Line Combos: Opening day roster predictions

[morhilane]

That's a good bottom 6 in my book, decent secondary scoring ( 10-15 goals each except Evans? ) and defensively responsible

Armia/Evans/Gallagher have no playmaker, but it's not that bad, they will at least generate chaos and get out of their own zone. The main issue is that Evans line is usually the one closing games and that means stupid penalties and goal against from Gallagher.

Roy/Dvorak/Anderson requires Roy to do a lots of the work because Dvorak/Anderson aren't good at managing the puck.

 

[26Mats]

Opening day:
14 forwards
Slafkovsky Suzuki Caufield
Newhook Dach Laine
Roy Dvorak Anderson
Armia Evans Gallagher
Pezzetta Heineman (potential waiver if don’t make team)

7 defensemen
Matheson Guhle
Hutson Savard
Xhekaj Struble
Barron

2 goalies
Montembault
Primeau

23 man roster


By the end of season:
Slafkovsky Suzuki Caufield
Newhook Dach Laine
Roy Kapanen Anderson
Armia Beck Gallagher
Heineman Pezzetta

Matheson Guhle
Hutson Mailloux
Xhekaj Struble
Barron

Montembault
Primeau


I think Evans, Dvorak, Savard will be traded. Evans is very valuable for a playoff team looking for playoff experience bottom 6 smart penalty killer. Evans will be get us a prospect and maybe a 2nd round pick. Savard is extremely valuable for a contender. He shut downs players and kills penalties. Big heavy playoff defenseman will get us a 1st round pick for sure since supply is low. Dvorak is a face off specialist, smart kills penalties for bottom 6 contender. I think he’ll get us a little more value than Evans so expect a 2nd round pick and prospects.

I think by February March, Kapanen and Beck should be on the team. I think they are almost NHL ready. Kapanen I think has untapped offensive potential. There’s an Elias Lindholm in his game. Beck is a coaches’ player. I don’t think his offense game with transition to the NHL. He’ll be a very good 3rd or 4th line center. Kills penalties and shutdown players. I think both Kapanen and Beck are 30-35 points players, Kapanen is a little more mysterious as his offensive game could sky rocket and he’ll be our 2nd line center if he turns out to be Elias Lindholm. Mailloux is almost NHL ready, he’ll need to correct some of his game in Laval. Needs another 30-40 games down there. Should be a 30-35 points defenseman. I don’t think his offensive game will transition from AHL/Junior to the NHL simply because NHL players are much faster and there’s no time like AHL/junior for Mailloux to setup his game.

Also I wouldn’t be surprised if Dobes takes over for Primeau.


Ideally contender roster:
Slafkovsky Suzuki Demidov
Laine Dach Caufield
Newhook Kapanen Hage
Roy Beck Anderson (if)
Tuch Xhekaj

Guhle Reinbacher
Hutson Maillouix
Xhekaj Konyushkov
Struble Engstrom

Montembault
Dobes

You have Armia staying past the TDL?

 

[EXTRAS]

What's pp1 and pp2 look like?

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Per MA Godin last D spot is between Xhekaj vs Mailloux

Godin does not have a clue about anything

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

You have Armia staying past the TDL?

Armia is a stud when he is on like he was when he returned after finally seeking professional help. If he continues like that he is a bargain, especially if he is not looking for a big raise. If we are in the hunt at the deadline and he is playing well, he absolutely will still be here.

If he relapses into old patterns then i could certainly see him being moved.

 

[WinterLion]

I'm want to be patient with Barron, but I feel like he is losing his job with the camp he is having. Am I wrong?

 

[morhilane]

I'm want to be patient with Barron, but I feel like he is losing his job with the camp he is having. Am I wrong?

Barron is having a good camp.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I'm want to be patient with Barron, but I feel like he is losing his job with the camp he is having. Am I wrong?

I think he's having a good camp. And I'm a huge Barron disbeliever.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I'm want to be patient with Barron, but I feel like he is losing his job with the camp he is having. Am I wrong?

By his standards, he's doing pretty good IMO. No giant mistakes on defense and he's moving the puck fast enough. Nothing much, but he's playing decent third pairing hockey,

 

[WinterLion]

Barron is having a good camp.

Interesting... I'm not liking his board work... but maybe on a 3rd pair it is passable...

 

[Skip Bayless]

By his standards, he's doing pretty good IMO. No giant mistakes on defense and he's moving the puck fast enough. Nothing much, but he's playing decent third pairing hockey,

He's more engaged in puck retrievals and more focused in defending around the net.

We all know he can transport the puck through the NZ, walk the blue line and shoot the puck. But for him it's about being more engaged without the puck and being tougher in puck battles and around the net.

If Barron can be consistent defensively and move the puck while popping in 30 pts, he'll forge a career as a top 4 D. He's a RD, just that alone gives him so much leverage in the NHL.

 

[26Mats]

Armia is a stud when he is on like he was when he returned after finally seeking professional help. If he continues like that he is a bargain, especially if he is not looking for a big raise. If we are in the hunt at the deadline and he is playing well, he absolutely will still be here.

If he relapses into old patterns then i could certainly see him being moved.

I think Hughes might want to make room for the young players coming in. I see Hughes pencilling in Demidov, Kapanen and Beck next year. They would replace Dvo, Evans, and Armia. Heineman will no longer be waiver eligible. Though he could ultimately wind up as the next Ylonen. Though I see more in his game, more immediate, direct effectiveness. Then Hage will be here soon. And that doesn't include any free agen signings. Perhaps they will keep Armia and buy out one of Gallagher and Anderson to make room for all these young players.

The thing is, if we're in the mix and Armia is playing well, he may have his peak trade value. I like what HuGo have done with surplus 2nds (packaging them for Newhook and Hage, and drafting Hutson). Drafting Hutson was an outlier. But packaging them to move up with a 1st could realistically be repeated.

I think we'll be competitive this year. But on paper there are many teams to leapfrog to actually make the post season.

 

[morhilane]

He's more engaged in puck retrievals and more focused in defending around the net.

We all know he can transport the puck through the NZ, walk the blue line and shoot the puck. But for him it's about being more engaged without the puck and being tougher in puck battles and around the net.

If Barron can be consistent defensively and move the puck while popping in 30 pts, he'll forge a career as a top 4 D. He's a RD, just that alone gives him so much leverage in the NHL.

Agreed. Barron have shown some better consistency in camp so far, especially in the dzone. Doesn't start to panic when he makes a mistake like the previous seasons too.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Per MA Godin last D spot is between Xhekaj vs Mailloux

Weird, I haven't found Mailloux's camp to be good enough to win a job.. while Arber's camp hasn't been stellar - the pre-season is designed for Mailloux to stand out and Arber to have to forego doing some of the things that make him effective in an actual game that matters.

 

[Vachon23]

Per MA Godin last D spot is between Xhekaj vs Mailloux

Struble need to be in the conversation too

 

[calder candidate]

CC Suzuki Slaf
Laine Dach Newhook
Roy Dvorak Armia
Anderson Evans Gallagher
Pezz / ABB

Matheson Guhle
Hutson Savard
Xhekaj Barron
Struble

Monty
Primeau