2024 Offseason Thread: Changes
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
herman
Well-known member
I normally don't care about the 4th line, especially for the season opening roster, but there are some upstream ramifications and cap implications that make this tricky without dealing with it.
I think we may see Kampf pushed back up to 3C but used in a more offensive deployment. Berube is going to want a top-9 driving offense in a simpler way, and Kampf actually shows well in starting off rush plays (underrated finish too). I think Tavares looks better under the new system of less finesse puck as well. So I propose something silly
Domi-Matthews-Jarnkrok
McMann-Tavares-Marner
Knies-Kampf-Nylander
Pare-Dewar-ReavesHolmberg
I'm open to flipping all the top 9 wingers around as needed, other than Domi, who needs Matthews to hard carry him defensively (and they do have offensive chemistry). Tavares and Kampf lines to eat DZ starts and generate rush chances with our best wingers. Robertson is a bit of a misfit (and not likely to sign) so I'm penciling in Holmberg for the beater line. If Dewar comes in too pricey (but we're forced to retain him due to arb), then Cedric Pare checks in with Reaves sent down, and then we have 3 centremen on L4.
edit: actually the cap hits don't work unless we send down Reaves. Sorry dude.
Eventually, Minten between Knies and Nylander is probably my platonic ideal L2 (unless McDavid decides to come home).
I think we may see Kampf pushed back up to 3C but used in a more offensive deployment. Berube is going to want a top-9 driving offense in a simpler way, and Kampf actually shows well in starting off rush plays (underrated finish too). I think Tavares looks better under the new system of less finesse puck as well. So I propose something silly
Domi-Matthews-Jarnkrok
McMann-Tavares-Marner
Knies-Kampf-Nylander
Pare-Dewar-
I'm open to flipping all the top 9 wingers around as needed, other than Domi, who needs Matthews to hard carry him defensively (and they do have offensive chemistry). Tavares and Kampf lines to eat DZ starts and generate rush chances with our best wingers. Robertson is a bit of a misfit (and not likely to sign) so I'm penciling in Holmberg for the beater line. If Dewar comes in too pricey (but we're forced to retain him due to arb), then Cedric Pare checks in with Reaves sent down, and then we have 3 centremen on L4.
edit: actually the cap hits don't work unless we send down Reaves. Sorry dude.
Eventually, Minten between Knies and Nylander is probably my platonic ideal L2 (unless McDavid decides to come home).
Guilt Trip
Well-known member
Depends on Hakanpaa. And def not feeling Matthews with Jarnkrok and Domi. Still think they need to trade Jarnkrok at minimum.herman said:
herman
Well-known member
Guilt Trip said:
Jarnkrok is a pretty good forechecker and can rip a heavy shot, so defenses can't just iso Matthews. Domi has worked with Jarnkrok already and the only issues they have on rush attacks is Domi forgetting he has wicked hands and a ripper of a wrister.
I'm down with a McMann-Tavares-Jarnkrok grind line too if we want to throw 10+M on Matthews' wing. But a Domi-Matthews line needs a primary forechecker.
I think I would almost rather see anybody at 3C alongside Nylander than Kampf (ok also Reaves) at this point.
herman said:
In terms of likelihood I would rank the possible 3C's to start the season as: 1) Holmberg (ugh), 2) Domi (ok), 3) Minten (meh), 4) Tavares (w/ Nylander at 2C the unquestionably best option), and of course 5) Kampf (ugh).
edit: I'd probably rather even see Dewar given a shot at 3C over Kampf right now.
Frank E said:
No, but he played there in the playoffs so I kinda just think he's the betting favourite as of right now.
Although it's really hard to guess with a new coach and hopefully a very fresh perspective on the players coming in.
CarltonTheBear said:
What about Jarnkrok? Something like
Knies - Matthews - Domi
McMann - Tavares - Marner
Robertson/Holmberg - Jarnkrok - Nylander
Dewar - Kampf - Holmberg/Reaves
Basically Holmberg/Jarnkrok can rotate at center in the D zone. Nylander could also take some faceoffs.
princedpw said:
Yeah I'd play Jarnkrok at 3C before a lot of other options. I know he's played C at numerous times throughout his career, but was almost never really seen as a C option as a Leaf (which was always a little surprising to me). The fact that they rotated through a bunch of mediocre options last season without giving him a shot kinda says something. But again, new perspective with Berube coming in so it's not entirely off the table sure.
Highlander
Active member
McDavid is coming homeherman said:
dappleganger
Active member
Highlander said:
I'll be honest, watching McDavid and Matthews playing together would be one of the coolest things ever.
CarltonTheBear said:
I would definitely look at this:
Center:
Matthews
Tavares
McMann (he came up as a center)
Kampf
Right Wing:
Marner
Nylander
Jarnkrok
Dewar/Reaves
Left Wing:
Knies
Domi
(Robertson / trade)
Holmberg
Heck of a lot easier to find a left winger than it is a good 3rd line center.
You might get a top 6 left winger easier than a 3rd line center.
You'd miss McMann doing his power forward thing on the wing but you could have Knies, Tavares and McMann on separate lines - with each of them being good at going to the blue ice/front of the net.
cw said:
I'm not certain this is true. I'm almost 100% sure he never played centre with the Marlies. In general I just don't ever recall hearing that he did and it's somewhat easy to scan through old Marlies line-up notes throughout the years and in every season he played I can only find him lining up on the wing. There aren't as many line-up notes from his NCAA days but again the only ones I can find have him listed as a winger in them.
Also I mean even if he played a bit of C in college, everything about his game just screams winger to me.
louisstamos
Active member
I'm actually pretty okay trying Jarnkrok at 3C, considering that's where he played when Nashville went to the Stanley Cup Finals. In fact, IIRC, I'm pretty sure he was matched up against Crosby for most of that series.
herman
Well-known member
McMann at centre is a waste of his power forward skill set. His passing vision is a bit limited as well.
Nylander is the best in-house option, on a sheltered attack line (like Domi in the middle of last season), but it does pull significant offense off RW. Similar to Matthews, Nylander is basically a full attack party unto himself so long as he has grunt support freeing up pucks into standard places in the OZ and one additional shooting threat so he's not fully iso'd.
After that is a mess of Holmberg, Dewar, Kampf, Pare. Minten and Cowan (and to a different extent Jacob Quillan) I'd rather be quite careful with re: exposing at C, but very open to them joining the wing to adjust to the game speed.
I do think Kampf is underrated but also very offensively limited and his skillset is wasted in OZ deployment; only really works as the DZ stopper that frees up the puck for counter attacks -- i.e. PK style offense. OZ possession would lead to him being most useful as a forechecker, which makes his best skill very difficult to deploy (defensive positioning).
Outside sources that might shake loose: Ross Colton (semi expensive), Rutger McGroarty (needs work with skating, and also comes with NHL/PP minutes expectations)
Nylander is the best in-house option, on a sheltered attack line (like Domi in the middle of last season), but it does pull significant offense off RW. Similar to Matthews, Nylander is basically a full attack party unto himself so long as he has grunt support freeing up pucks into standard places in the OZ and one additional shooting threat so he's not fully iso'd.
After that is a mess of Holmberg, Dewar, Kampf, Pare. Minten and Cowan (and to a different extent Jacob Quillan) I'd rather be quite careful with re: exposing at C, but very open to them joining the wing to adjust to the game speed.
I do think Kampf is underrated but also very offensively limited and his skillset is wasted in OZ deployment; only really works as the DZ stopper that frees up the puck for counter attacks -- i.e. PK style offense. OZ possession would lead to him being most useful as a forechecker, which makes his best skill very difficult to deploy (defensive positioning).
Outside sources that might shake loose: Ross Colton (semi expensive), Rutger McGroarty (needs work with skating, and also comes with NHL/PP minutes expectations)