It doesn't add up because your lines are simply...wrong.
With our wing depth now, Hagelin is absolutely not a top-6 forward. He can slot up on occasion, especially to use his speed to jumpstart a struggling line / player. His versatility / ability to slot anywhere in the lineup and be effective playing his game is an extremely valuable asset.
Along with that, Brassard is not our 3rd line center, Zuccarello won't be on the third line either, J.T. Miller is not a winger and has no reason to be with the vacant 3C spot glaring.
Here are the most plausible lines:
Kreider Stepan St. Louis
Nash Brassard Zuccarello
Hagelin [3C] Stempniak
Glass Moore Lombardi
[3C] = competition in training camp between Miller, Lindberg, and Lombardi (who can play on the 4th line if he doesn't win the 3C spot)
Explanation:
Kreider Stepan St. Louis
Kreider and Stepan have chemistry together. Stepan knows how to lead Kreider into an area with his passes so he can use his incredible speed to skate into it and create scoring chances out of nothing. St. Louis also found some chemistry with Stepan at times and has had great success playing with right-handed centers in recent history (granted: Stepan is not Stamkos).
Nash Brassard Zuccarello
Brassard and Zuccarello should remain together unless it's absolutely necessary to split them up. Their chemistry was our best tandem/duo throughout the season; they read each other well and are both great distributors of the puck. Their LW last season was Pouliot. Rick Nash is a slightly bigger, much better player. He's better at every aspect of hockey while having a similar body-type and skating stride. A rejuvenated Nash should fit in quite nicely with two guys who create offense as consistently as Brassard and Zuccarello. Conversely, Brass and Zucc should also see a jump in production based on a) increased ice-time now that Richards is gone and Brassard is forced into the 2C role out of necessity. Brassard will see significantly more minutes this season, and having Nash (who he very briefly played with in Columbus) on his wing, along with the familiar Zuccarello should help him continue to improve: He's still young enough to continue to develop and bloom into an even better player now that he seems to have found a comfortable home in NY and a solidified role / niche on AV's Rangers.
Hagelin [3C] Stempniak
Both Hagelin and Stempniak have proved that they are capable of playing solid two-way hockey. They don't give up much defensively and both can contribute secondary / depth scoring, as well as be moved around the lineup as needed (due to injuries, slumps, penalties, etc). Whoever their center is will be asked to play the same smart two-way hockey and contribute offensively while not being a liability in their own zone and in the neutral zone. Most fans seem to have J.T. Miller penciled in to this spot, but I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet. While Miller has the skill and physical maturity to be a mainstay at the NHL level, it remains to be seen if he's developed the mental toughness and consistency to succeed in such an important role. Oscar Lindberg and Matthew Lombardi have just as good of a chance to earn the 3C spot as well. Lindberg is still very young and has a very well-rounded game. He's comfortable in his own zone, never panics, and makes smart plays with and without the puck. The challenge will be to see if his offensive game can blossom at the NHL level. Lombardi will have similar challenges as he didn't play in the NHL last season, but did, however, put up very good numbers in the Swiss league. We know the injury history. He'll look to put that behind him and use his speed and offensive ability to challenge for a roster spot, whether it's the third line center or a 4th line wing / alternate center.
Glass Moore Lombardi
AV likes Glass. I'll leave it at that since I don't know much about the guy. Dominic Moore was stellar and at times, down-right clutch for NYR last season. I'm confident he'll have a similar year. He's become a leader on the PK (along with Hagelin), and is the epitome of reliable. His maximum effort every shift rubs off on his teammates; especially the younger players. Assuming one of Miller/Lindberg wins the 3C spot, this fourth line wing spot should be Lombardi's to lose. He doesn't have the toughest competition as Chris Mueller has a combined 46 career NHL games over parts of four seasons. He did, however, put up nearly a point-per-game for the Dallas Stars' AHL affiliate last season.
