Forget About Smyth @ Centre!

I don't post here often, but I thought the following might provoke another good discussion.

Like many of the posters on this board, I too prepared to begin the season with Smyth centering our top line. However, based on a comment by Lowe, it doesn't sound like that is the plan at all.

Read Lowe's Comment Here (http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/story.asp?id=5E091E0A-5C0A-43C9-9E86-3ECD94F6BAA3)

I thought for sure Comrie was a gonner, but after reading Lowe's comment it sounds like Lowe just accepted that signing Comrie was just going to take a while and maybe has no plans to trade him. I guess the other side is that perhaps Lowe has a plan B revolving around trading for another centre, or (and I hate to say it) goes with a lineup down the middle of York, Horcoff, Reasoner,Stoll (pretty thin if you ask me). I'd be interested in hearing your views. Thanks.

I don't post here often, but I thought the following might provoke another good discussion.

Like many of the posters on this board, I too prepared to begin the season with Smyth centering our top line. However, based on a comment by Lowe, it doesn't sound like that is the plan at all.

Read Lowe's Comment Here (http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/story.asp?id=5E091E0A-5C0A-43C9-9E86-3ECD94F6BAA3)

I thought for sure Comrie was a gonner, but after reading Lowe's comment it sounds like Lowe just accepted that signing Comrie was just going to take a while and maybe has no plans to trade him. I guess the other side is that perhaps Lowe has a plan B revolving around trading for another centre, or (and I hate to say it) goes with a lineup down the middle of York, Horcoff, Reasoner,Stoll (pretty thin if you ask me). I'd be interested in hearing your views. Thanks.


That was a old article. Like 2-3 days ago. I think that you may see Smyth at center longer now that he has been someone sucessful at the position

welcome to the board

Lowe also said that the reason comrie isn't at camp is because it will disrupt whatever they try to do when he leaves. IMO, if they had no intention of using smyth at centre, he would have been back at wing before now.

If he plays centre tonight, then yeah, they are preparing to start the season with him there.

One possible reason for this "experiment" was stated by another poster a few days ago. Move Smytty to center, so we can "look at" more wingers in camp. Sounds logical. We already know what Smyth brings to the wing.

welcome to the board

Lowe also said that the reason comrie isn't at camp is because it will disrupt whatever they try to do when he leaves. IMO, if they had no intention of using smyth at centre, he would have been back at wing before now.

If he plays centre tonight, then yeah, they are preparing to start the season with him there.


You know, I don't think they were really serious about using Smyth at centre when camp opened. I agree with Ice Dragoon that it was a good way to watchother wingers. But because Smyth/Izzy have been so good together... very, very good together... this is a combination that I think we very well could see on opening night.

I don't think Smyth is playing tonight. He's got the sore finger and York is going to play so, I would guess Smyth gets the night off.

I have no idea what is going on with the MC thing but I do think that the odds of Smyth starting the season at centre have increased as pre-season has gone along rather than decreased. It may have started as a way to free a spot on the lw but Smyth-Isbister have been truly dominant together in certain games. As for the unfortunate experiences in the dot I agree that it takes a long time to learn that skill but I would remind you that before MacT came here nobody on this team was worth a pinch of pig poop in the circle. He taught Marchant how to be effective. If you will remember MacT was one of the best in his career and I have no doubt he can make Smyth respectable if it comes to that.

Someone else a while back posted an idea of having someone like York as the other winger (Smyth/Isbister) so that York could take some faceoffs - I have to think he's better at it (even though rusty) than Smyth is now.

Or else they figure Smyth will just improve at them by working with MacT over the weeks/months to be 'decent' in the faceoff circle. That's really my only concern with him at center at this point.

Bart

If Smyth does play centre and he can win about 40% of them i bet the coaching staff will be happy because Smyth does not take faceoffs on the powerplay where you need to win them the most.

I don't think Smyth is playing tonight. He's got the sore finger and York is going to play so, I would guess Smyth gets the night off.

To me it's really starting to look like the "experiment" will carry to the regular season. Smyth's out tonight and so are Isbister and Hemsky. Not a coincidence.