Line Combos: 2021-22 lines

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KevSkillz4

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Apr 11, 2016
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Gallagher patine à droite de Suzuki et Toffoli

If they create chemistry, I like the idea :

Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson.
Toffoli - Suzuki - Gallagher.
Hoffman - Evans - Caufield.
Lehkonen/Perreault- Poehling/Paquette - Armia.

Yeah Gallagher don't play his best hockey at last playoffs, but he's still on pace 32 goals. Suzuki he is a amazing passer, Gallagher can finish and can put gritty play on that line. Toffoli don't have the greatest speed, but he got everything else, great two-way forward, great scorer, great hockey IQ, great hands too. That's a pretty good balanced line.

Hoffman - Evans - Caufield, Hoffman can score and pass, Evans can defend and pass, Caufield can score and pass, that's line could be very good. Evans is going to be the defensive guy in that line, with two talented winger, Evans can prove that he got offensive ability.
 

Vachon23

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Oct 14, 2015
19,200
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Victoriaville
Gallagher patine à droite de Suzuki et Toffoli

If they create chemistry, I like the idea :

Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson.
Toffoli - Suzuki - Gallagher.
Hoffman - Evans - Caufield.
Lehkonen/Perreault- Poehling/Paquette - Armia.

Yeah Gallagher don't play his best hockey at last playoffs, but he's still on pace 32 goals. Suzuki he is a amazing passer, Gallagher can finish and can put gritty play on that line. Toffoli don't have the greatest speed, but he got everything else, great two-way forward, great scorer, great hockey IQ, great hands too. That's a pretty good balanced line.

Hoffman - Evans - Caufield, Hoffman can score and pass, Evans can defend and pass, Caufield can score and pass, that's line could be very good. Evans is going to be the defensive guy in that line, with two talented winger, Evans can prove that he got offensive ability.
I really don't like the 3rd line, Caufield and Hoffman are too similar and there is no one to create plays for them and who will get the puck in corner ?
 

EveryDay

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Jun 13, 2009
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We already have 6 defenceman with a spot on the team. The question is, are they keeping 7 or 8 defenceman to start the season?

Either one or 2 of Norlinder/Wideman/Niku

All other options have close to 1% chance.

***Ghule will not stay in MTL this year, he need to play alot of minutes in the WHL +WJC.
 

Vachon23

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Oct 14, 2015
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Victoriaville
We already have 6 defenceman with a spot on the team. The question is, are they keeping 7 or 8 defenceman to start the season?

Either one or 2 of Norlinder/Wideman/Niku

All other options have close to 1% chance.

***Ghule will not stay in MTL this year, he need to play alot of minutes in the WHL +WJC.
Kulak spot in the top 6 is far from granted, Wideman/Niku have the same chances of him in my book
 

EveryDay

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Jun 13, 2009
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if the #7-8 count then yes I agree but Wideman spot is probably guaranteed to

Not necessarily for Wideman, if the Team keeps only 7 defenceman to start the season, Wideman still need to beat Niku for that final spot. I do believe that Norlinder will head back in Sweden for one more year but that's my opinion.

For me the battle right now is between Niku and Wideman if they decide to keep 7D only.
 

Vachon23

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Oct 14, 2015
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Not necessarily for Wideman, if the Team keeps only 7 defenceman to start the season, Wideman still need to beat Niku for that final spot. I do believe that Norlinder will head back in Sweden for one more year but that's my opinion.

For me the battle right now is between Niku and Wideman if they decide to keep 7D only.

For me Wideman/Niku have the same chances then Kulak for the #6 spot because they can brings something we don't have on our 2nd PP and transition game.
 

The Gr8 Dane

L'harceleur
Jan 19, 2018
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Montréal
If Seattle took Price, that could have been an option. Ship has sailed and we have too many pieces signed with term to tank. If we run into injury trouble where it derails our season, it might still happen. Hard to predict with the new roster we have.
The tank ship sails every year for the habs regardless of the roster. One can still hope.
 

Canadienna

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Jan 27, 2015
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Evans certainly doesn't deserve the 3C spot if he keeps playing the way he did last night.

He was dreadful, hope it's just rust.
 

26Mats

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Jun 23, 2018
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For me Wideman/Niku have the same chances then Kulak for the #6 spot because they can brings something we don't have on our 2nd PP and transition game.

True, but 1st and foremost a defender has to be able to defend. Kulak's a great skater with good size and is decent at most aspects of defending. He sometimes doesn't move the smoothly though.

But Niku sounds like another adventure in his own zone and I'm not sure wideman has the strength to handle forwards in front of the net and on the cycle.
 

Vachon23

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Oct 14, 2015
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Victoriaville
True, but 1st and foremost a defender has to be able to defend. Kulak's a great skater with good size and is decent at most aspects of defending. He sometimes doesn't move the smoothly though.

But Niku sounds like another adventure in his own zone and I'm not sure wideman has the strength to handle forwards in front of the net and on the cycle.
I do have the same concern about those 2 but it's not like if Kulak is good in those part of the game either (handle forwards in front of the net and on the cycle) even if he's more reliable then Wideman and Niku. But being pair with a guy like Chiarot who can handle those 2 thing, and on more shelted minutes at 5 on 5, I think one of those 2 can make the job. Didn't hate Wideman yesterday even if it was hard to evaluate him on 5 on 5 because he was facing AHLer and he was player with an AHLer
 
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Vachon23

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Oct 14, 2015
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Victoriaville
Evans certainly doesn't deserve the 3C spot if he keeps playing the way he did last night.

He was dreadful, hope it's just rust.
He didn't play that bad yesterday, I just think he was overrated this offseason because they healthy scratch KK for him at the end but he was always nothing more then a 4th line C last season. He doesn't have the offensive tools to be on the 3rd line C in the way we want to play (with 3 Offensive line).
 

WinterLion

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Oct 1, 2017
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True, but 1st and foremost a defender has to be able to defend. Kulak's a great skater with good size and is decent at most aspects of defending. He sometimes doesn't move the smoothly though.

But Niku sounds like another adventure in his own zone and I'm not sure wideman has the strength to handle forwards in front of the net and on the cycle.


I agree... it's a pickle. Maybe Guhle has a legit chance to make the team. Unless Niku or Wideman are substantially better than Petry and Romy on the PP I don't see the point...
 

Wats

Error 520
Mar 8, 2006
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Might be a good year to poach players off waivers with all the injuries.

Toffoli - Suzuki - Caufield
Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson
Lehkonen - Evans - Gallagher
Perrault - Paquette - Armia

Edmundson - Petry
Romanov - Savard
Chiarot - Niku/Wideman (one)
Kulak

IR: Hoffman
LTIR: Byron, Weber

Keep the better of Niku/Wideman, waive the other. Leaves 2 bench guys. Pezzetta for grit might be a good choice with the way he's playing. Vjdemo is versatile but doesn't really do much, same for Belzile. I feel some better options might be available on waivers. Brooks on the Leafs might be a nice pickup if they waive him for example. We might even end up with someone better than Niku/Wideman for that 3rd pairing RD.
 

1909

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Jul 6, 2016
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Might be a good year to poach players off waivers with all the injuries.

Toffoli - Suzuki - Caufield
Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson
Lehkonen - Evans - Gallagher
Perrault - Paquette - Armia

Edmundson - Petry
Romanov - Savard
Chiarot - Niku/Wideman (one)
Kulak

IR: Hoffman
LTIR: Byron, Weber

Keep the better of Niku/Wideman, waive the other. Leaves 2 bench guys. Pezzetta for grit might be a good choice with the way he's playing. Vjdemo is versatile but doesn't really do much, same for Belzile. I feel some better options might be available on waivers. Brooks on the Leafs might be a nice pickup if they waive him for example. We might even end up with someone better than Niku/Wideman for that 3rd pairing RD.

Caufield doesn't have (should not) to play with Suzuki full time this season, and I strongly doubt Gally (6,5M $) will accept to play with two guys like Lekhonen and Evans on a third line. Let's keep Caufield on a 3rd line and give him PP time.
 

1909

Registered User
Jul 6, 2016
21,247
11,781
Might be a good year to poach players off waivers with all the injuries.

Toffoli - Suzuki - Caufield
Drouin - Dvorak - Anderson
Lehkonen - Evans - Gallagher
Perrault - Paquette - Armia

Edmundson - Petry
Romanov - Savard
Chiarot - Niku/Wideman (one)
Kulak

IR: Hoffman
LTIR: Byron, Weber

Keep the better of Niku/Wideman, waive the other. Leaves 2 bench guys. Pezzetta for grit might be a good choice with the way he's playing. Vjdemo is versatile but doesn't really do much, same for Belzile. I feel some better options might be available on waivers. Brooks on the Leafs might be a nice pickup if they waive him for example. We might even end up with someone better than Niku/Wideman for that 3rd pairing RD.

Niku as a two-way contract. Wideman, only NHL. As for Pezzeta and Vejdemo, Habs have signed vets like Perreault and Paquette to fill these roles and they have Poehling who needs to go thru waivers.
 

Wats

Error 520
Mar 8, 2006
42,232
6,987
Caufield doesn't have (should not) to play with Suzuki full time this season, and I strongly doubt Gally (6,5M $) will accept to play with two guys like Lekhonen and Evans on a third line. Let's keep Caufield on a 3rd line and give him PP time.

Gally shouldn't be making 6.5M but that's besides point. It's temporary until Hoffman returns from injury, hopefully he isn't the pouty type. Suzuki/Caufield duo was all the offense Montreal was getting during cup run, think it's better to give it a chance during regular season too.
 
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