Training camp

[GENESISPuck94]

honestly depending on how he plans on deploying his lines / managing ice time it makes some sense. blais has never put up big numbers but hes been hurt a lot and hasnt played much on top lines. but stl had used him on their top line and believed he could be a top 6 staple too - he just kept getting injured but he does have a ton of skill. so in terms of can it work? yea i absolutely think theres that possibility with him...he can get it on the forecheck and come in heavy, hes got some filthy hands, vision is decent. the skillset is there...does he put it all together now/can he stay healthy? who knows. but as an idea in terms of the options for the best possible roster it could be a nice fit.

on the other side given you lose vatrano whod been solid there and have trocheck and kravtsov penciled in on a very rebuilt panarin line...having the kid line together after their playoff run makes some sense as a line that has continuity and ideally has taken another step where you can really count on them, especially early. it also keeps laf on the left and all 3 in spots theyre obviously comfortable.

so in theory, i can see why hed start this way. dont get me wrong i am the biggest laf fan around, i really really want to see him break out in a huge way this year, so a top line spot is tantalizing to think about and what would facilitate that. but if we have 3 lines that can kill you and gallant will ride any of them that are going on a given night when he shortens the bench and uses a 2nd pp equally it works fine.

all that said, again even if you think blais is trash and its insane to even try....its day 1 of training camp. if hes trash on that line theres plenty of time to reconfigure. i wouldnt go so far as to say a coach always knows more than any of us, but i do feel like gallants been a winner and is coming off taking the team to the ecf so i feel like hes at least earned a wait and see approach with his preseason lineup

That 3rd line is guaranteed to see no more than 14 minutes of ice time. None of them will get PP time or PK time. I can't see how that helps anyone. They should be looking at Lafreniere to be a break out 60+ point player this season. Kakko as one of the best defensive wings in the league should be getting PK time. Your #1 and #2 overall picks should be put in a position to become what they can be. Instead they'll once again get no special teams time and be relegated to 14 minutes of 5v5 time. How is that helping them or the franchise in the future? "Win now". They aren't beating Tampa, Colorado, probably Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, or Florida. They won't until Lafreniere and/or Kakko develop. How are they developing while being suppressed?

Listening to Sirius XM they talked about Lafreniere and Stutzle, they pegged Lafreniere to break out depending on getting PP1 time and time in the top 6. They said he should be in that spot. They expected him to be in that spot. Everyone else around the league expects/expected Lafreniere to be in that spot. The only one who thinks he shouldn't be is Gallant.

 

[Brief Candle]

I think Robertson gets the McDonagh/Schneider treatment....starts in Hartford, then gets called up mid-season and never looks back.

I'm a fan of Zac Jones, but I just see Robertson/Schneider as a future pair for this team for a long time.

Robertson/Schneider just looks mean. I'd love to see them paired together and be given the chance to develop together not unlike our kid line.

 

[will1066]

That 3rd line is guaranteed to see no more than 14 minutes of ice time. None of them will get PP time or PK time. I can't see how that helps anyone. They should be looking at Lafreniere to be a break out 60+ point player this season. Kakko as one of the best defensive wings in the league should be getting PK time. Your #1 and #2 overall picks should be put in a position to become what they can be. Instead they'll once again get no special teams time and be relegated to 14 minutes of 5v5 time. How is that helping them or the franchise in the future? "Win now". They aren't beating Tampa, Colorado, probably Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, or Florida. They won't until Lafreniere and/or Kakko develop. How are they developing while being suppressed?

Listening to Sirius XM they talked about Lafreniere and Stutzle, they pegged Lafreniere to break out depending on getting PP1 time and time in the top 6. They said he should be in that spot. They expected him to be in that spot. Everyone else around the league expects/expected Lafreniere to be in that spot. The only one who thinks he shouldn't be is Gallant.

You're basing all this on one single tweet about line combos at the start of training camp. There are real-world facets to doing things. Not everything is done in a vacuum based on numbers and depth charts. Maybe Gallant wants to stick with the kid line and the Zib-Kreider pairing at the start to help them ease back into action, help them reacclimate, rather than putting each of them with a new stranger. Kravtsov with Panarin, maybe because they speak the same language. So suddenly, people are claiming that Kravtsov has jumped over Laf and Kakko on the depth chart.... c'mon. People think Miller has surpassed Lindgren and belongs with Fox. How about maybe Fox has a deep comfort level playing with longtime partner Lindgren?

It's just logical to start things this way, there's a real carry-over from last season and the deep playoff run. You don't simply sweep that away and make new line combos right off the bat. Otherwise they wouldn't be wearing t-shirts with Kreider 50 goals and "postseason" emblazoned on them. You make adjustments along the way. Key word: start of camp.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

That 3rd line is guaranteed to see no more than 14 minutes of ice time. None of them will get PP time or PK time. I can't see how that helps anyone. They should be looking at Lafreniere to be a break out 60+ point player this season. Kakko as one of the best defensive wings in the league should be getting PK time. Your #1 and #2 overall picks should be put in a position to become what they can be. Instead they'll once again get no special teams time and be relegated to 14 minutes of 5v5 time. How is that helping them or the franchise in the future? "Win now". They aren't beating Tampa, Colorado, probably Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, or Florida. They won't until Lafreniere and/or Kakko develop. How are they developing while being suppressed?

Listening to Sirius XM they talked about Lafreniere and Stutzle, they pegged Lafreniere to break out depending on getting PP1 time and time in the top 6. They said he should be in that spot. They expected him to be in that spot. Everyone else around the league expects/expected Lafreniere to be in that spot. The only one who thinks he shouldn't be is Gallant.

Its not just Gallant, its Drury and the rest of the brain trust.

They talk about all of this.

Its a calculated decision to keep his next contract more cap friendly imo

 

[Mugless]

 

[Brief Candle]

It's just SO weird for me to see Halak's name on our roster.

 

[Crease]

Hope Team C carbed up. 1 hour 45 minute practice.

 

[Mugless]

 

[EdJovanovski]

Wait Gauthier is still on the team?

 

[EdJovanovski]

Vince is blind lol. Robertson almost fanned on that pass it was way too weak and was the easy obvious play to make. Look at that Kravtsov behind the back no look pass banked off the boards to Robertson right before that set up the whole play hear how loud and crisp it was too as it got to Robertsons stick? Greatest pass of training camp

 

[duhmetreE]

Vince is blind lol. Robertson almost fanned on that pass it was way too weak and was the easy obvious play to make. Look at that Kravtsov behind the back no look pass banked off the boards to Robertson right before that set up the whole play hear how loud and crisp it was too as it got to Robertsons stick? Greatest pass of training camp

Panarin not being glued to the wall is a good start

and who's the forward that lost Panarin? Why are 3 blueshirts on 2 guys?

 

[2014nyr]

That 3rd line is guaranteed to see no more than 14 minutes of ice time. None of them will get PP time or PK time. I can't see how that helps anyone. They should be looking at Lafreniere to be a break out 60+ point player this season. Kakko as one of the best defensive wings in the league should be getting PK time. Your #1 and #2 overall picks should be put in a position to become what they can be. Instead they'll once again get no special teams time and be relegated to 14 minutes of 5v5 time. How is that helping them or the franchise in the future? "Win now". They aren't beating Tampa, Colorado, probably Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, or Florida. They won't until Lafreniere and/or Kakko develop. How are they developing while being suppressed?

Listening to Sirius XM they talked about Lafreniere and Stutzle, they pegged Lafreniere to break out depending on getting PP1 time and time in the top 6. They said he should be in that spot. They expected him to be in that spot. Everyone else around the league expects/expected Lafreniere to be in that spot. The only one who thinks he shouldn't be is Gallant.

going off last season thats true re mins. but again this is day 1 of training camp, so nothing is anywhere close to set in stone. based on what gallant said several times yesterday though, he seems very expectant of the kids taking significant steps this season. im taking that to mean with those expectations will come his intention to give them more rope ie trust. so im assuming the idea is to deploy lines 1-3 as essentially equals nightly, and should the need to shorten the bench arise the guys going that night will be the guys playing 18-20 mins. theres no doubt they did not get that in the playoffs, but the playoffs are life and death. i didnt like it but i can understand not extending the leash to see how they handled things.

as for the pp, as i said earlier i dont want to stick laf in the strome spot. i very much hope gallant creates two pp's and allows them equal opportunity and will start either depending on the night. i think laf is far, far better off getting to run a pp or be in position to create than he is as a bumper floating between the dots one touching passes and redirecting shot-passes.

most of their development comes off the ice anyway. thats where the leaps come from, on the ice theyre acclimated to the speed and physicality at this point, theyve been in the high pressure moments, laf wont forget how to play offense.

i would be unhappy if 10-15 games in the kid line is flying and producing and seeing those 14 mins, if pp1 was taking 1:45 of every pp again, if blais was doing nothing and the mika line was impotent but they were still getting 20 mins.

but on day 1 of training camp i just think its better to look at it from the perspective of gallant has been outspoken about the progression for this team is those kids growing into bigger parts of the team. ill take him at his word he intends to provide the opportunity to do that, regardless of the line number they play on. besides, we could easily see laf with mika and kreider against tampa to open the season anyway. i cant see any reason to not let things play out through camp and the start of the season before i think gallant needs to make any changes to what were doing.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Panarin not being glued to the wall is a good start

and who's the forward that lost Panarin? Why are 3 blueshirts on 2 guys?

They needed 2 guys on Krav

 

[MrAlmost]

Pretty clear who they expect to make the team when it is broken down.

Team A:
Kreider-Z-Blais
Carpenter
Lindgren-Fox

Team B:
Panarin-Tro-Krav
Reaves
Miller-Trouba

Team C:
Laf-Chytil-Kakko
Goodrow
Jones-Schneider

One guy on each team fighting for #7:
Tinordi - Team A
Robertson - Team B
Hajek - Team C

Hajek has the inside track since all the players likely on the 3rd pairing are on Team C.

Besides the 2 spots at D, I only see one forward spot available with 2 guys on each team in the fight:
Goat and Trivigno - Team A
Gett and Brod - Team B
Hunt and Rydahl - Team C

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Pretty clear who they expect to make the team when it is broken down.

Team A:
Kreider-Z-Blais
Carpenter
Lindgren-Fox

Team B:
Panarin-Tro-Krav
Reaves
Miller-Trouba

Team C:
Laf-Chytil-Kakko
Goodrow
Jones-Schneider

One guy on each team fighting for #7:
Tinordi - Team A
Robertson - Team B
Hajek - Team C

Hajek has the inside track since all the players likely on the 3rd pairing are on Team C.

Besides the 2 spots at D, I only see one forward spot available with 2 guys on each team in the fight:
Goat and Trivigno - Team A
Gett and Brod - Team B
Hunt and Rydahl - Team C

I agree. But id throw in Vesey with a shot at making 4th line LW

Which would indicate that Othmann & Cuylle would have to blow everyone away in this camp to even be considered to make the club.

They will get their preseason games for sure, but Cuylle will likely start in Hartford and Othmann will be back in juniors after a possible cup of tea with the team just to get a little experience. Good start for him though.

 

[will1066]

Panarin not being glued to the wall is a good start

and who's the forward that lost Panarin? Why are 3 blueshirts on 2 guys?

Looks like Panarin was Mika's assignment.

 

[EdJovanovski]

The prophecy is coming true
KZB is no match for Kravtsov & co

 

[bleedblue94]

Its not just Gallant, its Drury and the rest of the brain trust.

They talk about all of this.

Its a calculated decision to keep his next contract more cap friendly imo

and IF that is the move it is even more proof that he will be getting a bridge deal and not the 8 year deal many here were pining for. indirectly suppressing his point totals which will (supposedly) lower his contract value is going to be even more of a reason for laffy to sign a 1 or 2 year deal next summer, as if the pending cap increase wasn't enough of a reason...

 

[2014nyr]

They needed 2 guys on Krav

gonna have to pass to himself if these plugs are gonna hit the post when he pulls all 5 guys 30 feet clear of them

 

[Ola]

Pretty clear who they expect to make the team when it is broken down.

Team A:
Kreider-Z-Blais
Carpenter
Lindgren-Fox

Team B:
Panarin-Tro-Krav
Reaves
Miller-Trouba

Team C:
Laf-Chytil-Kakko
Goodrow
Jones-Schneider

One guy on each team fighting for #7:
Tinordi - Team A
Robertson - Team B
Hajek - Team C

Hajek has the inside track since all the players likely on the 3rd pairing are on Team C.

Besides the 2 spots at D, I only see one forward spot available with 2 guys on each team in the fight:
Goat and Trivigno - Team A
Gett and Brod - Team B
Hunt and Rydahl - Team C

100% agree, but Jones/Hajak is a toss from my POV. Have we heard whom of them actually lined up with Schneider?

 

[bhamill]

I don't think it's a bad idea to go back to the kid line, perhaps they can build off of what they did in the playoffs and become a legitimate threat over the long haul. As long as they get enough ice time it's not a big deal.

Please, keep your reasonable critical thinking to your self! This is the time for widespread panic!

 

[bleedblue94]

Panarin not being glued to the wall is a good start

he still looks like he is living outside of the dots in all the videos i have seen from today, not what i was hoping for

 

[Circus86]

The prophecy is coming true
KZB is no match for Kravtsov & co

 

[BBKers]

KZB
Bread - Vinny - Mr Ed’s Prophet
Kid line
? - Goodrow - Reaves
?

 

[Thirty One]

One (only?) notable thing here besides what we learned about the lines yesterday, is that Hajek and Jones are in the group with Schneider and not Robertson.