If we're not going to send them down, they need to play significant minutes. I'm so angry right now because these guys can't put up enough offense in the NHL, but they play with the team and they hardly play at all.
Lander was 6-1 on face-offs VS the Flames tonight. He didn't get a single shot on goal. Either give this guy Belanger's job or send him down to the AHL. If Belanger feels sour about signing a 2 year contract to play 4th line center, then trade him. I bet we could get a 3rd rounder for a face-off specialist around the trade deadline. Maybe we'd have to throw in our 5th or 6th rounder for a third... but just get rid of him if we're going to keep Lander up. Lander is the future of our checking line and he isn't getting enough experience to build on playing on the 4th line every game.
Pajaarvi is the main reason I want Renney out of here. Keep him off of the LW. He plays way better on the right side. Tambolini needs to get Hemsky's ass out of town as soon as possible so that we can slip Magnus into our top 6. If we can't give this guy top six minutes then send him back down to the AHL.
Who cares if he goes another 10 games without a goal playing top 6 minutes? More minutes = more learning = more scoring opportunities = more success = more confidence = not wasting our assets.
When Hopkins comes back our lines should look like this:
Hall-Hopkins-Eberle
It's stupid to break them up at this point unless you want to put Eberle on the second line just to balance the two scoring lines. All three of these guys are obviously bound to turn into stars and I'd like to see them do it together.
Smyth-Gagner-Pajarrvi
These guys need to work through their offensive slump. Pajarrvi needs to use his speed to his advantage. Look for breakout passes, hit it into high gear and get a shot on net when they catch the opposition's defense cheating.
Horcoff-Lander-Jones
A proper checking line. Jones needs to throw the body more. Lander is better on face-offs than Horcoff. Horcoff can rest up playing on the LW and have tons of energy for the PK. Horcoff has started off pretty good the last few seasons, but he gets tired from all the minutes that the coach gives him and he ends up playing like an embarrassing lump of crap by December. This year is no different. If you're going to run a race you don't sprint out of the gates when you know it's going to gas you out before the race is 1/2 over. You pace yourself. I don't understand why Renney doesn't get this.
Lander will learn a lot playing with a guy like Horcoff and he can learn about scoring dirty goals with Jones on his side.
Eager-O'Marra-Petrell
Tell Eager that he's going to get his ass put on waivers if he doesn't come out guns a blazing every night. He doesn't need to drop the gloves every night, but he needs to be chasing guys down, hitting them and creating and offensive opportunity now and then when he's fore-checking the other team.
O'Marra is a fringe 4th line center at best and he just needs to put the pedal to the metal as well.
Petrell needs to play on our PK unit. You could give tons of PK minutes to Lander, but either way Petrell needs to be on our PK unit.
Having the right guys having the right amount of energy to be effective on the PK isn't going to win us a ton of games, but it's going to give our guys a moral boost every time we kill a penalty and it's going to keep us in more games.
Get rid of Sutton. I hate this guy. I don't care if he scores 15 goals this year. I can't stand him. Please trade him before the trade deadline.
