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2013 NHL Season Line-up Thread (FINAL - as of final day of Regular Season]
Kronwall - White
Smith - Ericsson
Quincey - Kindl
Colaiacovo
Howard
Gustafson
I already like your lineup much better. I do still see Bertuzzi ending up with Datsyuk and Franzen at some point, it was a pretty good line last season. I also forgot all about Colaiacovo he should be in there ahead of Kindl
Pittsburgh looks like they'll start off with a top-4 of:
Letang-Niskanen
Martin-Orpik
The bottom pair will be decided in camp...and will probably change quite a bit throughout the year...several rookies and fringe NHLers in line...
I'll go on record saying Derek Engelland owns that 5th D spot. I'll bet they rotate the 6th D spot quite a bit this season with all the good D-men in the pipeline. Pittsburgh has excellent D depth second to maybe only Boston in the EC.
I'll go on record saying Derek Engelland owns that 5th D spot. I'll bet they rotate the 6th D spot quite a bit this season with all the good D-men in the pipeline. Pittsburgh has excellent D depth second to maybe only Boston in the EC.
The problem is, Engelland just isn't that good. And the coaches know it, he's better as a #7. It appears that Despres will be given every opportunity to make it and Bortuzzo has played well in the AHL. They need guys with higher ceilings that can handle a big stage, Engelland can't do it. So, while he may have an inside track right now, unless there's a change in his play (unlikely given his age and limitations), the organization wants to groom some better players for that spot or those spots...
If it were at all feasible, I'd like to put Engelland, Lovejoy, Strait, Bortuzzo and to a lesser extent, Grant and Sneep into the mix at some point and keep one...flush the rest. Whoever steps up gets a job, the rest can get out of the way of the good prospects coming up...
EDIT: Maybe Despres won't be given every opportunity after all...
Last edited by Mike Farkas: 01-10-2013 at 01:29 PM.
According to JR's latest; the D looks to be more like this:
Russell Pietrangelo
Jackman Shattenkirk
Cole Polak
Woywitka
I saw that but I doubt thats what it will look like at the start of the season, I dont like the idea of having Russell, a smaller puck moving dman paired with Petro, especially when he worked so well with Polak last year.
Miele takes a starting slot in the third line and Gordon return to his fourth line where he is the best and moves Chipchura to the wing, removing Bissonnette altogether. Miele have had a terrific year in the A and is a talent that shouldn't be ignored. He is a bit old(for a rookie) and small but giving him minutes with Moss and Korpikoski, two fast players with a good physical play, should give him the chance to shine.
I also think Stone will take Schlemko's position due to the level of opposition they've played against during the lockout but that sixth slot is really a jam between those two, Rundblad and Summers.
I also think that the Bödker-Vermette-Doan line will be the 1a line due to Bödker's terrific season in the SM-Liiga(left with a shared lead in goals despite playing about ten games less than the other dude in the lead) and because Sullivan is a replacement he probably will get less minutes at the start of the season to see if it works out.
Cammalleri- Tanguay - Iginla (Apparently we are trying Tangs at C according to Flames brass.
Glencross - Cervenka - Hudler
Baertschi - Backlund - Stempniak
Comeau - Stajan - Jackman
(Jones, Aliu, Reinhart as call-ups)
This is ridiculous. Why would Connolly not be playing? Mcclement to 4'th line, Brown becomes an extra forward with Lombardi, and Connolly slots into 3LC.
Pretty close. Some tweaks I'd make are that Torres is a LW, not a RW, so I'd switch him with Korpikoski. Also, Paul Bissonnette never plays. He's usually a healthy scratch and is definitely penciled in as a reserve, thirteenth forward. In his place I'd add Nick Johnson. I imagine he was acquired to replace Brule in the 4th RW spot. Also, I expect Z and OEL to get more time than DMo and Yandle. I'd reverse those pairs.
Pretty close. Some tweaks I'd make are that Torres is a LW, not a RW, so I'd switch him with Korpikoski. Also, Paul Bissonnette never plays. He's usually a healthy scratch and is definitely penciled in as a reserve, thirteenth forward. In his place I'd add Nick Johnson. I imagine he was acquired to replace Brule in the 4th RW spot. Also, I expect Z and OEL to get more time than DMo and Yandle. I'd reverse those pairs.
Bissonnette will have a good shot at playing at the start of the season, as Torres is still suspended.
