Lines

[Commander Clueless]

Domi-Matthews-Nylander
McMann-Marner-Knies <--- Hear me out on this one
Holmberg-Tavares-Robertson <---- Open for Grebyonkin/Cowan taking a spot here
Dewar-Kampf-Jarnkrok <---- Really liked this as a shutdown line in the playoffs

Rielly-Tanev
Benoit-McCabe <--- Loved this pairing last year. Don't want to split it up
OEL-Liljegren <----- But really not sure about this one....
Hakanpaa

Woll
Stolarz

 

[ULF_55]

Domi-Matthews-Nylander
McMann-Marner-Knies <--- Hear me out on this one
Holmberg-Tavares-Robertson <---- Open for Grebyonkin/Cowan taking a spot here
Dewar-Kampf-Jarnkrok

Rielly-Tanev
Benoit-McCabe <--- Loved this pairing last year. Don't want to split it up
OEL-Liljegren <----- But really not sure about this one....
Hakanpaa

Woll
Stolarz

Pairings:
1. Rielly - Tanev - most minutes
2a. Benoit-McCabe - 2nd. most minutes
2b. OEL-Liljegren - 2nd. most minutes

 

[Commander Clueless]

Pairings:
1. Rielly - Tanev - most minutes
2a. Benoit-McCabe - 2nd. most minutes
2b. OEL-Liljegren - 2nd. most minutes

Makes sense, but I'm worried about that bottom pair getting hemmed.

Can certainly move the puck though.

 

[ULF_55]

Makes sense, but I'm worried about that bottom pair getting hemmed.

Can certainly move the puck though.

I think OEL will be good for Liljegren.

Someone who can take a pass and skate with it.

 

[LeafalCrusader]

Knies Matthews Marner
Domi Tavares Nylander
McMann Holmberg Jarnkrok
Dewar Kampf Reaves

Rielly Tanev
Benoit McCabe
OEL Liljegren

Woll
Stolarz

As of July 2nd.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

For now…

Knies - AM - Domi
Robertson -Tavares - Marner
McMann - Holmberg - Nylander
Dewar - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves

Rielly - Tanev
OEL - McCabe
Benoit - Lily
Hakaanpa

Woll
Stolarz

 

[Puckstuff]

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann -Tavares - Marner
Robertson - Holmberg - Nylander
Dewar - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves

Rielly - Tanev
Benoit -McCabe
OEL - Liljegren
Hakaanpa

Woll
Stolarz

 

[Buds17]

Domi-Matthews-Nylander
Knies-Tavares-Marner
McMann-Kampf-Jarnkrok
Dewar-Holmberg-Reaves
Robertson (trade request)

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-McCabe
Benoit-Liljegren
Hakanpaa

Woll
Stolarz

 

[notDatsyuk]

Domi-Matthews-Nylander
McMann-Marner-Knies <--- Hear me out on this one
Holmberg-Tavares-Robertson <---- Open for Grebyonkin/Cowan taking a spot here
Dewar-Kampf-Jarnkrok <---- Really liked this as a shutdown line in the playoffs

Rielly-Tanev
Benoit-McCabe <--- Loved this pairing last year. Don't want to split it up
OEL-Liljegren <----- But really not sure about this one....
Hakanpaa

Woll
Stolarz

Small, scared to go to the slot, weak shot Marner you want to make 2C?

For now…

Knies - AM - Domi
Robertson -Tavares - Marner
McMann - Holmberg - Nylander
Dewar - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Reaves

Rielly - Tanev
OEL - McCabe
Benoit - Lily
Hakaanpa

Woll
Stolarz

Swap lines 2 and 3 and it's not bad.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Small, scared to go to the slot, weak shot Marner you want to make 2C?

Hey, we said we wanted big change, right?

 

[I am Canadian]

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Jarnkrok - Holmberg - Nylander
Reeves - Kampf - Dewar

Rielly - Tanev
OEL - McCabe
Benoit - Liljegren
Hakanpaa

The DCore makes me throw up in my mouth still. Still too many LHD

 

[Schennanigans]

One thing that know is this should stick for most of the year. Juggle the rest. I’d like this to be a line that we stick with.

Knies Mathews Domi

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Nylander is a much better option at 2C than Tavares.

Tavares centering either of them is a really bad idea - centering both is moronic.

Nylander is not a center in the NHL, if he was going to be a center he would be by now.

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Jarnkrok - Holmberg - Nylander
Reeves - Kampf - Dewar

Rielly - Tanev
OEL - McCabe
Benoit - Liljegren
Hakanpaa

The DCore makes me throw up in my mouth still. Still too many LHD

Man you don't realize how much better that D core is than what we had last year.

 

[ZEBROA]

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Holmberg - Nylander
Jarnkrok - Tavares - Marner

Or

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Nylander - Marner
Tavares - Holmberg - Jarnkrok

I want no Marner with Matthews and no Nylander with Tavares. Only on special occations.

Fourth line, whats left.
And i would not let the forth line play the last 10 minutes no matter if we were winning or loosing. Just to set the right attitude.

 

[Puckstuff]

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Holmberg - Nylander
Jarnkrok - Tavares - Marner

Or

Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Nylander - Marner
Tavares - Holmberg - Jarnkrok

I want no Marner with Matthews and no Nylander with Tavares. Only on special occations.

Fourth line, whats left.
And i would not let the forth line play the last 10 minutes no matter if we were winning or loosing. Just to set the right attitude.

I agree.

We need to make use of Robertson though, either by using him on the team or finding a trade. It's hard for me to find a "good fit" for Robertson as he doesn't fit stylistically in the top 6 with two shoot-first centers in Matthews and Tavares. He would probably do better on a team that has a speedy playmaker i.e Duchene. Robertson is really good at creating on the rush (as is Nylander and that's why that combo works)) On the other hand Tavares works the cycle game.

I would try to trade Robertson for a puck-retrieving physical 2LW that plays a better cycle game that could work with Marner and Tavares. Or I would try to trade for a 3C that can play a good defensive game that can work with Robertson's rush game.

Scenario 1: Trade Robertson, look for a 2LW that can play the cycle game and score with Tavares-Marner

Domi - Matthews - Nylander
????? - Tavares - Marner
Knies - Holmberg - McMann
Dewar - Kampf - Jarnkrok

Scenario 2: Sign Robertson, look for a speedy playmaker. Essentially a Duchene type player.

Knies - Matthews - Domi
Robbie - ??????? - Nylander
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Dewar - Kampf - Jarnkrok

 

[Griffin76]

Knies Matthews Domi
Nylander Tavares Marner
McMann Holmberg Jarnkrok
Dewar Kampf Reaves

Rielly Tanev
McCabe Hakanpaa
OEL Liljegren
Benoit

Woll
Stolarz

I'd also be ok with swapping Nylander and McMann when it gets closer to end of the season. I like the idea of 3 lines that can score cause we all know it dries up in the playoffs.

I don't think Robertson will be here. Let him go become the next Trevor Moore or something. Yes it sucks to see someone reach their potential somewhere else but I dont think he's going to reach it here.

I know people won't like Benoit as 7th but I'm worried he may turn into the next Holl if expectations aren't lowered a little bit. There's absolutely no reason why the bottom 4 can't go through a bit of a rotation. Rielly, Tanev and McCabe will all get banged up and need nights off. There are going to be injuries so everybody should get at least 60+ games in. Could make for fresher legs come playoff time as well.

 

[613Leafer]

Getting an upgrade at the #3 C spot would really round out the roster. For sake of argument, let's say it costs Robertson + a pick or prospect, and then for cap reasons we also find a way to move Kampf. Timmins traded or waived as well.

Domi-Matthews-Nylander
Knies-Tavares-Marner
McMann-XXX-Jarnkrok
Dewer-Holmberg-Reaves

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-McCabe
Benoit-Liljegren
Hakanpaa

Will
Stolarz

Assuming XXX is a legit 3rd line C, and the best player on that 3rd line, it actually looks like a pretty balanced team. If Tavares struggles at C, you move Domi to the #2 C spot and Tavares to the wing.

Each D pair has a good mix of puck moving ability, size, defensive ability, etc.

Cowan and Grebenkin are also wildcards who could make the team and provide even more offence to that 3rd line.

 

[conFABulator]

Getting an upgrade at the #3 C spot would really round out the roster. For sake of argument, let's say it costs Robertson + a pick or prospect, and then for cap reasons we also find a way to move Kampf. Timmins traded or waived as well.

Domi-Matthews-Nylander
Knies-Tavares-Marner
McMann-XXX-Jarnkrok
Dewer-Holmberg-Reaves

Rielly-Tanev
OEL-McCabe
Benoit-Liljegren
Hakanpaa

Will
Stolarz

Assuming XXX is a legit 3rd line C, and the best player on that 3rd line, it actually looks like a pretty balanced team. If Tavares struggles at C, you move Domi to the #2 C spot and Tavares to the wing.

Each D pair has a good mix of puck moving ability, size, defensive ability, etc.

Cowan and Grebenkin are also wildcards who could make the team and provide even more offence to that 3rd line.

I fully agree. Have we tried Kampf as #3C enough times to be sure that it doesn't work? I mean, he played with Reaves and Gregor last year so we can understand why he didn't put up numbers.

I believe he played well and in a more offensive role at the WC this year. Is there any scenario where he is an underpaid 3C inst and of an overpaid 4C?

Knies Matthews Domi
Robertson Tavares Marner
McMann Kampf Nylander
Dewar Holmberg Jarnkrok

I am not sure this works, but it would be great if it did. Or...

Knies Matthews Domi
Robertson Tavares Marner
Grebenkin Kampf Nylander
McMann Holmberg Jarnkrok
Dewar

 

[ToneDog]

Our LW is weak and we are thin down the middle. Tre has lots more work to do.

 

[613Leafer]

I fully agree. Have we tried Kampf as #3C enough times to be sure that it doesn't work? I mean, he played with Reaves and Gregor last year so we can understand why he didn't put up numbers.

His first two seasons with us he largely played a 3rd line C role, averaging over 15 minutes a night both of those seasons. He had under 30 points both of those years, and overall has 6 points in 25 playoff games with us.

Lundell by contrast was Florida's 3rd line C, and put up 17 points in 24 playoff games.

William Karlsson was Vegas' 3rd line C when they won, and he put up 17 points in 22 games.

Colorado didn't have a particularly strong 3rd line C (Helm) but generally speaking, 90%+ of Cup winners have a clearly better player than Kampf in that slot (eg Cirelli, Bozak, Eller, Bonino, etc).

 

[Nineteen67]

They don’t have much cap flexibility, so somebody making 2+ million has to go. Timmins and the new D may get waived and Webber sent to the minors to sign Dewar…. Is that enough to keep Cowan and Minton around 10 games?

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Rielly/Tanev
McCabe/Liljegren
OEL/Hakanpaa
*Benoit

That defense STINKS.

How do I know this. Because there isn't a single player on there fans are united in keeping. If there was even one awesome defenseman on the team everyone would love him.

At least half the fan base is against every single one of these guys.

Benoit might actually be the most universally loved. Given such a minor role on the team this is to be expected. Shove him higher up the lineup and there'll be howls.

This isn't a Stanley Cup contending defense.

I don't know what you could call this mess. Stanley Cup contending isn't one of them. Even "defense" is a stretch.

The only hope now is they trade Marner for somebody good.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

What's our powerplay going to look like?

 

[notDatsyuk]

Hey, we said we wanted big change, right?

Big yes, bad no.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Nylander is not a center in the NHL, if he was going to be a center he would be by now.

And if Dubas hadn't signed Tavares to that albatross contract, he would have been. Time for Berube to fix that mistake.

Who else do we have? JT is maybe a 3C at this point, and Domi looks like he belongs with Matty.

Besides, I didn't say he would be great, just better than Marner.