With the addition of Laine how close to being legitimately able to compete for a playoff spot?
1 player? 2?
I think the road to the playoffs is now a possibility without the addition of another player.
The number 1 factor that will influence that possibility is player injuries.
Opening night,my lineup is ;
Caufield-Suzuki-Slaf
Newhook-Dach-Laine
Armia-Dvorak-Roy
Gallagher-Evans-Anderson
Pezzetta-ABB
Matheson-Ghule
Hutson-Savard
Xhekaj-Barron
Struble
Monty-Primeau
The really weak point on that roster is probably Dvorak centering the 3rd line, and if I’m Hughes, I’m having a conversation with Pascal Vincent to make sure Beck gets every chance possible to tear it up in the AHL so I get a chance to move Dvorak at some point during the season.
Same with Mailloux and Reinbacher; get them to play in every possible situation; if they dominate in the AHL, Hughes gets another chance to fleece a fool at the trade deadline with any of Savard\Matheson.
Armia could be the joker hidden in my sleeve……the Guy had a great second half of season last year, and he’s now playing for a new contract; NHL players have a funny habit of really elevating their play when that happens.
Now the tough part for St-Louis will be to keep Gallagher and Anderson motivated on a 4th line…….that’s a whole other story…..Gallagher looked frustrated last year playing on a 3rd line, 4th line duty might be hard to swallow. But if that 4th line would accept their roles, it could be extremely effective.
That healthy lineup could get 92pts in the regular season, and squeeze into the playoffs.
We just need for the team to be ‘league-average’ games missed due to injuries, and I know that’s hard to imagine when we look in retrospect of the last few seasons.
For the first time in while, we might not be sellers at the trade deadline.