I think we should stick him on the same line as Jokinen, let the Finns get some of the spotlight as well and see what they can come up with, 3 lethal scoring lines? Sweet Jesus..
Exciting news, but I'll believe it when I see it. This guy can get hurt eating breakfast, so avoiding setbacks will be key.
As for the lines, this is really the only option. You're not going to mess with the first line, and honestly, the one thing Ruutu has shown -- aside from his ability to get hurt -- is that he's not a first-liner.
JStaal/Skinner have been looking for the other winger, and Ruutu slots in there.
As long as they're healthy, Nash and Brent are our 3/4 centers.
As for the bottom six wingers (Jokinen, Dwyer, Wallace, Bowman, Westgarth, LaRose), I think you can put 'em in a hat and pick them based on who's playing well and the matchups. There's nobody special there.
Always worry about chemistry when introducing someone to the top 6 this late in the year, but I suspect it will work out. Pros definitely outweigh cons.
Would be interested to see if Ruutu and J Staal might click, with a scoring wing like Skinner. That line could mirror the top if things fit together right.
Exciting news, but I'll believe it when I see it. This guy can get hurt eating breakfast, so avoiding setbacks will be key.
As for the lines, this is really the only option. You're not going to mess with the first line, and honestly, the one thing Ruutu has shown -- aside from his ability to get hurt -- is that he's not a first-liner.
JStaal/Skinner have been looking for the other winger, and Ruutu slots in there.
As long as they're healthy, Nash and Brent are our 3/4 centers.
As for the bottom six wingers (Jokinen, Dwyer, Wallace, Bowman, Westgarth, LaRose), I think you can put 'em in a hat and pick them based on who's playing well and the matchups. There's nobody special there.
Rutuu hits everything that moves and hits harder than his size would indicate. Over the previous couple seasons he has only missed ten games despite being our most physical forechecker.
Saying he "can get hurt eating breakfast" is not only stupid but it is insulting. A player like that sacrifices his body for the team whenever he plays. Not like Alex Semin, Jamie McBain, Jeff Skinner, Jussi Jokinen, Joe Corvo, or Joni Pitkanen who rarely make physical contact against opposing players.
Rutuu hits everything that moves and hits harder than his size would indicate. Over the previous couple seasons he has only missed ten games despite being our most physical forechecker.
Saying he "can get hurt eating breakfast" is not only stupid but it is insulting. A player like that sacrifices his body for the team whenever he plays. Not like Alex Semin, Jamie McBain, Jeff Skinner, Jussi Jokinen, Joe Corvo, or Joni Pitkanen who rarely make physical contact against opposing players.
I have a suggestion for all that faux outrage, but I'll keep it to myself. Ruutu may have only missed 10 games (I assume you're not counting this season) the past "couple of" seasons, but he played almost all of 2009-10 season with a bum shoulder that eventually required surgery, then he had a slow start to 2010-11 due to the same shoulder. He also split his face open in his first game for the Canes, and was pretty much invisible in the 2009 playoff run, including missing several games due to injury.
Yeah, the guy plays hard. I'm pretty sure I never said he didn't. And I'm not surprised that he gets hurt a lot the way he plays. I'm just saying he gets hurt a lot.
So to recap. Ruutu is injured all season and is a bum. Ruutu may be coming back earlier than expected and is the savior. Ok...got it.
As for when he does return, I'd ease him back in on the 3rd line and have Jokinen play on the 2nd line. It's better balance and with Ruutu on the 2nd line there are no playmakers.
I like this top 9. If Dwyer can't be on that line long-term, he can drop back down to the third line and Ruutu can move up. This takes advantage of the chemistry we've seen with Jokinen and Ruutu, and Dwyer has looked good in bursts with Jordan and Skinner.
I can see LaRose-Brent-Wallace on the 4th line, as I think Brent can work in that role. Tell LaRose and Wallace to go out and hit everything that moves while Brent is back in case LaRose and Wallace get caught up ice.
Well why do you think Jokinen was moved up there? It has been a conspicuous absence all year. JStaal's assist totals look good but he's not a playmaker but he provides a very good physical presence on that line. Ruutu would provide more physical presence but not the best balance in my view.
Skinner doesn't need a playmaker if he has two physical guys who are creating space for him to operate.
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Skinner doesn't need a playmaker if he has two physical guys who are creating space for him to operate.
Nonsense, and it's speed that creates more room in the offensive zone than physical play anyway. How do JStaal and Ruutu create space for him outside the forecheck? Plus Jokinen has already demonstrated good playmaking chemistry with Skinner.
Nonsense, and it's speed that creates more room in the offensive zone than physical play anyway. How do JStaal and Ruutu create space for him outside the forecheck? Plus Jokinen has already demonstrated good playmaking chemistry with Skinner.
Skinner can use his skating and his hockey sense to create scoring chances by himself. Elite players create opportunities and score by themselves.
It's easier to add Ruutu and have two physical hockey players who can get the puck to Skinner off the forecheck, then crash the net or cycle the puck while Skinner finds the holes.
I'd rather have Jokinen be the best player on the third line than Ruutu. Jokinen can use his linemates. Ruutu has to be used by his linemates.
EDIT: That said, I view neither as a long term option. That line needs another puck possession player, be it a physical guy or a playmaker. Skinner is a great possession player, and Jordan is learning.
I think Jokinen-J.Staal-Ruutu makes the most sense, with Skinner playing on the third line with Nash/Dwyer/whoever. Put the guy who totally ignores his linemates with guys who can't do anything with the puck anyway. I can tell Jordan is getting frustrated with Skinner's puckhogging and constant losing of the puck trying the same move at the blueline. That line has also been giving up tons of goals against thanks in large part to Bieber's nonexistent effort on defense.
Skinner can use his skating and his hockey sense to create scoring chances by himself. Elite players create opportunities and score by themselves.
It's easier to add Ruutu and have two physical hockey players who can get the puck to Skinner off the forecheck, then crash the net or cycle the puck while Skinner finds the holes.
I'd rather have Jokinen be the best player on the third line than Ruutu. Jokinen can use his linemates. Ruutu has to be used by his linemates.
EDIT: That said, I view neither as a long term option. That line needs another puck possession player, be it a physical guy or a playmaker. Skinner is a great possession player, and Jordan is learning.
Aside from that being a cliche, Skinner is not an elite player and already tries to do too much on his own, often resulting in a turnover. A legit playmaker on his line would make him that much more dangerous in my opinion. I like the the physical game Ruutu and JStaal bring but without speed it gets you very little in transition. When EStaal played with both Cole and Ruutu it had that nice blend of power and speed.
In terms of possession players, I'm hard pressed to think of anyone better than JStaal along the boards. Though Skinner can be strong on his skates at times and certainly shifty, I think JStaal is already significantly better in that regard. If we're talking puckhandling though, Skinner is better than JStaal.
