Roster Building Thread - Part XII(Training Camp/Preseason)
- Thread starter Leonardo87
- Start date
Harbour Dog
Registered User
Not trying Lafreniere on PP1 because it's good enough already is kind of a shitty mentality for the team to take. Why not try to put the best possible unit together? If they try Laf there, and then decide Zibanejad is a better option, then what have we lost?
It honestly feels more like not wanting to upset veterans to me, because it's pretty obvious to anybody with eyes that Laf is a more dangerous offensive player than Zibanejad.
It honestly feels more like not wanting to upset veterans to me, because it's pretty obvious to anybody with eyes that Laf is a more dangerous offensive player than Zibanejad.
SA16
Sixstring
If you think PP1 gets stale just wait until you see how "stale" a PP2 unit with worse players looks longterm.
SA16
Sixstring
Potentially games and points in the standings? Also a bit disingenuous to say it's "good enough already" like it's some average PP when it was the 3rd best PP in the league last year. If it was around average then I'm sure their good enough wouldn't be enough and they'd try something else. With that attitude why ever stick with any pair/combo in any situation because you can always experiment to see if something is better? Except there is limited games/times and you can cause issues and create losses.
Really just more of the same after the most predictable offseason ever. Hard to get excited about this team and front office. They'll be good but not sniffing a cup.
Harbour Dog
Registered User
And if we had a slightly better PP against Florida, then perhaps it would have won us a game or two we lost at a time that matters a lot more than the first month of the season.
3rd best or not, there's practically no cost to trying to improve it.
SA16
Sixstring
Significantly more likely any change would make the PP worse than making it better given there is a lot more room for it to go down than up. If you want to experiment with different units or with Laf on PP1 the time to do it is when you get PPs when the game is already out of hand in either direction. They just had the 11th best PP% of the last 20 years.
Harbour Dog
Registered User
Wow, have PP%'s really shot up that much the last few years? I'm on mobile and not going to try looking it up, but I assume our percentage last season would have put us 2nd or 3rd each of the last 3 or 4 years at least?
I'd be fine with trying Laf at times like that, if that's what would convince the team to do it. And yeah, I agree there is a better chance it brings the efficiency down a little than raise it a little; it just feels like a freeroll.
Even if we played him consistently there for the first 10 games, it never worked, and managed to cost us like 4 points in the standings. That feels worth it to me, to potentially score an extra couple goals in the playoffs.
I'd be fine with trying Laf at times like that, if that's what would convince the team to do it. And yeah, I agree there is a better chance it brings the efficiency down a little than raise it a little; it just feels like a freeroll.
Even if we played him consistently there for the first 10 games, it never worked, and managed to cost us like 4 points in the standings. That feels worth it to me, to potentially score an extra couple goals in the playoffs.
Harbour Dog
Registered User
Not to mention, after seeing how Laf upped his game against Florida and tried to carry the offense. I want that guy on the ice when games matter.
Chytilmania
Registered User
- Dec 31, 2017
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Mika is a tough one. When he gets hot on the PP his whole game is great. When he sucks on the PP the rest of his game seems to take a hit. Trocheck is elite at faceoffs and puck retrieval. Best bet would be put Panarin in Mika's spot and Laf in Panarin's spot. But then does Mika ever get going offensively?
KirkAlbuquerque
#WeNeverGetAGoodCoach
I just think that as one core group ages, you need to spread those minutes and especially it presents an opportunity to share the puck and offensive rhythm deeper in your lineup.
Trochek and Mika, playing PP and PK and top 6 minutes leaves very little for Chytil for example. He's on spot duty, especially since he's not a 'traditional' checker. I think keeping Chytil, Lafreniere, and Kakko in the flow of them game more, and especially giving them more time on the attack with the puck on their sticks is/was/will continue to be advantageous in the long run.
I also think it pushes the vets to incorporate their teammates more and maybe if Mika can't just point to his decent counting stats to nullify his horrific 5v5 output, he'd be a little more motivated to find goals outside the PP.
Trochek and Mika, playing PP and PK and top 6 minutes leaves very little for Chytil for example. He's on spot duty, especially since he's not a 'traditional' checker. I think keeping Chytil, Lafreniere, and Kakko in the flow of them game more, and especially giving them more time on the attack with the puck on their sticks is/was/will continue to be advantageous in the long run.
I also think it pushes the vets to incorporate their teammates more and maybe if Mika can't just point to his decent counting stats to nullify his horrific 5v5 output, he'd be a little more motivated to find goals outside the PP.
