I agree completely.
Maybe I should have worded it differently, or gone into a little more detail: if Zibanejad has earned more minutes after 10 games, we should try and accommodate for that. That's what I meant by "up to speed": as in, if he looks like he did during his peak last season.
If Michalek-Pageau-Ryan look like they have ridiculous chemistry after 10 games, and you can't break them up, then just take minutes away from the 4th line and try:
1A line
2A line
2B line
4th line (5-7 mins/night)
I mean, let's propose a hypothetical scenario that the Michalek-Pageau-Ryan line clicks. That's got to be a best case scenario, right? If so, then your lines going into the playoffs look like:
1A: Hoffman-Turris-Stone
2A: Michalek-Pageau-Ryan
2B: MacArthur-Zibanejad-Lazar
4th: some combination of Prince/Smith/Chiasson/Neil/Puempel
... assuming the 2A line has chemistry, that looks really nice come April.
I totally agree. People get focused too much on 2nd line 3rd line.
The best possible thing is to have essentially 3 first lines. Or 3 scoring lines. Or however you want to describe it. If Pageau shows he can be a dominant offensive centre as well as defensively... We have the wingers to make 3 scoring lines and play them similar amounts at ES and go with whatever lines are better in any particular game a bit heavier. You fill out special teams and still have the top minutes to the most effective players.
Stone- Turris are on one of the top PK units and PP units. If we have 3 relatively equal lines it isn't going to see them get less ice time overall if at ES we run 3 top lines.
I think we have the horses at wing. It is all about whether Pageau can be an offensive centre. Right now is as good a time as any to see if he is or not. Zibby is probably going to not be at his best to start the season. (If last year is an indication) Ryan needs to start the year well. Get his comfidence going. It seems an opportune time to see if we can jumble up 3 good 2-way lines.
I like this right now
Hoffman Turris Stone. Possibility it could be a killer line. A true first line. Almost a Pizza line if they play like they did vs the Habs.
Michalek Pageau Ryan. Can Pageau be the playmaker for two talented goal scorers that need a playmaker probably. And a motor to drive them.
MacArthur Zibanejad Lazar/Prince
You have a vet with savvy and playmaking skills for Zibby with MacArthur. You go with Lazar and if he can't find his hands and more offence then you try Prince. If Lazar is not offensively producing he becomes 4th line centre... Where he is an upgrade on Smith in almost every way. If Lazar is good as RW then Prince adds some real offensive skill and a bit of dynamism to the 4th line.
You can mish mash it all year because at forward we have the horses. Will we be 4 lines deep or 3? Up to Puempel, Prince, Lazar, Chiasson.
The forwards are gonna be fine. So much talent. The season lies on the 3-7th defencemen. They are question marks past Methot-Karlsson. They could be very good or very bad. Wideman looked good in preseason. That is going to be the make or break for the team this year. The 2nd and 3rd pairing defence.