Line ideas: 2017-18

LordKOTL

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Yes. So I don't want to see life without Crow.

I want to see Keith placed with the right compliment to his style, not asked to be Thor himself and do everything. He is an unbalanced player and should be played with somebody who brings aspects to the table he does not. Speed, defense, blocks, size... Perhaps Murphy or Forsling are that guy?

Saad-Toews-Panik
Hartman-Smaltz-Kane
Hayden-AA-Sharp
Fortin-Kero-Hino

Keith-Murphy
Forsling-Seabrooke
Kempny-Rozy/Pokka/Gus

This is almost a question...ktl? Is Keith + Murphy viable or would Keith and Forsling be possible?
Forsling is a lefty. I'm thinking it's Murphy, Rutta, or Pokka--and of those Murph has the inside track. Plus, I think #2C is AA's to lose. AA may suck at the dot but he did pot more goals than Toews and was better at the dot than Schamltz. He does go to the net and thus should compliment Kane. The #2LW will be the lottery position. I tend to think #3 may start Hartman/Schmaltz/Sharp. Schmaltz may move up to #2 if he becomes better but I don't think they stack the #2 line with Hartman and AA with Kane (try to spread some O out).

looking at those 4th lines and 3rd pairings and we might have some real poopy cocka games this year when any top 6 guy is out, or god forbid Keith, or the back-up goaltender....we might see some results we haven't seen in a while.
Hartman/Schmaltz/Sharp shouldn't be too weak, and Hayden-Fortin/AA/Kane shouldn't be a slouch either. I do agree that any major injury and we're screwed like Pamela Anderson at a Motel 6--but that's the case no matter what.
I think landing the 7th or 8th seed is going to be all the challenge this team can make, and hopefully if we get in the playoffs some young guys are shooting stars at the right time and give this squad some unexpected fortification.
3rd in the central of 1st Wildcard is where I project us at. 2nd wildcard is acceptable, but missing the playoffs will be a fail. We still have Toews, Kane, Saad, Keith, Seabrook, AA, and Crawford. If the 'hawks don't make the playoffs with that core, the core/coach failed--even if it is an 8th seed/1-and-done.
Bondra, Fortin, Debricat, Knott, Sekura, Louis, Baun, Lacopelli, Jurco. are some guys in the system still with potential to elevate their game.


the issue to me is Kane and Toews are not the type that you can just plug young talent into the line and have it click, especially in the playoffs. The point of this thread was "line science" and isn't about having the top 6 figured out. Its about finding balance.
Kane you actually can; he produces with a under-performing Sharp, Verturnover, and an old Richards--which is why he makes the 10.5M. Toews, you shoudl be able to and I'm 100% certain that they will do everything they can to help him succeed. The thing about line science though is that it's not simply cut-and-dried. It's more of an artform. It's also about making a choice--do you overload a line or a pairing, or do you split a line up for "balance"? If balance ends up not working you have to overload and home something else somewhere else will mitigate the damage. Think 2015 where we rode the top-2 pairings and the 3rd was an afterthought.

Saad, Hayden, Hartman should be fits to lines 1 and 2. They can take some pressure off Toews to do the dirty, create, and defend all at once. Smaltz or Debricat aren't going to solve that even if they slot there on a typical team.

My sense of how this year will shake out...

Hayden-Toews-Panik
Saad-AA-Kane
Hartman-Smaltz-Sharp
Tootoo/Bondra-Kero/Hayden-Fortin/Jurco/Hino
I don't see that happening. Saad/Toews/Panik will in all likelihood be the top line. The crux of the 'hawks year is going to be to get Toews going. Toews has chemistry with both of them and both of them out-goaled Toews. You're givign Toews the best tools to succeed--and no excuse for him to underperform.

From there, #2LW will be the lottery slot. AA/Kane should anchor the second line.

I think #3 is likely Sharp/Schmaltz/Hartman--if I remember correctly Sharp can play left and Hartman is better right. Sharp can also be an "out" is Schmaltz can't win a draw.

4th line I think is anyone's guess. Bouma/Wingels/Jurco probably figure in--one of them will likley take Tootoo's slot of pressbox fodder or get traded. Kero vs. Hino I think might depend on who impresses more. Just about everyone else, who doesn't win the #2LW lottery slot, is waivers-exempt. I especy a lot of competition for it.

For the G it's simple: Crawford is the mam. Berube and Forsberg will likely fight it out in the preseason, with the other going to Rockford. My bet is Forsberg is the backup and hopefully can start 20-ish games.

For the D I think you have to start Keith/Murph. No reason to break up Kempny-Seabs unless Forsling, Snuggerud, Gustaffson, Osterle or another LD comes out of nowhere. I think the bottom pairing is going to be whomever sticks in preseason.

Granted, right now we have an extra G, 2 extra FWDS, and are down a D-man and slightly over ther cap according to CF. I'm fully expecting we waive someone or they're traded for nothing.


Could be possible to see Hayden/Hartman flipped there, and anybodies guess for 4th line.

I guess if we got 4th line problems, and 3rd pairing problems, it will help us filter through the youth better than in the past.

See above
 

Raskolnikov

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See above

so defense is likely

Keith/Murphy
Seabs/Kempny
Forsling/Rozy

Pokka/TooToo

With

Saad/Smaltz-Toews-Panik
Saad/Hayden

lol...I just spaced out in my 420 head for 5 minutes thinking of possibilities and what it means if this or that, and what it comes down to is we don't have a true 2LW pairing now, and whoever gets the Sharp/Hartman/Hayden/Smatlz end of the shuffle between 1LW or 2LW bascially ends up with Hartman sorta winning but he is what he is, which is really a plus third liner, like AA, but until true top 6 talents emerge Saad and Smaltz and Hayden and Hartman may suffer getting shuffled all around and failing to find an identity on the bottom 6.
 

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