Prospal isn't going to start the season on the third line. Thats absurd.
I like Artem as much as the next guy but if you insist on putting Frolov at 1st line LW and Dubi at 2nd, chemistry be damned, then Prospal has to center the 2nd line.
Except that if you play out the ramifications of that lineup throughout the squad you get a pretty awkward formation. Where does AA play - 3rd line C? Okay, then where does Drury play? etc., etc. With the players we have, Prospal at 3rd line LW is actually the most rational disposition of the squad.
Furthermore, WHY exactly does Prospal, a deteriorating 35 year old LW/C have to play in the top 6? Because he's a vet? Because he played way better than anyone expected for the first half of last season? That goes both against what Torts has said (which we all know needs to be taken with a grain of salt) and his own best interests in terms of retaining his job next year (which does not). Torts needs to put out the lineup that has the best chance of winning. To me, that's something along the lines of:
Frolov-EC-Gabby
Dubi-AA-MZA
Prospal-Drury-Callahan
Avery-White-Prust
(with the lineup somehow being shuffled so that Boogaard can slot in at 4th line LW against tougher teams)
Now, is that a championship contender? Hell no. But IMO it is the best lineup he can field with the collection of borderline top 6 guys that Slats assembled for him. This cluster**** of mediocre top 6 players is the chief reason I was against piling on the Frolov signing on top of the Prospal signing on top of the Christensen signing, by the way. (Although as I've said before, if this team was trending up and had more legitimate top line forwards already in place, I would've been all over the Frolov signing - love him as a player, just not for this team at this time.)
Most of the players in the top 6 are on one or two year deals. Torts himself is rumored to be on a one year trial period. There is no obligation to anyone other than to play the team that has the best shot of winning. And, given the players that Slats has assembled, that means Prospal on 3rd line LW. Because to make the playoffs, he's going to need to rely - heavily - on the young guns (in particular AA and MZA) to step up and become legit second line contributors since there's no way he's getting any MORE out of Prospal this year than he did last year.
Last edited by BrooklynRangersFan: 08-08-2010 at 10:40 AM.
Anisimov needs to prove he's capable of playing in the top 6 and the spot is his. I thought he looked a little flustered at times last year when he played in the top 6, but he should be fine now with a year of experience under his belt.
The signing of Frolov effectively bumped Prospal out of the top 6. I'm not so sure why so many people see this as a bad thing... as I've mentioned before, he's 35-years-old, had knee surgery last year, and is due for a down year. Having him play on the 3rd line isn't the worst thing in the world. He'll play less minutes which will hopefully prevent him from fizzling out towards the end of the season like last year.
The reason, is that a softer player like Prospal is not suited for a bottom 6 role. If he and Dubinsky produce similar numbers on like 2, I take Dubinsky on the LW, or center of line 3 any day of the week, because he is physical, he meshes well with Callahan and Avery, you do the math.
When Straka was bumped down to the third line his final year here he was almost useless. Lets hope that doesnt happen to Prospal.
Except that if you play out the ramifications of that lineup throughout the squad you get a pretty awkward formation. Where does AA play - 3rd line C? Okay, then where does Drury play? etc., etc. With the players we have, Prospal at 3rd line LW is actually the most rational disposition of the squad.
Drury is honestly not suited to center an NHL offensive line anymore. Yes, he can take the faceoffs, but he doesn't have the puck moving ability to keep up without neutering the line's offensive output.
I think Anisimov absolutely should be the third line center, and the line should be a combination of:
The reason, is that a softer player like Prospal is not suited for a bottom 6 role. If he and Dubinsky produce similar numbers on like 2, I take Dubinsky on the LW, or center of line 3 any day of the week, because he is physical, he meshes well with Callahan and Avery, you do the math.
When Straka was bumped down to the third line his final year here he was almost useless. Lets hope that doesnt happen to Prospal.
But to me it's much more important for this team to have AA and Dubi playing "where they should" than it is to cater to Prospal.
But to me it's much more important for this team to have AA and Dubi playing "where they should" than it is to cater to Prospal.
Sorry, but we've got to the point where Anisimov is being overrated. He had a great stretch with Shelley/Prust, but he's much better suited to the third line at this point in his career. Maybe he becomes a second line center, but he's not one right now, imo.
Sorry, but we've got to the point where Anisimov is being overrated. He had a great stretch with Shelley/Prust, but he's much better suited to the third line at this point in his career. Maybe he becomes a second line center, but he's not one right now, imo.
Disagree. IMO, for THIS team to have any hope of being successful, the kids need to step up big time. In particular, Dubi needs to take that next big step in his development to become the top-line player people think he can be, MZA needs to step in right away and demonstrate that he can produce (and produce points) as a top 6 in the NHL and AA needs to grab the second line C position and run with it. If our best lineup is Vinny "Retread" Prospal at 2nd line C, Slats shouldn't wait for the deadline to start selling assets.
I think people are jumping the gun with Anisimov. I really think the 3C is more appropriate for him at this stage. I haven't seen anything to indicate he's ready for the top six other than wishful thinking. I'd rather not set him up to fail.
The reason, is that a softer player like Prospal is not suited for a bottom 6 role. If he and Dubinsky produce similar numbers on like 2, I take Dubinsky on the LW, or center of line 3 any day of the week, because he is physical, he meshes well with Callahan and Avery, you do the math.
When Straka was bumped down to the third line his final year here he was almost useless. Lets hope that doesnt happen to Prospal.
Let Anisimov get some quality top line minutes. Let him shine, and give him plenty of games to do it.
The one thing about Ani is that if hes not producing offensively, hes doing a spectacular job defensively and positionally so he really wont hurt the team if he starts off slow. Let him breathe a bit there and hell take his next steps IMO.
As I said already with the Callahan/MZA debate, what difference does being on the 2nd or 3rd line really make other than what role you're playing? Anisimov should be with players that will optimize his offensive production, not on another grinding type line. They'll probably get the same amount of ice time.
