Some thoughts:
*I liked
Lias game too. The bite in his skating is much improved, he did a good job carrying that 4th line. Hopefully he can have a good developing period. I think he has potential to develop a lot, but he isn't on a very straight forward route. Its hard to speculate on what he could become. A new Patrice Bergeron? A new Nik Sundström? A new Mike Ricci? A new Jesper Fast?
*I like
Howden. I could definitely live with him centering a line with Kreider/Lemieux on the left and a skilled player on the right -- but putting him between two skilled guys like Kravy and Kakko is odd from my POV. Howden isn't a skill player, he is about pushing the pace with his galloping legs and workethic. Drive to the net. He has some size. That was his game in Juniors and on the international scene for Canada. I think he was a bit oddly portrayed before he came to NY, and I took a lot of heat for describing him this way back then too. And it always creates a bit of a problem when expectations are sat at one level and the reality is another. I don't really buy the division into 1/2/3 lines, I wouldn't say that someone is a 3rd line center and not a 2nd line center. Completely depends on the environment and what a unit needs. But Howden was never going to be that skilled center type that scores 60-70 pts per season --
and it wasn't even close. There is absolutely
no reason to be down on him today for not being that type, if anything I think we should be positive about his performance. He is doing well out there.
I still think his "top potential" is more likely to be reached if he is used in kind of the same role as Kreider is.
*I still think
Kravy's decision making is a little off. We have had players make the team out of camp with similar type of issues before -- Hayes comes to mind. But maybe Kravy needs a little work in the AHL. At the same time, its small issues that creates bigger problems. Just need to be a little patient and wait for the situations to come to him, and focus more on finding easy-out situations when they don't.
*I thought
Kakko was fantastic. He is dancing on his skate, moves the puck so well, buys time, got to love him.
*I thought
Brady Skjei had a great game. I don't get the extent he is trashed.
*
Fox is sick, TDA is soon joining this group. I think we will have issues when the season starts, but darn, its hard not to be super excited either.
*Last year
David Quinn rotated a lot of guys at RD.
I can't see why he can't do the same at center this season. Chytil, Lias, Howden and Strome should all get shots up and down the line-up. I know this will drive some nuts, but I also like our outlook when we have a bit physicality on the 4th. Wouldn't mind someone rotating in that position too.
