Opening Night Lines for 2024-25 Season

[Jenn99]

Starting Lines for Hawks Opener (I hope!):

Line 1 - Bertuzzi - Bedard - Teraveinan
Line 2 - T. Hall - Nazar - Kurashev
Line 3 - Reichel - Dickinson - Mikheyev
Line 4 - Foligno - Donato - Athanasiou

Okay, I know a lot of you guys will tell me why I'm wrong, but here's my thinking:

- KD brought in Teivo and Bertuzzi to play with Bedard.
- Kurashev was pretty good with Bedard last year, but he'll do better as a 2nd line winger.
- Nazar is so young, I know, but we really need a 2nd line center and he should grow into it nicely.
- Dickinson is ideal for a 3rd-line center, and Reichel will have an easier time against other 3rd lines.
-Foligno and Donato make a great 4th line, and they need the speed of AA.

** I think Colton Dach and Landon Slaggert will be called up during the season and see 4th-line time instead of AA and Donato, who could be deadline deals for late-round picks

-Jenn

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[Mrfenn92]

No issue with the line at all. Maroon and smith as extra bodies.

 

[bwanajamba]

I think these are ideal lines but I wouldn't be surprised to see Teuvo and Kurashev swapped to start the year to chase some depth and give Nazar more to work with if he makes the team

 

[Jenn99]

I think these are ideal lines but I wouldn't be surprised to see Teuvo and Kurashev swapped to start the year to chase some depth and give Nazar more to work with if he makes the team

Yeah, I know... I kind of really like Kurashev with Bedard! It worked pretty good last year, and with a solid LW and a 2nd year together they could do even better! I just think KD specifically brought in Bert and TT as top-line talent for Bedard, and Kurashev should have an easier time against 2nd lines than 1st lines. And I really hope Nazar makes the team out of camp ... this should be a really fun season!

 

[Callidusblackhawk]

I like your lines but I feel like LuRich is going to do some wack shit like put AA with Reichel again, probably on the 4th line. I wouldn't be shocked if we saw Nazar with Dickinson either just because it doesn't make sense.

 

[Jenn99]

I like your lines but I feel like LuRich is going to do some wack shit like put AA with Reichel again, probably on the 4th line. I wouldn't be shocked if we saw Nazar with Dickinson either just because it doesn't make sense.

Yeah, I'm not even sure why AA is still on the team. I'd way rather see Colton Dach as the 4th-line wing and see what he can do...

 

[Callidusblackhawk]

Yeah, I'm not even sure why AA is still on the team. I'd way rather see Colton Dach as the 4th-line wing and see what he can do...

I wouldn't have minded one or both of Donato and AA being bought out this summer just to keep spots open for Slaggert/Dach/whoever.

 

[Jenn99]

Oh, me too! I actually think that Dach, Slaggert and Del Maestro will all start the year in Rockford but get called up and find permanent spots in the Hawks line-up. To do this, I would think Maroon, AA, and Smith are all either deadline deals for 5th rounders or benched/injured.

- Jenn

 

[MHO]

Do any of you remember - it was brief - when Athanasiou, Reichel, and Kurashev played as a line in the preseason last year? I remember thinking they were incredibly effective together and then Kurashev got hurt and that was that. I'd like to see them try that again despite the little defense they provide.

Hall, Dickinson, and Mikheyev could then make a solid checking line with some scoring punch. But do any of you remember Athanasiou - Reichel - Kurashev playing together?

 

[CallMeShaft]

Welcome to HF Hawks, Jenn.

Don't mind your lineup. Could see Nazar starting in Rockford, so maybe move AA to 2C and throw in Joey Anderson onto that 4th line. But otherwise, it looks fine. I wouldn't make any huge changes, maybe just put AA with Reichel and Kurashev.

 

[TheFridge]

Do any of you remember - it was brief - when Athanasiou, Reichel, and Kurashev played as a line in the preseason last year? I remember thinking they were incredibly effective together and then Kurashev got hurt and that was that. I'd like to see them try that again despite the little defense they provide.

Hall, Dickinson, and Mikheyev could then make a solid checking line with some scoring punch. But do any of you remember Athanasiou - Reichel - Kurashev playing together?

Forget pre-season. They played together at the end of the 2022-23 season and they were good -- at least, relative to anything the Hawks had that season -- together.

Still think the lines are going to be:

Bertuzzi - Bedard - Kurashev
Hall - Dickinson - Teravainen
Reichel - Athanasiou - Mikheyev
Foligino - Smith - Donato/Maroon

 

[Esq]

I can’t see a scenario when Foligno is on the 4th line.

 

[scorehawks]

Hall, AA, Donato...one (more season), and in some cases, done.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Do any of you remember - it was brief - when Athanasiou, Reichel, and Kurashev played as a line in the preseason last year? I remember thinking they were incredibly effective together and then Kurashev got hurt and that was that. I'd like to see them try that again despite the little defense they provide.

Hall, Dickinson, and Mikheyev could then make a solid checking line with some scoring punch. But do any of you remember Athanasiou - Reichel - Kurashev playing together?

AA and Reichel play well together which is surprising because AA is an island that plays the same game if he's with Entwistle and Reese Johnson or flanking McDrai.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I'd like to keep Hall AA and Mikheyev apart. They're all tools little brain.

 

[BobbyJet]

My hope is the Bertuzzi we see in Chicago is the version we saw everywhere except in his most recent stint in Toronto - that guy should not be on a first line in the NHL. Fingers crossed, as Hawks and Bedard need the support of that style of a player.

 

[Mrfenn92]

My hope is the Bertuzzi we see in Chicago is the version we saw everywhere except in his most recent stint in Toronto - that guy should not be on a first line in the NHL. Fingers crossed, as Hawks and Bedard need the support of that style of a player.

Second half/playoff Bertuzzi is the hope