I've really loved what I've seen from Martin this year. The opposite with Rolston, I've been pretty disappointed. I didn't really expect THAT much from him since he is getting up there, but I thought playing with the youth of this team would spark a little fire in him. He has been pretty invisible though.
Martin hits everyone. Every chance he gets he is stapling somebody. Add to that he is getting chances pretty much every game, this kid is more than just a 4th or even 3rd line player, IMO. I really think he could be a Bertuzzi type of player. He has skill and he finds himself in prime scoring areas.
I don't see what the downside would be from trying this. Maybe it would ignite some sort of fire in Bailey playing with a guy who plays with as much heart as Martin.
I also gotta say that when Nino comes back, it should be Rolston that gets scratched & not Comeau or Bailey. Sure Comeau & Bailey haven't played well either, but they're still superior players at this point. Plus when you take into consideration how much time Rolston has had on the PP, his lack of production is very worrisome.
Rolston is a vet, with a high price tag. It's fantasy to bench him.
As is Dipietro, and he's only played 1 of the first 9 games. If the Isles are serious about winning they need to play the best 18 every given night. The 3 worst forwards on the Isles are Pandolfo, Rolston, and Bailey at the moment. Pandolfo's value is in his PK skills. Bailey's value is in that he's a young player that needs time in the lineup. Rolston is the odd man out. He is not providing any value on this team as of yet.
In fact I would shake up the bottom 6 as follows when Niederreiter comes back:
Comeau - Reasoner - Niederreiter
Pandolfo/Rolston - Bailey - Martin
Reasoner has played pretty well. As has Martin. Pandolfo is the worst offensive player I've seen in a long while. Reasoner and Martin are capable of putting up points but are weighed down by a useless Pandolfo and not getting enough time.
As is Dipietro, and he's only played 1 of the first 9 games. If the Isles are serious about winning they need to play the best 18 every given night. The 3 worst forwards on the Isles are Pandolfo, Rolston, and Bailey at the moment. Pandolfo's value is in his PK skills. Bailey's value is in that he's a young player that needs time in the lineup. Rolston is the odd man out. He is not providing any value on this team as of yet.
In fact I would shake up the bottom 6 as follows when Niederreiter comes back:
Comeau - Reasoner - Niederreiter
Pandolfo/Rolston - Bailey - Martin
Reasoner has played pretty well. As has Martin. Pandolfo is the worst offensive player I've seen in a long while. Reasoner and Martin are capable of putting up points but are weighed down by a useless Pandolfo and not getting enough time.
Notice how Ricky hasn't been in the pressbox when healthy.
And Pando is not useless. He is one of the reasons that 4th line can a regular shift against anyone and he is on our first PK unit.
When Nino gets healthy I think we are either looking at Matt Martin in Bridgeport (which I don't like). Or Comeau up in the pressbox waiting to be traded.
I also gotta say that when Nino comes back, it should be Rolston that gets scratched & not Comeau or Bailey. Sure Comeau & Bailey haven't played well either, but they're still superior players at this point. Plus when you take into consideration how much time Rolston has had on the PP, his lack of production is very worrisome.
You read my mind. This makes the most sense to me. I think some of the "veterans" have slowed a bit. Ralston doesn't seem to have any chemistry and he shoots too much...and his shot is almost never on goal.
The 4th line as it is, has actually been very consistant for a 4th line. I wouldn't touch them.
That 4th line is one of the best in the league IMO. I'm not so sure I'd change it to accomodate dead weight. As much as i know Martin can spark life into the 3rd line, I can see old man Rolston sucking the energy out of our 4th line which has arguably been our best line.
If it were me making the decisions, I'd keep those bottom 2 lines the same until Nino's back. Then when Nino's good to go, Rolston can put on a nice suit and watch the games from upstairs.
Pando has been great, he's gotta play. He's done EXACTLY what he's been brought to do = Play responsible hokey and improve the PK. He's doing both.
It's gotta be Rolston watching from the pressbox. He hasn't done anything at all to earn his spot. He's shown nothing on the PP, nothing 5 on 5 and hasn't sparked any life into his line mates. If anything, he's the one dragging them down.
That 3rd line has been a problem. Nino's enthusiasm should get it going. Hell, they cant get any worse can they?
The problem with bringing in "veteran leadership" is the downside of cutting the ice time of younger players. Currently we have Rolston, Pandolfo, Mottau, Staios, Eaton, Reasoner, Nabokov, DP, Streit and even Frans. Veterans should only be brought in if they can contribute more than younger players. There is no positive result in Rolston or Pandolfo playing over Martin. This team will become a Stanley Cup contender if guys like Martin, Comeau, Bailey and Okposo develop, not because of the "Devil's Brigade". There is a reason why Mottau, Pandolfo and Rolston were jettisoned by Lou.
When Nino is back I would put Martin on a line with KO and Bails and hope that his energy is contagious. My 4 lines would be:
JT-Pap-Moulson
Bails-KO-Martin
Frans-Nino-Grabner
Reasoner-Comeau-Rolston
That 4th line is one of the best in the league IMO. I'm not so sure I'd change it to accomodate dead weight. As much as i know Martin can spark life into the 3rd line, I can see old man Rolston sucking the energy out of our 4th line which has arguably been our best line.
If it were me making the decisions, I'd keep those bottom 2 lines the same until Nino's back. Then when Nino's good to go, Rolston can put on a nice suit and watch the games from upstairs.
Pando has been great, he's gotta play. He's done EXACTLY what he's been brought to do = Play responsible hokey and improve the PK. He's doing both.
It's gotta be Rolston watching from the pressbox. He hasn't done anything at all to earn his spot. He's shown nothing on the PP, nothing 5 on 5 and hasn't sparked any life into his line mates. If anything, he's the one dragging them down.
That 3rd line has been a problem. Nino's enthusiasm should get it going. Hell, they cant get any worse can they?
I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Nino on that 3rd line, although if Moulson doesn't heat up soon I wouldn't mind seeing him on the 1st with Tavares and PAP for a few games. IMO, the 2nd line looked very good last night but the 1st was lagging a little bit(in large part due to MM). When Nino gets back I would try something like this:
I think subtracting Moulson's softness for Nino's cannonball style could add a nice element to that JT line. It could lose offense depending how NN transitions to the NHL game, but it could also turn out better than it is now.
If the 2nd line is playing well I wouldn't touch them. They all seem to click together and if they are scoring I would leave them be. If not, however, I wouldn't mind giving Bailey a shot for a few games on that line.
I think Moulson dropping down to the 3rd line could help Bailey a little bit. Moulson can put the puck in the net, and as of now Bailey doesn't have anyone on his line that can do that outside of Comeau, who has started slow. I liked Comeau's game last night, thought he showed some grit, and IMO that is what he has to do to score goals. He creates chances from his tenacity and as long as he plays like that the chances will come. Maybe Moulson on that line can wake the both of them up. If not, as long as Cizikas is developing well in the AHL I would like to give him a shot late in the year if Bailey has failed to get anything going by then.
I guess Martin would have to stick with the 4th line in this scenario but IMO it isn't a bad thing. I would like him to get more minutes but as long as the other 3 lines are clicking we might as well keep the 4th together, which has been a solid line.
The problem with bringing in "veteran leadership" is the downside of cutting the ice time of younger players. Currently we have Rolston, Pandolfo, Mottau, Staios, Eaton, Reasoner, Nabokov, DP, Streit and even Frans. Veterans should only be brought in if they can contribute more than younger players. There is no positive result in Rolston or Pandolfo playing over Martin. This team will become a Stanley Cup contender if guys like Martin, Comeau, Bailey and Okposo develop, not because of the "Devil's Brigade". There is a reason why Mottau, Pandolfo and Rolston were jettisoned by Lou.
When Nino is back I would put Martin on a line with KO and Bails and hope that his energy is contagious. My 4 lines would be:
JT-Pap-Moulson
Bails-KO-Martin
Frans-Nino-Grabner
Reasoner-Comeau-Rolston
I think the 4th line has been terrific for a 4th line. I wouldn't mess with it. I like Martin's energy, but he's still a bit on the slow side (I hope he works on it in the offseason).
That 4th line is one of the best in the league IMO. I'm not so sure I'd change it to accomodate dead weight. As much as i know Martin can spark life into the 3rd line, I can see old man Rolston sucking the energy out of our 4th line which has arguably been our best line.
If it were me making the decisions, I'd keep those bottom 2 lines the same until Nino's back. Then when Nino's good to go, Rolston can put on a nice suit and watch the games from upstairs.
Pando has been great, he's gotta play. He's done EXACTLY what he's been brought to do = Play responsible hokey and improve the PK. He's doing both.
It's gotta be Rolston watching from the pressbox. He hasn't done anything at all to earn his spot. He's shown nothing on the PP, nothing 5 on 5 and hasn't sparked any life into his line mates. If anything, he's the one dragging them down.
That 3rd line has been a problem. Nino's enthusiasm should get it going. Hell, they cant get any worse can they?
Every sport is about production. The 4th line has been consistent. Pandolfo is consistently blocking shots. Martin is consistently hitting people. Reasoner is consistently winning faceoffs. However, the line has 1 goal in 9 games this year. They are also a minus line (Martin -1, Reasoner -1, Pandolfo -3). Both Martin and Reasoner are capable of putting up points. Pandolfo may very well go the entire season without a point. That would not surprise me.
One has to ask, is Pandolfo's penchant for blocking shots worthy of a roster spot? Does he prevent enough goals to justify a roster spot? To me, the answer is no to both questions. While Martin and Reasoner are good players capable of scoring, they aren't good enough to produce with the albatross that is Pandolfo. Therefore I suggest the Isles either do away with him entirely, or slide 2 other players currently devoid of offensive skill next to him: Josh Bailey and Brian Rolston. They should also reward Martin and Reasoner with 3rd line duties.
It's time this team makes players earn their ice time.
As is Dipietro, and he's only played 1 of the first 9 games. If the Isles are serious about winning they need to play the best 18 every given night. The 3 worst forwards on the Isles are Pandolfo, Rolston, and Bailey at the moment. Pandolfo's value is in his PK skills. Bailey's value is in that he's a young player that needs time in the lineup. Rolston is the odd man out. He is not providing any value on this team as of yet.
In fact I would shake up the bottom 6 as follows when Niederreiter comes back:
Comeau - Reasoner - Niederreiter
Pandolfo/Rolston - Bailey - Martin
Reasoner has played pretty well. As has Martin. Pandolfo is the worst offensive player I've seen in a long while. Reasoner and Martin are capable of putting up points but are weighed down by a useless Pandolfo and not getting enough time.
I don't agree with your assesment of Pandolfo. he might not be a scoring threat or anything, he's been solid on the 4th line & very good on the PK. I think a better way to describe him is one of the least skilled forwards on the team, but he's also one of the undersung heros of the team so far. He should be in no danger of being benched.
Every sport is about production. The 4th line has been consistent. Pandolfo is consistently blocking shots. Martin is consistently hitting people. Reasoner is consistently winning faceoffs. However, the line has 1 goal in 9 games this year. They are also a minus line (Martin -1, Reasoner -1, Pandolfo -3). Both Martin and Reasoner are capable of putting up points. Pandolfo may very well go the entire season without a point. That would not surprise me.
One has to ask, is Pandolfo's penchant for blocking shots worthy of a roster spot? Does he prevent enough goals to justify a roster spot? To me, the answer is no to both questions. While Martin and Reasoner are good players capable of scoring, they aren't good enough to produce with the albatross that is Pandolfo. Therefore I suggest the Isles either do away with him entirely, or slide 2 other players currently devoid of offensive skill next to him: Josh Bailey and Brian Rolston. They should also reward Martin and Reasoner with 3rd line duties.
It's time this team makes players earn their ice time.
You bring up some great points. And yea i agree 100% that it's time for these guys to earn their spot.
But as for Pando, It's a tough call. How much more production can we expect from a 4th line who plays infront of a defense that hasn't been playing that great? If Pando goes and someone else comes in, how much of an increase in production will it take for the move to be justified?
Whatever it is I'm sticking with my guns on this one and say Pando should stay.
Notice how Ricky hasn't been in the pressbox when healthy.
And Pando is not useless. He is one of the reasons that 4th line can a regular shift against anyone and he is on our first PK unit.
When Nino gets healthy I think we are either looking at Matt Martin in Bridgeport (which I don't like). Or Comeau up in the pressbox waiting to be traded.
Martin to Bridgeport is not a chance your better off buying a lotto tic
Martin to Bridgeport is not a chance your better off buying a lotto tic
You have to make a move for Nino somehow. I don't think it will happen but Martin to the Bridge is the only way you can make room for Nino without sitting another guy up in the pressbox.
You have to make a move for Nino somehow. I don't think it will happen but Martin to the Bridge is the only way you can make room for Nino without sitting another guy up in the pressbox.
well boo hoo to whatever player who is having a lousy year so far. but they can't take their only physical forward off of the team. Hell this team needs 6 more forwards with Martins willingness to hit.
I wish the Isles would build their teams like the Flyers do. Big, skilled & mean.
You read my mind. This makes the most sense to me. I think some of the "veterans" have slowed a bit. Ralston doesn't seem to have any chemistry and he shoots too much...and his shot is almost never on goal.
The 4th line as it is, has actually been very consistant for a 4th line. I wouldn't touch them.
+1
Nino to the JT line, PA to Bailey's, Rolston to the press box, Gillies to the Bridge.
You have to make a move for Nino somehow. I don't think it will happen but Martin to the Bridge is the only way you can make room for Nino without sitting another guy up in the pressbox.
so take out pretty much the only foward that hits/can fight/is physical on the entire team?
not to mention martin is playing leaps and bounds better than he ever has in an isles sweater. it would be blasphemy if martin is sent down.
So....the fact that Nino has shown zero chemistry with Tavares and PA is over a point per game has led you to believe this scenario will work?
Well, the draft lottery is very exciting.
Gillies on waivers as we speak. PA played well with Bailey and Comeau last year as we both know. Nino should not be in a bottom six role nor should he be on the powerplay which is when you put PA back with Tavares.
Gillies on waivers as we speak. PA played well with Bailey and Comeau last year as we both know. Nino should not be in a bottom six role nor should he be on the powerplay which is when you put PA back with Tavares.
But the fact remains 5 on 5, Nino had zero chemistry with Tavares.
I'm not bashing Nino, I'm eager as a fatty in a chocolate shop with the kid, but when you have one line that works and three that don't, you don't make four lines not work.
Nino should be with Grabner and Nielson (size and skill with speed and smarts) or with Bailey and Comeau (size and skill with puck possession and solid passing (and hopefully someone that will hit more with the sizeable winger on his other side)).
PA would be reduced to nothing with Bailey.
Who replaces his "meaningless" point a game production? The guy who was invisible with Tavares?
You play to win, not fit individuals into a framework.
But the fact remains 5 on 5, Nino had zero chemistry with Tavares.
I'm not bashing Nino, I'm eager as a fatty in a chocolate shop with the kid, but when you have one line that works and three that don't, you don't make four lines not work.
Nino should be with Grabner and Nielson (size and skill with speed and smarts) or with Bailey and Comeau (size and skill with puck possession and solid passing (and hopefully someone that will hit more with the sizeable winger on his other side)).
PA would be reduced to nothing with Bailey.
Who replaces his "meaningless" point a game production? The guy who was invisible with Tavares?
You play to win, not fit individuals into a framework.
not a chance
your better off buying a lotto tic
