Line Combos: 2021-22 lines

[Captain Mountain]

I like this. Couple changes I'd make is swap Drouin and Hoffman. I think Drouin and Gallagher are good opposites and Drouin is probably our best playmaking winger to feed Dvorak some pucks.

Hoff-Evans-Anderson is a fast line that does a bit of everything. I think Evans has the smarts to make plays for Hoff.

I'm not sure about Paquette on the 4th. I think I'd give Poehling a shot if he has a decent camp.

100% agree with the Romanov-Savard pairing. That's what makes the most sense going forward. I wasn't a big fan of the Chiarot-Weber pairing to begin with, I think your pairings offer the most balance.

My biggest concern is that Hoffman-Evans-Anderson is a line that just doesn't look like it will work. Hoffman is a perimeter shooter and Anderson is a rush shooter. Hoffman isn't a great passer (and doesn't create much for others) and Anderson never passes the puck at all (5th least among forwards per Instat's data). I just don't see how those two together could work with a center not named Suzuki on this team.

My *faint* hope is that Dvorak has Tatar and Danault-like qualities to his game and will work well with Gallagher. Both are also kind of puck-hogs. In that case, Hoffman, as perimeter shooter and empty calorie point producer, would be the player in a better fit than a playmaking puck-handler like Drouin.

I also thought that at the beginning of last season, Drouin and Anderson complemented each-other well. I'm not high on Evans, but I think he might work on a 3rd line with them.

For the 4th line, I'd rather Perreault play center, but I expect the Habs to go for the veteran that has played center. Poehling can marinate.

 

[Hector Salamanca]

Drouin anderson Hoffman ...thats alot of trash bag forward defensively for how thin we are offensively.

 

[lamp9post]

Toffoli - Suzuki - Caufield
Hoffman/Armia - Dvorak - Gallagher
Armia/Hoffman - Drouin - Anderson
Lehkonen - Poehling/Evans - Poehling/Evans
Byron IR

This is my template to start the season:

Our best forwards on the first line.

Dvorak and Gallagher take the tough assignments; options are available for who will be the best fit on LW.

Drouin gets another shot at C in a low-pressure, pure exploitation role on the third line with size on the wing. Worth the experiment IMO.

Ease in Poehling and Evans on the 4th line and if Drouin struggles, you have a built in backup plan.

 

[26Mats]

Drouin anderson Hoffman ...thats alot of trash bag forward defensively for how thin we are offensively.

I'm really hoping Hoffman has a lot left in the tank, because in his prime he was really good offensively.

I don't know his defensive game very well.

But, yes, man that Anderson contract is really looking like it could be a problem going forward. He's very iffy offensively AND has problems defensively. 5.5M for hits is a lot to pay, though his hits are important.

Drouin is just a disaster contract. Only 2 years left, thankfully. At least he'll be off the books when it's time to sign Caufield.

 

[JoelWarlord]

The one x-factor I'm considering is if Poehling could fit as the 2LW? He could be a good passing option on the wing with those two.

Toffoli Suzuki Caufield
Poehling Dvorak Gallagher
Hoffman Evans Drouin
Lehkonen Perreault Armia

 

[salbutera]

I'm really hoping Hoffman has a lot left in the tank, because in his prime he was really good offensively.

I don't know his defensive game very well.

But, yes, man that Anderson contract is really looking like it could be a problem going forward. He's very iffy offensively AND has problems defensively. 5.5M for hits is a lot to pay, though his hits are important.

Drouin is just a disaster contract. Only 2 years left, thankfully. At least he'll be off the books when it's time to sign Caufield.

How is he iffy offensively? He’ll score 20-25G, excellent off the rush, and a big body with high end speed & physicality... anything more is a bonus

$5.5M only reflects the fact there’s only a handful of players who possess that combo of size, speed, physicality & 20G+ output

 

[Captain Mountain]

How is he iffy offensively? He’ll score 20-25G, excellent off the rush, and a big body with high end speed & physicality... anything more is a bonus

Because he doesn't pass the puck and doesn't engage consistently. If he's not properly surrounded he's not going to be able to justify his contract. Especially if the speed starts to go or if he wears down.

 

[salbutera]

Because he doesn't pass the puck and doesn't engage consistently. If he's not properly surrounded he's not going to be able to justify his contract. Especially if the speed starts to go or if he wears down.

If he did it consistently he’d be getting paid $8M+.

Might want to take a look at Tom Wilson’s cap hit ...that’s the going rate + 15% for the Mtl factor

 

[26Mats]

How is he iffy offensively? He’ll score 20-25G, excellent off the rush, and a big body with high end speed & physicality... anything more is a bonus

$5.5M only reflects the fact there’s only a handful of players who possess that combo of size, speed, physicality & 20G+ output

I'm not convinced he'll get us 20-25 goals. After his hot start he was not nearly on pace to score at a 20 goal pace. And he was only on pace for 30 something points over 82 games. Because he can't pass and kills a lot of potential offensive chances. This negative aspect of his game doesn't show up on the stat sheet.

We'll see what he'll actually do in 82 games this year.

But yes, I agree about the big body, speed and the hits. But those aren't offense. But, the important physicality he brings also doesn't show up on the stat sheet.

 

[Miller Time]

How is he iffy offensively? He’ll score 20-25G, excellent off the rush, and a big body with high end speed & physicality... anything more is a bonus

$5.5M only reflects the fact there’s only a handful of players who possess that combo of size, speed, physicality & 20G+ output

$5.5M only reflects what MB was willing to spend on him... the gamble was well known and why Columbus parted ways (mind you, no tears for Domi leaving town).

5.5M for a 27year old 30pt player (with 1 season of 20+ goals under his belt) that is weak defensively and is limited in transition & with cycling the puck despite his size and speed is very iffy... let alone factoring in his injury propensity.

if he can recapture the magic he had in that one very good year in Columbus, great (let's not forget that they had the likes of Panarin, Atkinson on a 40g year, Dubois @60pts, and Jones/Werenski/Murray/Savard (before his offense went in the toilet) on the back end.

I certainly hope he's a 25g/40+pt player for us, that's indeed what MB is paying him to be. If he puts up another sub-par year and/or injury-riddled year.... very iffy. let's hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[salbutera]

$5.5M only reflects what MB was willing to spend on him... the gamble was well known and why Columbus parted ways (mind you, no tears for Domi leaving town).

5.5M for a 27year old 30pt player (with 1 season of 20+ goals under his belt) that is weak defensively and is limited in transition & with cycling the puck despite his size and speed is very iffy... let alone factoring in his injury propensity.

if he can recapture the magic he had in that one very good year in Columbus, great (let's not forget that they had the likes of Panarin, Atkinson on a 40g year, Dubois @60pts, and Jones/Werenski/Murray/Savard (before his offense went in the toilet) on the back end.

I certainly hope he's a 25g/40+pt player for us, that's indeed what MB is paying him to be. If he puts up another sub-par year and/or injury-riddled year.... very iffy. let's hope it doesn't come to that.

CBJ offered Anderson the exact same contract term minus $250K which he turned down and led to the deal per their beat writer

 

[TannedBum]

Might want to take a look at Tom Wilson’s cap hit ...that’s the going rate + 15% for the Mtl factor

Tom Wilson is actually a good hockey player. Anderson needs an insane amount of luck to score a goal and somehow he sometimes has it, like in the early season. But when his luck runs out he's an absolutely useless surfer, like he was 2/3 of last season.

 

[Archijerej]

My biggest concern is that Hoffman-Evans-Anderson is a line that just doesn't look like it will work. Hoffman is a perimeter shooter and Anderson is a rush shooter. Hoffman isn't a great passer (and doesn't create much for others) and Anderson never passes the puck at all (5th least among forwards per Instat's data). I just don't see how those two together could work with a center not named Suzuki on this team.

My *faint* hope is that Dvorak has Tatar and Danault-like qualities to his game and will work well with Gallagher. Both are also kind of puck-hogs. In that case, Hoffman, as perimeter shooter and empty calorie point producer, would be the player in a better fit than a playmaking puck-handler like Drouin.

I also thought that at the beginning of last season, Drouin and Anderson complemented each-other well. I'm not high on Evans, but I think he might work on a 3rd line with them.

For the 4th line, I'd rather Perreault play center, but I expect the Habs to go for the veteran that has played center. Poehling can marinate.

What do you think about putting Hoffman and Drouin together on a purel exploitation line? If that's workable, it would solve the problem of fitting them anywhere else in the lineup.

 

[Captain Mountain]

If he did it consistently he’d be getting paid $8M+.

Might want to take a look at Tom Wilson’s cap hit ...that’s the going rate + 15% for the Mtl factor

No he wouldn't. We're not talking about a Tkachuk here.

Tom Wilson is a more consistent player and a better playmaker. Plus he's overrated.

What do you think about putting Hoffman and Drouin together on a purel exploitation line? If that's workable, it would solve the problem of fitting them anywhere else in the lineup.

Maybe if Drouin was playing center, because someone is going to need to do the dirty work on that line, and it should probably be a guy like Armia.

 

[Archijerej]

Maybe if Drouin was playing center, because someone is going to need to do the dirty work on that line, and it should probably be a guy like Armia.

I was thinking about Evans. He's a very good supporting player (well, in the AHL at least) and a keen forechecker. Sure, we would lose him for a matchup role, but the other centers could take on those responsibilities by committee.

 

[Archijerej]

How is he iffy offensively? He’ll score 20-25G, excellent off the rush, and a big body with high end speed & physicality... anything more is a bonus

$5.5M only reflects the fact there’s only a handful of players who possess that combo of size, speed, physicality & 20G+ output

The thing with Anderson is that he's not a good cycle player. It's kind of scary to think what will become of him once he can't use his speed anymore for whatever reason.

We have Gallagher, Caufield, Anderson and Armia at RW locked/soon to be locked for 4+ years. That's not sustainable. Assuming Gallagher and Caufield are not going anywhere, we will have to make a choice between Anderson and Armia. I don't think the difference in quality between those two (if any exists) justifies the difference in cap hit and term.

I think Anderson is the player to move in the next two seasons.

 

[KevSkillz4]

The one x-factor I'm considering is if Poehling could fit as the 2LW? He could be a good passing option on the wing with those two.

Toffoli Suzuki Caufield
Poehling Dvorak Gallagher
Hoffman Evans Drouin
Lehkonen Perreault Armia

Where Josh Anderson?

 

[Captain Mountain]

I was thinking about Evans. He's a very good supporting player (well, in the AHL at least) and a keen forechecker. Sure, we would lose him for a matchup role, but the other centers could take on those responsibilities by committee.

I don't know. Evans isn't that big and is coming off of a concussion. I'd much rather have a great cycle player with size in Armia there. Drouin might even work as an exploitation 3rd line C. That way you can go with something like:

Anderson-Suzuki-Caufield
Toffoli-Dvorak-Gallagher
Hoffman-Drouin-Armia
Lehkonen-Evans-Perreault

And get your 12 best forwards in the lineup at one time.

 

[Belial]

There is a part missing about him stating that for that to work, his back has to hold.

Watch the Zoom.

I watched the Zoom and he said his back is perfectly fine now, I mean if he hasn't had any isuess for the last 7 years I guess he should be fine taking some faceoffs. Anyway the main point is that he's ready to play center if Dom wants him at center.

 

[Captain Mountain]

The thing with Anderson is that he's not a good cycle player. It's kind of scary to think what will become of him once he can't use his speed anymore for whatever reason.

We have Gallagher, Caufield, Anderson and Armia at RW locked/soon to be locked for 4+ years. That's not sustainable. Assuming Gallagher and Caufield are not going anywhere, we will have to make a choice between Anderson and Armia. I don't think the difference in quality between those two (if any exists) justifies the difference in cap hit and term.

I think Anderson is the player to move in the next two seasons.

To add, Montreal might need/want the capspace and guys like Anderson are always overvalued around the NHL.

 

[Kosseca]

There is something off about this group of players. The fact that we cant make decent line combo almost suggest that there is something more that will happen. Our center line is not strong enough to support our group of wingers. At any rate.... I think that we will see these being tested in training camp at some point:

Hoffman - Suzuki - Caulfield (good: could score a lot, bad: can't defend against a cycle)
Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson (good: mix of skill set, bad: two winger not exactly strong on D)
Toffoli - Evans - Gally (Good: can fdefend well, Bad: lack of playmaking and offence)
Lehkonen - Paquette - Armia (left over line... )

Which leave Perrault, Byron outside looking in.

 

[Belial]

What do you think about putting Hoffman and Drouin together on a purel exploitation line? If that's workable, it would solve the problem of fitting them anywhere else in the lineup.

Hoffman and Drouin's defensive problems are overblown IMO.

Playing them with a responsible center and a solid 2 way winger on the other side should be enough to counter their lack of 2 way play.

 

[salbutera]

There is something off about this group of players. The fact that we cant make decent line combo almost suggest that there is something more that will happen. Our center line is not strong enough to support our group of wingers. At any rate.... I think that we will see these being tested in training camp at some point:

Hoffman - Suzuki - Caulfield (good: could score a lot, bad: can't defend against a cycle)
Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson (good: mix of skill set, bad: two winger not exactly strong on D)
Toffoli - Evans - Gally (Good: can fdefend well, Bad: lack of playmaking and offence)
Lehkonen - Paquette - Armia (left over line... )

Which leave Perrault, Byron outside looking in.

“We” don’t matter, it’s about Dom Dom making combos to fit his system - assets acquired & shipped out had to be aligned w that fit in mind

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I could see Toffoli-Suzuki-Caufield staying together since that worked pretty well in the playoffs and a Drouin-Dvorak-Gallagher experiment early. Hoffman-Evans-Anderson might be worth a shot I guess, it's a weird mix but who knows, it might work. Evans on a line that's expected to generate legit offense is a pretty tall order though, it's asking a whole lot.

 

[angusyoung]

A lot of good wingers in the mix and feel they don't have to necessarily have a so called shut down line and can roll 4 lines that all can score.