Ogrezilla
Nerf Herder
They do.
It's called the PP.
This should be the best PP in the league.
Lines are not always going to be clicking, and moving guys around to jump start them is one thing, but what you guys are suggesting is permanently putting him there.
That's a theme for failure. They currently don't have a better option to make the 3rd a strength. One where teams have to counter, or try to.
If one of these young guys steps up a little more this could be a thing.
Kunitz-Bonino-Rust has played better hockey this year than Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel. There's your better option, and it comes with the bonus of upgrading the top 6.
If we can get a Kessel-led line going as our 3rd line, I'm all for it. But if we can't its a complete waste to leave Kessel on an island like that. And currently, we can't.
I feel ya, we certainly don't agree.
I just don't see that depth manifesting to the point Kessel can be there. That's going to take one of these young guys having a coming out year. Those usually come from being used in all faucets of the game. These guys won't get steady PP time to help boost that outcome.
Even as they don't provide for a stretch teams have to respect that line accordingly. Put Kunitz, Bonino and say Rust there they might be okay, but they won't be taken seriously. Maybe if you put Hornqvist there, but then you now have taken a top six and put him on the 3rd line.
Maybe at the TDL they add that X factor. I doubt it, but it's the only way I see it happening without using current top six help.
Teams will target any line left exposed. You can count on it.
If teams want to expose a line, this year the easiest to expose is HBK. Its just not working. Its a bad line right now.