I would keep Kapanen over Beck and i doubt Reinbacher isnt part of the starting line up next season
Guhle - Carrier
Hutson - Matheson
Xhekaj - Reinbacher
Unless theres some trades ( i hope so ) this will be our def lines next season
Matheson needs to go we need another RD and specially a #2 center Hughes needs to go shopping this offseason
Slafkovsky - Suzuki - Caufield
Laine - X - Demidov
Anderson - Evans - Newhook
Heinemen - Kapanen - Gallagher
Guhle - X
Hutson - Carrier
Xhekaj - Reinbacher
Use Dach/Struble + prospects and picks to go shopping
Lineup will be, including the needs you outline:
Caufield - Suzuki - Laine
Slafkovsky -
X - Demidov
Newhook - Evans - Heineman
Anderson - Beck - Gallagher
The reason I put Laine with Canfield and Suzuki is the whole off wing thing and comfort of players plating on their offside.
Caufield naturally plays on his offside as a LW and actually increases his shooting % from playing on that side. He has also managed to become more of a complete player while playing on his offside. That situation is a positive.
I was never very fond of playing Slafkovsky on his offide as well because of the inexperience from the young crown jewel and the pressure on his defensive game.
Laine definitely can't replaying on his off side on the second line as you have depicted and, while Demidov is a natural Lefty, his bread and butter has been playing on his off side at RW. I wouldn't change a thing for Demidov as he gets accustomed to the NHL's tempo and in order not to limit his instincts.
On the third line, both Newhook and Heineman are Lefties, but Heineman, in Europe, has played a lot of hockey on his off side, much more than Newhook who isn't exactly an asset defensively to begin with.
Anderson and Gallaher have played together for a while now and playing them with Beck rather than Dvorak should be an upgrade for the two veteran wingers that would also help insulate Beck during his transition to the NHL.
Guhle -
X (Carrier)
Hutson - Matheson/Reinbacher
Xhekaj - Reinbacher/Carrier
Struble
I agree that, ideally, we need a pairing partner for Guhle higher up the defensive depth chart, but it can be Guhle-Carrier for another season if need be and Matheson with Hutson again to start the season as Reinbacher eases into the NHL on a third pairing until the trade deadline when, reasonably, Hughes should be moving Matheson for a 2nd first round pick in 2026 and, presumably, a prospect.
I would never place Carrier with Hutson full time because that pairing, from the small sample of them playing together leads to them being dominated physically and the puck getting trapped in our zone when Hutson is out there more often than when he isn't playing with Carrier.
