I'm pulling hard for Duclair. I'm pulling hard for Lindberg. And i'm pulling hard for Hrvik.
Stempniak is looking good - and for a bottom 6 player he'll provide more stability than Kristo can - even if Kristo shows more offensive promise at the expense of defense.
Miller i'm taking as a foregone conclusion that he'll make it. Big year for him coming up.
As for why i'm pulling hard for just those 3 prospects to make the team right now - Duclair and Nash have had instant chemistry. Call me crazy, but i'm sure part of Nash's dominant start to camp has come because of Duclair the energizer bunny on the line. He's fiesty, does whatever it takes, and its hard for his line mates not to feed off of that energy. With Miller centering them they looked pretty damn explosive on Friday.
Lindberg reminds me of Dominic Moore. Defensively repsonsible, isn't afraid of contact, has offensive capability. Him and Moore would create 2/3 of a defensive dynamo 4th line, hard forechecking, great at face-offs, and with above average offensive skill for that line.
Hrvik has sold me on his play - he did last summer, he has again this summer. He could be a great 4th liner for us. Problem is that we already have too many guys that fill the same skill set as he does. We need more diversity - i.e adding someone more physical, adding someone bigger, adding something we don't already have.
It also seems like the 4th line winger positions will be the hardest to crack.
Lindberg
Stempniak
Glass
Malone
Lombardi
Hrvik
Fast
They can all be a part of that line and not miss a beat.
Of the group, only Glass doesn't have above average offensive and defensive skill set... but he fights...
AV isn't big on fighting, which would make me believe that perhaps Glass could fill in as a 13th forward against more physical teams or come in during an injury to a player.
But even still - Stempniak looked damn good and Hrvik would likely have to beat him out (in the event that Duke makes it onto the 3rd line).
Ideally, I'd love to see these lines when Stepan returns:
Kreider-Stepan-MSL
Hags-Brassard-Zucc
Duke-Miller-Nash
Lindberg-Moore-Stempniak
Glass, Lombardi, Hrvik (spare forwards)