Confirmed with Link: Dickinson signs ELC 3x $975k, AAV $1.758M

[coooldude]

Just by calling it the 2nd line and putting Kostin on his wing is not going to prevent Celebrini/Toffoli from being matched up against the opponents best on the road.

That doesn't really matter from my post -- as I said, our "first line" is either a weak first line or a strong second line. If opponents decide the Celebrini line is 1st line, then that becomes a weak 1st line and the other line becomes the strong second line. Either way we have a weak 1st line and a strong second line (or an average/poor second line if Celebrini struggles in the NHL).

My only quibble with your post is that given what Grier and Warso have said (and what you yourself said Granlund said) -- I think Granlund is the C and will play C duties and it does matter that you call him C and not Smith, even if Smith takes his strongside faceoffs.

The last paragraph and even the minute splits you cited I completely agree with. That was the main point of my post - I think we're going to be rolling lines a lot more evenly at ES this year. And it sounds like you agree.

 

[Mattb124]

We basically don't have a great 1st line, but we have a very solid 2nd line, and another solid 2nd line (if Celebrini can hang), and a strong 3rd line / weak 3rd 2nd line.

I'll plant my flag - based on everything we know and saw last year and in the offseason from Grier and Warsofsky, Granlund WILL center the first line (which is actually a good second line). It'll probably be the Lund line, but wingers might move up and down.

I think Celebrini is likely to center the second line with Toffoli and whoever cycles in on the left (my bet is on Kostin to start the season but I think it'll be a bit of a revolving door). This will be a decent 2nd line.

The Third line will almost certainly be centered by Wennberg to start, or maybe Smith if he has a great camp with Wennberg and whoever else helping a lot on the defensive responsibilities. This will be a good third line and a weak 2nd line.

The fourth line will be a pretty good fourth line, no matter which players are rotating in or out.

All told, we will probably roll a lot more at evens (barring injuries) -- I could see 3rd line getting 15 minutes, 2nd line getting 17-18 minutes, 1st line 18-20 minutes, 4th line gets the rest (10-ish). might be even more balanced than that, actually.

That's my prediction and my preference.

Couldn’t agree more. First line likely as it was last season, Kostin - Celebrini - Tofolli (presuming Couture can’t play) on 2nd, Wennberg and Smith sharing some C responsibility on the 3rd (Smith looks like he is a very good forechecker/F1 potential, really need a finisher on that line), and thw 4th line comprised of whoever is left over (Kunin/Strum/Goodrow).

 

[Mattb124]

You're not switching the lines all night. You just don't have to deploy that line for 20 mins a night because you have actual NHL players in the bottom 6 and have up to 8 NHL centers in the lineup at a given time if a young guy is having an off night or it's a late game defensive zone draw and you need/want a more experienced line out there for a key situation.

There is not enough offensive talent to where playing Celebrini/Smith with less skilled players is going to do more for their development than playing them with guys that can actually contribute offense. Why the heck would you sign Toffoli if you're not going to play Celebrini or Smith with him?

Teams are going to put their best players against Celebrini because he's going to likely be one of our 2 best forwards this year. Doesn't matter who he's playing with, so you are WAY better off giving him the best chance possible at succeeding rather than pretending that by putting him with Kostin and Kunin that's somehow better for his development because you're assigning a "3rd line" designation to it.

Teams match lines, not players. Assuming Celebrini will be our 2nd best player is a stretch at this point, and as I posted I don’t expect Celebrini to be on the 1st line - at least not to start the season.

 

[gaucholoco3]

Couldn’t agree more. First line likely as it was last season, Kostin - Celebrini - Tofolli (presuming Couture can’t play) on 2nd, Wennberg and Smith sharing some C responsibility on the 3rd (Smith looks like he is a very good forechecker/F1 potential, really need a finisher on that line), and thw 4th line comprised of whoever is left over (Kunin/Strum/Goodrow).

Toffoli is repped by the same agent as Celebrini who wanted to see help brought in before he signed. I am confident that Toffoli will be stapled to Celebrini most of the year.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Toffoli is repped by the same agent as Celebrini who wanted to see help brought in before he signed. I am confident that Toffoli will be stapled to Celebrini most of the year.

"Lund" line
Kostin/Gushchin/etc. - Celebrini - Toffoli

 

[gaucholoco3]

"Lund" line
Kostin/Gushchin/etc. - Celebrini - Toffoli

I get the gimmick of the “Lund” line but I don’t know why a few months of play at the end of a wasted season where they didn’t even dominate is a reason to keep them together.

 

[OrrNumber4]

I get the gimmick of the “Lund” line but I don’t know why a few months of play at the end of a wasted season where they didn’t even dominate is a reason to keep them together.

1) Granlund should be the first-line center
2) Celebrini should have the only other bonafide top-6 forward with him
3) Handedness is important to me

I supposed Eklund could swap and play LW on the 2nd line.

 

[Mattb124]

Toffoli is repped by the same agent as Celebrini who wanted to see help brought in before he signed. I am confident that Toffoli will be stapled to Celebrini most of the year.

Agreed, i wasn’t clear. I think Couture would supplant Kostin as 2nd LW if he is healthy.

 

[gaucholoco3]

1) Granlund should be the first-line center
2) Celebrini should have the only other bonafide top-6 forward with him
3) Handedness is important to me

I supposed Eklund could swap and play LW on the 2nd line.

I just think that the Sharks have 6.5 players that should play in scoring roles on the top 6. Couture is the .5 since there is no way to know the kind of player he is. The other 6 are Celebrini, Toffoli, Eklund, Granlund, Smith, and Zetterlund. How they are deployed doesn’t matter to me as long as those are the top 6.

If handedness is important then my preferred lines work.

Eklund (L) - Celebrini (L) - Toffoli (R)
Granlund (L) - Smith (R) - Zetterlund (R)

 

[OrrNumber4]

I just think that the Sharks have 6.5 players that should play in scoring roles on the top 6. Couture is the .5 since there is no way to know the kind of player he is. The other 6 are Celebrini, Toffoli, Eklund, Granlund, Smith, and Zetterlund. How they are deployed doesn’t matter to me as long as those are the top 6.

If handedness is important then my preferred lines work.

Eklund (L) - Celebrini (L) - Toffoli (R)
Granlund (L) - Smith (R) - Zetterlund (R)

I'd like Smith to be on the 3rd line. Don't think Celebrini is ready for first-line minutes, or Smith for top-6 minutes. Would be happy to be proven wrong!

 

[Alaskanice]

I’d like to see these kids play against men in the NHL before I consider what line they should be on.

 

[OrrNumber4]

I’d like to see these kids play against men in the NHL before I consider what line they should be on.

Too reasonable a take for the offseason.

 

[Mattb124]

Too reasonable a take for the offseason.

But new, shiny toys.

 

[Star Platinum]

I'd like Smith to be on the 3rd line. Don't think Celebrini is ready for first-line minutes, or Smith for top-6 minutes. Would be happy to be proven wrong!

Define "ready." Does ready mean "able to be roughly as good as the line opposing them" or does ready mean "able to play against them without getting caved in so badly that they lose confidence"? Because if the standard is the former, then I think we have some confusion about when is the appropriate time to start playing your best young prospects.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Define "ready." Does ready mean "able to be roughly as good as the line opposing them" or does ready mean "able to play against them without getting caved in so badly that they lose confidence"? Because if the standard is the former, then I think we have some confusion about when is the appropriate time to start playing your best young prospects.

For Celebrini, it would be "is he already a top 25/30 center in the league?" type of line.

 

[landshark]

I get the gimmick of the “Lund” line but I don’t know why a few months of play at the end of a wasted season where they didn’t even dominate is a reason to keep them together.

Lund... Lund will keep us together...

 

[jMoneyBrah]

Sounds like there's a strong possibility that he might not pan out if his decision-making is suspect. Makes one wish we would have Buium, whose skating, brain, and hands are firing off at a high level already. I thought Dickinson had a higher floor than Buium, but it doesn't look to be the case if his processing skills and hands coordination isn't up to par.

Bruh. Dickinson’s played exactly one prospect scrimmage. Can we at least grant him an entire training camp before we just completely write him off? He was the 11th overall pick and ranked significantly higher on a lot of lists; which is just to say there is a pretty broad consensus that Dickinson has a much better chance than most at being a quality NHL player. Odds are he’ll pan out just fine.

 

[jMoneyBrah]

Top Line:
Eklund - Granlund - Zetterlund

4th Line:
Goodrow - Sturm - Kunin

Build two middle six lines, each featuring one of Smith and Celebrini and whomever performs best during training camp. Then tell the kids which ever one’s line does better each night gets extra Nilla wafers with their milk before bed.

Y’all make this shit too complicated.

 

[weastern bias]

Lund... Lund will keep us together...

I f***ing LOVE The Captain & Tennille

Like a dollar store Carpenters, but with more boat hats and dudes named "Dragon"