This is just ridiculous. Goodrow 1C and Mika RW? Absolutely not. Goodrow is a bottom 6 guy so keep him there. He is also worse at FO's than Mika. He can play 2nd line minutes in a pinch but that's it. Blais as a 4th liner and Vesey as a spare? Have you even watched any games? 6/7 type guy Harpur as 1LD with Fox? Are you serious? Trading Lindgren's top value 3 mil per year contract? Again, are you serious? Robertson as 2nd line LD with Schneider? He's struggling at Hartford with consistency and you want to put him on the 2nd line D with 20yo Schneider and move Kam and Trouba to 3rd pairing. That should do wonders for this team in their own zone. Absolute trash.
The criteria for C should be
1: on FOs, wins in the dot
2. defensively - neutral, as long as Ws preferably are not off handed
3 offense - doesn't matter
Given read is righty, and
on defense [vs boards, etc.] should be RW, not LW, that leaves Goodrow who shoots L and Zib who shoots R. So since Good needs to be stapled to bread's ass going into POs making this definite which 3 = the line, then yes, I forgot Panarin shoots right, so he goes RW = Good at LW and Zib at C
except as to FOs, where whoever is best should do it. Best can be overall, but should vary if there are difs w/each lines up vs.
Good is not trash
Blais showed more pre slewfoot injury. I prefer he generally get mo mins to see if he rounds anywhere closer to that form, which = upgrade over Vesey.
Harpur IS bigger, stronger, version of Lindgren, who is faster, smarter. Harpur on paper meshes well with Fox, but we need to give youth (Robertson, potentially Broberg) some mins also as situation allows to accelerate their development.
REALITY CHECK
stop avoiding hard choices.
While not as bad as Girardi under Tort's block everything abuse, Lindy is taking a beating w/super hard play all the time. That is great until the body breaks down.
More immediately relevant, we need to move guys to have enuf cap to extend KAM and Chytil, obviously, and need a bit more for others/general needs.
Lindgren should be sold high b'c we need his 3m hit + what pick(s)/+ assets = zero or min elc cap return which is huge toward that.
Admit to reality, until Trouba/Panarin cap can largely be recovered, we are screwed cap wise next 2 seasons.
Love da guy, but Lindgren goes AND STOP BEING FOOLISH BY TRYING TO HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO BY NOT DEALING THIS GUY TIL POST SEASON WHEN THE RETURN IS WAY DOWN. STOP STOP STOP.
Robertson has played w/Schneider. Disagree on narrative he is doing poorly.
I don't expect no growing pains.
I realize faster he gets NHL experience faster we are utilizing him, his elc
It's been reported Trouba has regressed incl as to decisions
So he has to go 3rd pair
KAM prob keep there to bail Troub out