Megatron: Ultimate Power Ranger Line-up Assembly Edition

[Raskolnikov]

I had a few too many, and the answer of the ultimate balance and extreme domination of the opponent came to me. 12 days into a bender and for sure high on lots of herb..."Fruit Cake" if you must ask...

1. Saad-Toews-Kubalik. (I was watching this on Kubalik, and I have to say the guy will have to play..he can shoot, and is a strong young lad with length...perfect fit)

2. Cat-Strome-Kane....(just too dominant to have Kane tilt the ice for these two, coupled with speed...its not perfect and maybe the lines spin for Kane to an extent, cool, but no question the Cat-Kane combo is probably too reliable to pass up)

3. Jewels-Dach-Shaw Dach is more than this, but at this point in his career this would be a hilarious example to start his learning for a young testosterone alpha....put him behind the hounds and let them bark up some trouble)
4. Carpenter-Kampf-Smith..... (then if everything goes well...this is like the ultimate workman line that will come to fruition by the end of year two, contractually, I have no doubt its just a matter of who steps up and when before it happens..I show above its possible right out of the gate, if Dach and one other from anywhere make the team, it sets up to have this frustration line at the back end to help with face-offs and all areas throughout the game. You could flip Saad and one of Shaw/Jewels, but I just think its the best place to hide Saad if Kubalik is legit. He might be 30+ goal legit guys)




****just a note, my opinion on this...is that the weed may have taken it into the future a bit. clearly this line-up may come to fruition in 18 months though...I think it could happen but might be either for just the first 9 games or in 18 months.

 

[RacerX]

Happy to reply substantively once you advise what you had too many of.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Happy to reply substantively once you advise what you had too many of.

It was a few too many of a few too many things at once, a few too many days in a row. Including the Fruit Cake strain of a heavy indica.

Still...I think I'll stay in love with this line-up for a minute. Hard to love wherever I put Saad at the moment, I hope he finds a way to earn like 2,000,000 of his 5,000,000 next season. Just be better than Perlini dude. Jesus.

It kinda comes down to leaving Toews to deal with having him, or strapping Dach or Kampf with him, and I just feel like I guess the 3rd or 4th line works and you move Jewels or Shaw up into that spot...but I don't like it.

If I could pick two suggestions...and a third without Dach...which of the three is preferred?

Saad-Taser-Kubalik

Cat-Strome-Kaner

Jewels-Dach-Shaw

Carp-Kampf-Smith


or to help Dach with face-offs


Shaw-Taser-Kubalik

Cat-Strome-Kaner

Saad-Dach-Smith

Jewels-Kampf-Carp


or keep last years first


Jewels-Tazer-Kaner

Cat-Strome-Kubalik

Saad-Dach-Shaw

Carp-Kampf-Smith


finally without Dach


Jewels-Tazer-Kaner

Cat-Strome-Kubalik

Saad-Kampf-Shaw

Sikura-Kampf-Smith

 

[Raskolnikov]

Stan needs to freeze and let the trade he needs to come to him.

Perhaps a more diabolical plan is in order...they are clearly trying to overstock NHL bodies, and if we think about it seriously that has to be a plan to move a contract or 3.

I'd like to freeze the account for a minute but it might be so urgent they have to make a big move before they even start camp and roster this group. At least one big sale and movement of one defensive contract or Saad or Crow. I could see before camp, and coming at the high price of a couple of these prospects I covet.

The surplus doubles though next year, with 2-3 more college kids and another Russian from KHL, and Kurashev too by then, it might sound crazy but I could see another 12-18 guys moved within the next 18 months to that 2021 winter trade deadline.

I expect at least one big 4 guys out for 1 guy and a draft pick back type of firesale to pay-off a salary dump. It has to happen.
1. Seabrook 2. Saad 3. Murphy 4. Crow would probably help

and you can sell Gus high I would think, before you can't pay him and also Strome/Cat and Lehner/Crow sitch...


soooo...I am just excited for camp to start and see what happens. Stan likely has a few scenarios nibbling around the league at once...waiting for the right move to come to him now is best.

The Hawks seemingly had no trade leverage and got abused for a few years and I think that power needs to come back to them now as they hold some prospects and draft picks again without such a dire cap situation.

Oil is going up, and cap should get pulled up...league is popular, contracts are up...I'd say the Hawks are in great shape in 2019 and beyond, its just is there top 6 quite good enough to carry them and they are top heavy so a couple injuries would sink them to the wrong guys.

If Kubalik and/or Saarela could give us 30 goals, offensive problems solved....then find some forecheckers.
I name those two because I'm in the camp that doesn't see it in Nylander/Sikura offensively...but hey please prove wrong. I am just more hopeful a young Swiss League MVP in Kubalik or the best shot in AHL in Saarela, could slot in top 6 and get feeds from Cat, Toews, Kane somewhere...could take advantage of the space they create and passes they can make.

I'd look to Kubalik, Saarela, or Nylander for that finishing slap shot. Shaw and Jewels will make themselves useful wherever you put them and imo, can fill in those open roles if necessary, but having them juice up the third or 4th lines while a prettier gun does some effecient easy work...I just think it would get the Hawks back to 3 scoring line hockey, and the 4th line is beefed up this year for sure with guys who will create a consistent work ethic goal machine we can trust I think.

If Dach actually makes it and one of those guys stepped into 30 goals....thats my recipe for success. The defense will sort itself out one way or another, the bodies are here now...they have to take their pick.

 

[Raskolnikov]

With Dach at wing...

what do you all say about the

1. Emotional right fit with Toews...and I would say a "good" hockey fit as Toews likes to have one worker flank him.
2. Possible hockey fit giving Cat/Strome some muscle and a net front presence.

Cat-Strome-Dach/Kubalik/Smith...

if either of those 3 can have consistent success it opens up the power line of Toews/Kane and a scorer like Shaw/Kubalik/Saarela or stick with the effective energy mate in Jewels.



Personally my dream is to build
1. Line one around Toews
2. Line 2 around Cat-Strome
3. And line 3 around Kane's ideal, with the mind that he converts those lost minutes (and natural fit for reduced minutes in the 2 players you are elevating there to have opportunity to play with him...allows you to slot "good fit" players with Kane who aren't necessarily top 6 players yet right now in their career...

like Kubalik/Dach/Kane for instance...gives you alot to like and supports two young players with the guy who makes everybody good.

Then you take Kane's lost minutes and he distributes them wherever he wants making the team unpredictable and annoying as hell to match up with.

When Kane jumps elsewhere that third line can sit or Smith can jump in with them and win some faceoffs. Meanwhile the rest of the vets are distrubuted throughout 3 other strong lines...and there is no real weakness if Toews can find good fits.

Toews just doesn't need Kane and isn't necessarily the best fit with him, although I think its the start of a pretty nasty top 5 NHL line if they could slot an actual finisher with speed at 1LW...but that slap shot has been absent and those players hard to find.

Kubalik/Saarela/Nylander....

we need one of those slap shots to emerge, imo...to go from a good to a great team with an actual chance.

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

With Dach at wing...

what do you all say about the

1. Emotional right fit with Toews...and I would say a "good" hockey fit as Toews likes to have one worker flank him.
2. Possible hockey fit giving Cat/Strome some muscle and a net front presence.

Cat-Strome-Dach/Kubalik/Smith...

if either of those 3 can have consistent success it opens up the power line of Toews/Kane and a scorer like Shaw/Kubalik/Saarela or stick with the effective energy mate in Jewels.



Personally my dream is to build
1. Line one around Toews
2. Line 2 around Cat-Strome
3. And line 3 around Kane's ideal, with the mind that he converts those lost minutes (and natural fit for reduced minutes in the 2 players you are elevating there to have opportunity to play with him...allows you to slot "good fit" players with Kane who aren't necessarily top 6 players yet right now in their career...

like Kubalik/Dach/Kane for instance...gives you alot to like and supports two young players with the guy who makes everybody good.

Then you take Kane's lost minutes and he distributes them wherever he wants making the team unpredictable and annoying as hell to match up with.

When Kane jumps elsewhere that third line can sit or Smith can jump in with them and win some faceoffs. Meanwhile the rest of the vets are distrubuted throughout 3 other strong lines...and there is no real weakness if Toews can find good fits.

Toews just doesn't need Kane and isn't necessarily the best fit with him, although I think its the start of a pretty nasty top 5 NHL line if they could slot an actual finisher with speed at 1LW...but that slap shot has been absent and those players hard to find.

Kubalik/Saarela/Nylander....

we need one of those slap shots to emerge, imo...to go from a good to a great team with an actual chance.

I thought you stopped doing drugs?

 

[Raskolnikov]

I thought you stopped doing drugs?

which part don't you like? Or as might be easier...

is there a line-up or two that you prefer?