Why on earth is Grier being mentioned as a 1st liner?

[fuhr]

Grier is best as a third line player,you can spot on occassion on the 2nd line when he's hot. Believe me i saw enough of Grier over the years in Edmonton to tell you that this is when he is most effective. If you ask too much of him,the "good" part of his game will suffer. If the caps are honestly thinking of doing this instead of using Semin,Lang,Zubrus,etc...they are insane. Why the hell is Bondra on the 3rd line?Is he going to start shadowing the other teams top players!!!!Good god,only in Washington would they come up with this plan. The caps better pray that Kolzig stands on his head game in game out.

[PSUhockey34]

Originally Posted by fuhr

Grier is best as a third line player,you can spot on occassion on the 2nd line when he's hot. Believe me i saw enough of Grier over the years in Edmonton to tell you that this is when he is most effective. If you ask too much of him,the "good" part of his game will suffer. If the caps are honestly thinking of doing this instead of using Semin,Lang,Zubrus,etc...they are insane. Why the hell is Bondra on the 3rd line?Is he going to start shadowing the other teams top players!!!!Good god,only in Washington would they come up with this plan. The caps better pray that Kolzig stands on his head game in game out.

after breaking up the grier-halpren-kono line, the caps have no real role assigned to any line 1-4...as of right now all the lines seem to have a mix of different styles

[txpd]

Originally Posted by fuhr

Grier is best as a third line player,you can spot on occassion on the 2nd line when he's hot. Believe me i saw enough of Grier over the years in Edmonton to tell you that this is when he is most effective. If you ask too much of him,the "good" part of his game will suffer. If the caps are honestly thinking of doing this instead of using Semin,Lang,Zubrus,etc...they are insane. Why the hell is Bondra on the 3rd line?Is he going to start shadowing the other teams top players!!!!Good god,only in Washington would they come up with this plan. The caps better pray that Kolzig stands on his head game in game out.

from the washington times today....
The top three lines figure to be: Grier, Nylander and Jagr; Zubrus, Lang and 19-year-old Russian rookie Alexander Semin; and Steve Konowalchuk, Jeff Halpern and Peter Bondra. Sutherby was slated to center the fourth line with Gordon on the right and Miller, Matt Pettinger or enforcer Stephen Peat on the left.

The reason Cassidy is trying Grier on the first line is that the Jagr group last year had no physical presence at all. Grier adds grit and a level of protection for Jagr and Nylander and a player that is able to hit the corners hard to retrieve the puck. Grier scored 15 goals last year, more than Miller, and has had 20 twice in the past. Jagr wants Miller. Cassidy wants someone to protect Jagr from the Kubina's of the league.

You may have noticed that as shut down/checking 3rd lines go the Caps Halpern-Konowalchuk line with either Dahlen or Grier is often described as the Caps best and most consistant line. Part of the reason for that is their ability to control large chunks of the other teams top line's ice time by controlling the puck in the offensive zone. They can cycle the puck right thru an entire shift. Kono had 15 last year and Halpern 13, but both have been 20 goal guys in the past and Cassidy wants further production from those two. Bondra is not defensively challenged like some gunners are and gives that line a finisher and gives Bondra a chance to play offense against the least defensive group on the other team. This plan also puts Jagr, Lang-Zubrus-Bondra on three different lines all playing with capable players(except jagr with nylander hurt, but he wants miller anyway and now he can get him). Its hard to defend that. I think there is one more dynamic that needs to be realized.
1. Jagr does not want to play on the same line with Semin. He apparantly wants nothing to do with Bondra for reasons I'd like to know.
IF Semin is going to play on a top line it has to be with Lang and Zubrus.
Where does Bondra play in that scenario?
2. This is the set up until Semin gets a full evaluation. IF he is not up to playing on a top line, he goes to the 4th line and gets more managed ice time. If he continues to play as well as he has been, he may have earned Jagr's respect and be able to play on his line. That would allow Bondra back with Lang and Zubrus.

[txpd]

Originally Posted by BMWM3owner

after breaking up the grier-halpren-kono line, the caps have no real role assigned to any line 1-4...as of right now all the lines seem to have a mix of different styles

Having a mix of styles does not mean there are no roles. Halpern's line is still the shut down/checking line. Halpern and Kono are a skilled pair
at that and Bondra much like Dahlen did, brings skill, but a strong amount of responsibility. Bondra has played with Halpern and Kono all preseason and it doesn't seem to be hurting is production. 4 goals and 3 assists.
It appears that the 4th line will carry a good deal more talent than it has in recent years. With Nylander down, the 4th line looks like Gordon-Sutherby-Pettinger. That line can both provide energy and enthusiasum and all three players have developing offensive skills. Peat will dress against certain opponents and I would expect Jagr to double shift with them when he does. When Nylander comes back, Miller or Semin could be skating on the 4th line and provide a real strike capabilty, but its still the 4th line.

[fuhr]

When Grier/Marchant and whomever were our line in Edmonton it was the same thing. They were one of our best lines for the same reasons,they hit people and controlled the puck and most of the play. I understand Cassidy's theory behind it but it makes no sense if they'd actually like to score. By the way,Grier has had this little thing going back to Edmonton where he scores 15-20 goals and the next year he struggles to score 10. If the same holds true he's do for an 8-10 goal season and for his sake and the caps i hope he breaks his trend if he's going to be on line #1.

[txpd]

Originally Posted by fuhr

When Grier/Marchant and whomever were our line in Edmonton it was the same thing. They were one of our best lines for the same reasons,they hit people and controlled the puck and most of the play. I understand Cassidy's theory behind it but it makes no sense if they'd actually like to score. By the way,Grier has had this little thing going back to Edmonton where he scores 15-20 goals and the next year he struggles to score 10. If the same holds true he's do for an 8-10 goal season and for his sake and the caps i hope he breaks his trend if he's going to be on line #1.

1996-1997 Oilers 79 15 17 32
1997-1998 Oilers 66 9 6 15 73
1998-1999 Oilers 82 20 24 44
1999-2000 Oilers 65 9 22 31
2000-2001 Oilers 74 20 16 36
2001-2002 Oilers 82 8 17 25
2002-2003 Capitals 82 15 17 32

In seasons where he has played 70+ games he has
15g, 20g, 20g, 8g, 15g....When he is healthy enough to play regularly
he is pretty consistant.

[fuhr]

Originally Posted by txpd

1996-1997 Oilers 79 15 17 32
1997-1998 Oilers 66 9 6 15 73
1998-1999 Oilers 82 20 24 44
1999-2000 Oilers 65 9 22 31
2000-2001 Oilers 74 20 16 36
2001-2002 Oilers 82 8 17 25
2002-2003 Capitals 82 15 17 32

In seasons where he has played 70+ games he has
15g, 20g, 20g, 8g, 15g....When he is healthy enough to play regularly
he is pretty consistant.

Thanks for proving my point. The reason doesn't matter the point is it's one year of 15-20 followed by 8-10. He played with one shoulder most of the 2000-01 season and proceeded to score 20. The following season ,healthy but not confident,he scored 8. Just because he missed 10- 15 games doesn't mean he would have scored another 7 -12 goals. At that pace he'd score 30-40 a year. Don't get me wrong i wasn't happy when the Oil got rid of Grier and i'm still not. All i'm saying is, if the caps put too much pressure on him his hands will turn to stone. He's best suited as a 3rd line player and one of the best all round 3rd line wingers in the league.