Line Combos: Post-preseason lines, who makes the cut?

[Essenege]

Personally I’d keep Kapanen, Roy and ABB and send down Pezz. We need offensive options to start. After 5-10 games if needed you send the less performing of that trio + Anderson down, call up Pezz.

I don’t want to send Kap back in Europe yet, Roy deserves a shot at a regular spot the way he played last year, ABB had a great camp, better top 9 options then Anderson and Gallagher.

 

[Rapala]

What is our complete list of players who looked good in preseason?

I feel like almost everyone on our team left a lot to be desired

Obviously Hutson was good but everyone knew he would be, I was hoping he would help the PP more

They got shipped to Laval early.
I'm worried Kapanen looked much better than he actually is because everyone else was so meh.
When ABB looks like one of your best forwards a whole heck of a lot of players were going through the motions.

 

[morhilane]

The point stands...............why make a change to that line? Was thinking Slaf only had 45 games with them.......but even still.

It's the only line MSL haven't blended during pre-season, he's clearly not changing it. He's going to ride it, so unless they stop scoring, it's staying together.

 

[Rapala]

Day 1 lineup:

Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Kapanen - Dach - Newhook
Armia - Evans - Anderson
Pezzetta - Dvorak - Gallagher
Heineman, Roy

Matheson - Guhle
Hutson - Savard
Xhekaj - Struble
Barron

Montembeault
Primeau

Everyone else to Laval.

Play Heineman against Boston on the opening back-to-back then Pezzetta in against Ottawa. Roy gets the start vs Pittsburgh. Rotate until someone wins the job, or someone else gets hurt.

Kapanen on the second is a big stretch for me.
He looked half decent in a camp where ABB looked like one of our best forwards.
If we don't have someone to play in that slot while we ease Kapanen into the NHL it can't be good.
Sure he checked a number of boxes but so have others in the past and all had to work their way up.
I feel like putting him in that spot is adding pressure he doesn't need at the outset of his career.

 

[Essenege]

They got shipped to Laval early.
I'm worried Kapanen looked much better than he actually is because everyone else was so meh.
When ABB looks like one of your best forwards a whole heck of a lot of players were going through the motions.

ABB burned the AHL, against lesser opposition he’s proven to be an effective player so it wasn’t surprising

 

[Rapala]

ABB burned the AHL, against lesser opposition he’s proven to be an effective player so it wasn’t surprising

Indeed and we signed him for the AHL the team needs his veteran presence.

 

[morhilane]

Kapanen shouldn't be put on the 2nd line at wing. The wing experiment wasn't that great during pre-season, he was more effective at center. Also, I think pre-season showed he should be used on the bottom 6 so he can get acclimated first.

 

[vokiel]

Kapanen shouldn't be put on the 2nd line at wing. The wing experiment wasn't that great during pre-season, he was more effective at center. Also, I think pre-season showed he should be used on the bottom 6 so he can get acclimated first.

He'll go back to the SHL after a couple more games. There is no sense in rushing him into the lineup with Dvorak still under contract and the team unlikely to make the playoffs.

 

[domiwroze]

Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Newhook - Dach - Armia
ABB - Evans - Gallagher
Pezzetta - Kapanen - Dvorak
Heineman, Anderson

Matheson - Guhle
Hutson - Savard
Xhekaj - Struble
Barron

Montembeault
Primeau

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Looks dogshit without Laine doesn't it

Might be worth a shot spreading out the top line until he gets back.

Slaf-Suzuki-Kapanen
Caufield-Dach-Roy
Armia-Newhook-Gallagher
Evans-Dvorak-Anderson

Get ready for another top10, maybe top5 pick boys

Depends on Hutson's impact.

 

[Rapala]

Depends on Hutson's impact.

This is the the six million dollar question.
I think we all know Hutson will have an influence on the O side but we still have to put the puck in the net.
For all the things he did well in camp we fell short of that IMO.
Most people should know it's going to be an adventure on the Dside it will take a team effort to keep the puck out of the net.
We do have a few forwards who cover up well but not a boatload of them.
It should be fun at the very least.

 

[expy]

Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Anderson - Dach - Newhook
Armia - Evans - Kapanen
Pezzetta - Dvorak - Gallagher
B-B, Heineman

Matheson - Guhle
Hutson - Savard
Xhekaj - Struble
Barron

Primeau
Montembeault

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Kapanen on the second is a big stretch for me.
He looked half decent in a camp where ABB looked like one of our best forwards.
If we don't have someone to play in that slot while we ease Kapanen into the NHL it can't be good.
Sure he checked a number of boxes but so have others in the past and all had to work their way up.
I feel like putting him in that spot is adding pressure he doesn't need at the outset of his career.

Eh, I don't think anyone on this team has any real pressure other than the top line & Montembeault.

1. Suzuki has the pressure of becoming a ppg player
2. Caufield needs to be better than last year & get to 30 goals
3. Slafkovsky needs to show that he can continue to grow from last year, and be a consistent top performer for us - being a #1 OA draft pick
4. Montembeault is now the clear #1 (Allen is gone), so it's his time.

Other than that, it's a bunch of rookies, young players, players coming off injuries (Dach, Dvorak) or older players, who's expectations are known due to consistent historical performances (for bad or good play, like Anderson/Savard/Evans, etc).

 

[vokiel]

Eh, I don't think anyone on this team has any real pressure other than the top line & Montembeault.

1. Suzuki has the pressure of becoming a ppg player
2. Caufield needs to be better than last year & get to 30 goals
3. Slafkovsky needs to show that he can continue to grow from last year, and be a consistent top performer for us - being a #1 OA draft pick
4. Montembeault is now the clear #1 (Allen is gone), so it's his time.

Other than that, it's a bunch of rookies, young players, players coming off injuries (Dach, Dvorak) or older players, who's expectations are known due to consistent historical performances (for bad or good play, like Anderson/Savard/Evans, etc).

I'd say Dach and Newhook have the pressure pretty high, since they don't have core contracts, and we're targeting both their roster spots with Demidov, Hage, Beck, Kapanen, etc...

 

[Kosseca]

Eh, I don't think anyone on this team has any real pressure other than the top line & Montembeault.

1. Suzuki has the pressure of becoming a ppg player
2. Caufield needs to be better than last year & get to 30 goals
3. Slafkovsky needs to show that he can continue to grow from last year, and be a consistent top performer for us - being a #1 OA draft pick
4. Montembeault is now the clear #1 (Allen is gone), so it's his time.

Other than that, it's a bunch of rookies, young players, players coming off injuries (Dach, Dvorak) or older players, who's expectations are known due to consistent historical performances (for bad or good play, like Anderson/Savard/Evans, etc).

I would think that Dach would have some presure too... staying healthy and playing like a true 2C

 

[Rapala]

delete

Eh, I don't think anyone on this team has any real pressure other than the top line & Montembeault.

1. Suzuki has the pressure of becoming a ppg player
2. Caufield needs to be better than last year & get to 30 goals
3. Slafkovsky needs to show that he can continue to grow from last year, and be a consistent top performer for us - being a #1 OA draft pick
4. Montembeault is now the clear #1 (Allen is gone), so it's his time.

Other than that, it's a bunch of rookies, young players, players coming off injuries (Dach, Dvorak) or older players, who's expectations are known due to consistent historical performances (for bad or good play, like Anderson/Savard/Evans, etc).

Fair enough but I don't see it that way.
I just didn't think he was second line good.
I also believe there is pressure until the season is lost.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Anderson - Dach - Newhook
Armia - Evans - Kapanen
Pezzetta - Dvorak - Gallagher
B-B, Heineman

Matheson - Guhle
Hutson - Savard
Xhekaj - Struble
Barron

Primeau
Montembeault

I agree with the cuts.

I like Anderson on the 2nd line.
There are two types of forwards. Scorers and bangers. Scorers score and bangers bang.
If Andy bangs, Dach can focus on scoring.

 

[The Real Timo]

So Guhle again not on his natural side?

 

[vokiel]

So Guhle again not on his natural side?

Pretty much, you can thank Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson for it.

 

[The Real Timo]

Pretty much, you can thank Lane Hutson and Mike Matheson for it.

But I thought Mike Matheson is so absolutely amazing he can play on any side without any impact to his awesomeness. You'd think Guhle, who is not nearly as awesome, would be given max chance to succeed, while Mike Matheson will succeed no matter what. Makes no sense to me.

 

[HomaridII]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843296607074431042

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843296919378112839

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843297091491356891

 

[McGees]

Put Pez on 2nd line if u want a banger.
Anderson only skates around in circles and shoots puck 10ft wide of the net these days.

 

[The Great Weal]

Wow shocked about Roy in Laval, I was very wrong about it.

 

[McGees]

Thank you mgmt!
A lot of people here were ready to give Roy 2nd line duties but u don’t reward that type of play. Good call.

 

[Scotianhab]

Was hoping they would try Roy with Dach on the 2nd line.

Thank you mgmt!
A lot of people here were ready to give Roy 2nd line duties but u don’t reward that type of play. Good call.

May as well see what he can do with a good Center like Dach. His job is to score goals, which this team will be hard pressed to do.