Demidov's linemates

[DemidovSZN]

It's doubtful we sit any of those guys even if we lock up a playoff spot tonight. They are all looking at setting career highs, and in Slaf's case trying to hit his bonuses.

We might see them be given easier nights with icetime cut by a few minutes and given to young guys but that's about it. The only guys who might sit are guys nursing injuries, and Savard.

Suzuki could even be sitting for the last game, he got hit hard by Chiarot in Detroit and still looks kinda stricked. But I don’t think he will.

 

[SallyBalls]

This isn’t hard: they need puck control. They need someone who can drive the play, not just chase it. Give them a real puck carrier—like Demidov—and suddenly you’ve got zone time, actual possession, and a chance to use Laine and Newhook for what they’re good at instead of forcing them to do things they can’t.

Continuing with the current setup is like watching someone trip over the same rock 30 times and then defending it because “that’s just the route.” No—it’s time to change the damn route.

You’ve got a player in Demidov who thrives with the puck on his stick, can carry through traffic, manipulate defenders, and set the tempo. So why throw him onto a line that spends half its shift trying to recover the puck? That’s not development—it’s sabotage.

If you’re serious about unlocking all three—Demidov, Laine, and Newhook—you build a line around Demidov’s strengths, not wedge him into a broken structure and hope he saves it. This isn’t a rescue mission, it’s an opportunity to build a line that actually tilts the ice.

Enough with the "safe" setups that kill creativity and bleed zone time. Let the kid drive. Give him the keys.

LETS f***ING GO

 

[WeThreeKings]

Doesn't matter who his line mates are. But we know that Hughes is going into the off season specifically looking to build a line around Demidov and I'm not sure there's a current piece of the roster that would be that fit.