The comparison between HBK and Jake & Sid founders on the fact that the only reason HBK got split up was they started to suck real, real bad. And even then they got a ridiculous amount of time to try and put it right.
If Jake continues his current level of awesome with Sid, then its about the last combo you break up on the team. The only reason I can consider it is that SCH looked awesome too and we might need Jake to play some centre from time to time, if he can at this level, but even then Horny and Sid no longer look a goer which negates the first.
Right now, Jake looks to be the long term winger for Sid we've all been praying for. As long as that looks true, their time apart will be minimal and rightly so, even if it would be cool seeing Jake drive his own line and Sheary is nearly as good as being Sid's winger (at his best, as good imo, just a consistency issue).
In any case, my guess is once Sprong is deemed ready, Kessel becomes the driving force on line 3.
As for some of the points projections... our top 6 ppg players last season put up a combined pace of about 470 last season. Now, I know its harder to put up the points over 82 than 41, but equally its harder to put up points without Letang than it is with. Projections for "What if everyone was fully fit" should be high imo because that's what all the data said. This is a ridiculously loaded offensive team, loaded in a way I don't think we've seen in the salary cap era, and if everyone could stay fit it could do some startling and ugly things to other teams.
Obviously there will be a lot of injuries. There will be some lulls in consistency too because everyone's a bit jaded and will be thinking a little too much about next April. Even so, the numbers should be high. I think the top 9 should produce a stronger cumulative pace, because more Guentzel, more Letang, Kessel and Hagelin getting their mojo back and the promise of Sprong down the line.
And because injuries happen, the 3rd line wingers will get plenty of shots at the top 6 to help bump up their points. Nobody's gonna be posting whole seasons from the 3rd line.
As for whether this compensates for losses to centre depth... we'll see. Even the best players can't drag a pylon to points all the time. The point at which it will hurt most is when Sid/Geno gets injured. That said if the centres can play a bit and they can click with the wingers, then the wingers can handle most of the work. I think people are being too down on Rust/Sheary as 3rd liners in particular, we've seen them there and they can kick start their own offence against those match-ups. I also think they'll get a bit of help from having Sid & Geno wear down opposition dmen and the goaltender.
And... without wishing to seem like I'm down on him, but Bonino's ES production at 3C will not be hard to replace. His ability to put up points at 2C might be, and his ability to put up points on the PP might be, but not what he did last season at 3C ES zone starts or no. I'd also be kinda curious to see what Cullen's pace looks like from just the games he played 4C in, I know he got a decent amount of points from the games Sid missed at the season's start and he scored 7 in 11 down the final stretch when Geno was absent. Again, I'm guessing that Cullen's actual production while at 4C wasn't amazing unreplaceable either (although probably top of the range).
Their ability to play up the line up and post points will certainly be missed when Sid/Geno aren't there. But their production when they were there is, I think, as far as I can tell from lazy stat checking, was just average to good for their zone starts. If 3C and 4C can continue to hold their end while chipping in a few points here and there, we're good while Sid/Geno are fit. And yes, that does mean whichever wingers are with them will see dips too, but they'll make hay when in the top 6.
