We are watching neil deteriorate before our eyes.
(Yes I know he got an assist) but wow. That guy loses a step what seems like every game.
Disagree. Neil is still fine. He has drawn 2 penalties recently and produced lots of chances.
I think the weakness of the 4th line is Kelly and Lazar. We need a better centre and an actual playmaker on the 4th line. Neil is fine being Neil. He actually still has hands and good offensive instincts. It is why when they aren't playing the 4th line together that Neil is the guy brought up to take occassional shifts with Turris versus the other guys... who get a top 6er added to them.
I really want White to sign and get called up to end the season and hopefully he can be the answer at centre on the 4th line. If Pyatt is pushed onto the 4th line by trade then that would be huge as well.
I love Lazar. At least I want to love him because he is so loveable, but Neil is infinitely better then Lazar offensively. With his hands, instincts, passing, shooting. Everything except speed. Lazar has speed and does nothing useful with it at all. Kelly is a decent PKer still but is not really capable of leading a line 5-5.
To me the only 4th liner that is good at doing what he is supposed to do is Neil. We are too shallow and they are too good, but Smith or Pageau or Dzingel forced to the 4th line would be huge if we acquired player(s) to push them there. And or Pyatt.
Neil is supposed to be the 11th/12th best forward. Winger on the 4th line that does not PK or PP and is always aggressive and physical and grinding out time in the offensive zone who has the hands and IQ to occaissionally score or create offensive chances. To me he does that job very well.
The weakness of the 4th line is at centre. Your 4th line centre should really be your 9th/10th best forward and an elite PK guy. Think Van Allen, younger Kelly, younger Pageau, Smith in years past. Neither Kelly or Lazar are up for that role at the moment.
It is hard for Neil to look good on a 4th line where he is the best offensive player on the line.