Tkachuk
Are very probable, if not shoo ins
Lindholm
Backlund
Jankowski
Are probably right there at 15+
Czarnik
Bennett
Ryan
Are wildcards and could hit or come up fairly short
We really could have a plethora of scoring.
Froilk can probably hit 15 as well. I understand people are forgetting about him after last year but I think he surprises people and might return to form.
Lots of people posting line combos with Neal on the third. IMO that won't happen. And if it does his production drops because of ice time (and linemates) and he becomes a whipping boy.
Neal with Bennett and Ryan would be excellent for offensive zone starts at ES. I think it will be more about rolling 3-4 lines at ES, so the minutes at ES should not be too discrepant between the lines. And some older players have actually seen increases in their production when playing fewer minutes. I like the idea of playing Neal a little farther down the lineup at ES to rest him and then adding him to PP1 as a net-front presence.
Neal with Bennett and Ryan would be excellent for offensive zone starts at ES. I think it will be more about rolling 3-4 lines at ES, so the minutes at ES should not be too discrepant between the lines. And some older players have actually seen increases in their production when playing fewer minutes. I like the idea of playing Neal a little farther down the lineup at ES to rest him and then adding him to PP1 as a net-front presence.
I'm not saying that team-wise it wouldn't be a good move. But older players tend to need minutes to produce. I just think his production would decrease, he'd be unhappy, fans would be unhappy (especially given his salary).
Heaven forbid people are optimistic about him. Sorry for feeling good for the guy, he endured more Brouwer time than anyone else, we should all cut him a little slack
I think a lot of people have looked at Bennett and Jankowski as being potential positive difference makers, should they reach their potential, in the Flames being a legitimate contender.
Hence, up to this point, there is a little angst as they were never projected as 4th line Pkers by these folks.
Froilk can probably hit 15 as well. I understand people are forgetting about him after last year but I think he surprises people and might return to form.
Gio is also a possibility
I think we end up with 5 cause that's how it shakes out usually with ice times and that.
Johnny (30+), Mony (30+), Tkachuk (25-30), Czarnik (20-25), Neal (20-25).
I think Jankowski repeats his total but with more points. Backlund and Lindholm are a hair short in that 16-19 range as well. Gio nets 15. Bennett, Ryan in the 10-15 range. Frolik and Hanifin net 10.
Frolik has the ability to put up more but I don't think he will get the same ice time and I don't think he's going to rebound significantly enough to compensate for that.
That's still a really deep team.
Last edited by djsFlames; 09-25-2018 at 11:58 PM.
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I'm not saying that team-wise it wouldn't be a good move. But older players tend to need minutes to produce. I just think his production would decrease, he'd be unhappy, fans would be unhappy (especially given his salary).
My observation has been the opposite, that older players take longer to recover and typically fade within a game and throughout the season if they play too many minutes. Maybe a more objective assessment would be helpful. And Neal could easily get comparable production to recent years by playing with Ryan and Bennett and then getting PP1 net-front time.
Anyway, if team-wise it's a good move, I'm all for it. Any focus on individual players' accomplishments belongs on the Oilers thread.
I think we end up with 5 cause that's how it shakes out usually with ice times and that.
Johnny (30+), Mony (30+), Tkachuk (25-30), Czarnik (20-25), Neal (20-25).
I think Jankowski repeats his total but with more points. Backlund and Lindholm are a hair short in that 16-19 range as well. Gio nets 15. Bennett, Ryan in the 10-15 range. Frolik nets 10.
Frolik has the ability to put up more but I don't think he will get the same ice time and I don't think he's going to rebound significantly enough to compensate for that.
I think if Lindholm is played on the top line, he will get 20. And I believe that's where they should play him.
I think if Lindholm is played on the top line, he will get 20. And I believe that's where they should play him.
I think it ends up being a bunch of games with Lindholm and a bunch with Neal. Peters is a line blender. He'll go with the RW that has the hot stick. Might even be Czarnik for 10 games over the season.
I'm still predicting 16-19 so he's pretty much there. I think he'll in all likelihood set a career high.
My observation has been the opposite, that older players take longer to recover and typically fade within a game and throughout the season if they play too many minutes. Maybe a more objective assessment would be helpful. And Neal could easily get comparable production to recent years by playing with Ryan and Bennett and then getting PP1 net-front time.
Anyway, if team-wise it's a good move, I'm all for it. Any focus on individual players' accomplishments belongs on the Oilers thread.
I think the stats will show that older players take longer to get into gear and maintain it, and play better with larger minutes. And there's no way that Neal will end up scoring more with Ryan and Bennett versus the top two lines. He's getting PP1 time regardless.
I am not focussing on individual accomplishments - I'm just opining on what the reactions will be if Neal doesn't score like he has in the past.
In any event, it's not going to happen. They didn't sign Neal to be a third liner.
I think the stats will show that older players take longer to get into gear and maintain it, and play better with larger minutes. And there's no way that Neal will end up scoring more with Ryan and Bennett versus the top two lines. He's getting PP1 time regardless.
I am not focussing on individual accomplishments - I'm just opining on what the reactions will be if Neal doesn't score like he has in the past.
In any event, it's not going to happen. They didn't sign Neal to be a third liner.
I'm not suggesting that's your focus, merely pointing out that if the focus is on individual players rather than the team, then the Oilers are the result. My response wasn't really intended to be critical of your post, it was a weak attempt at humour.
Contract status should be irrelevant to a coach. Peters didn't sign Neal, so he is under no obligation to put him in any particular place in the lineup. You ice the best team you can, with combinations that will give you the best performance overall. A $5.75M salary does not make a player qualified to play on the top two lines on a deep team, only his skillset and work ethic do, taking into consideration which players best complement one another. And I personally think Neal would complement Bennett and Ryan better than he would complement Monahan and Gaudreau.
I'm not suggesting that's your focus, merely pointing out that if the focus is on individual players rather than the team, then the Oilers are the result. My response wasn't really intended to be critical of your post, it was a weak attempt at humour.
Contract status should be irrelevant to a coach. Peters didn't sign Neal, so he is under no obligation to put him in any particular place in the lineup. You ice the best team you can, with combinations that will give you the best performance overall. A $5.75M salary does not make a player qualified to play on the top two lines on a deep team, only his skillset and work ethic do, taking into consideration which players best complement one another. And I personally think Neal would complement Bennett and Ryan better than he would complement Monahan and Gaudreau.
I'd place a sizeable wager on Neal not seeing the third line unless his actual play drops him off the top two (a la Brouwer).
Bet my friend when we were down 4-1 we were going to win tonight. Just couldn't see that SJ B team keeping that up throughout the game, we sharpened up defensively and once Gillies came in he shut the door.
I think Czarnik has a spot on this second line to start the season, lots can still happen but curious to see if its Neal or Lindholm that gets the top spot on the RW.
Me personally i'd start with Lindholm on the top line given the Monahan faceoff factor and have Neal on the top PP unit.
