I am not sure why some are ready to go big game hunting for something like a 2C, which may not even be a longterm need. I realize there isn’t a lot of patience around here but if people are convinced we are headed down the right path, why change the path before we know what we have with these young guys?
My concept is that we will have 3 years until it’s reasonable that Dvorsky could carry real top 9 minutes. Everybody else is a year longer at least. So in that time we have Schenn as 2C and he’s doing great but his career is at the part where you plan for the production to decrease.
I think Schenn would be a great winger for Dvorsky at first: a guy who can take draws, a guy who knows what the spacing is supposed to be so if Dvorsky is off there is still coverage, a physical guy who will respond if needed, etc.
I also think Buchnevich was -better than good- at center earlier in the season but the problem when we do this is we lose him as a winger and we don’t have a winger to use. Buchnevich struggled when Thomas went down which should surprise nobody.
If Snuggerud can effectively fill some of these minutes that exist when Buchnevich leaves the winger role; If Snuggerud is enough of a threat with Thomas that they demand coverage then Buchnevich at center will work. It would also work if we traded for any winger who could be enough of a threat with Thomas. It would be hard on Thomas with young Snuggs learning on the job but our second line feels like it would be so potent and puck carrying and 200ft…
Neighbors - Thomas - Snuggerud
Holloway - Buchnevich - Kyrou
Schenn - Dvorsky - Bolduc
I don’t think Snuggerud gets full top 6 minutes his first year but I think he’ll get enough of them that it’s not just a brief thing unless he’s a danger to himself or fails to meet some minimal performance. I think Matthew Knies usage is a real great example to set expectations in a successful outcome. He wasn’t always on the top line or in the top 6 but he was enough of the time that you’d describe him as playing there.
You could really afford a powerful 4th line with this depth chart and use it to help Dvorsky and Snuggerud get great opportunities without exposing the team. Youd also have a second line that often is free of developing players. That line can remain like that often to be a stable source of goals.