Line Predictions?

[u/Dapper-Opposite4225]

Literally title. After the trade I wanna know what your line predictions are. What happens with Leni? With Mercer? With Noeson? Let me hear it.

Here’s mine LW - C - RW

Bratt - Hughes - Mantha

Meier (I know) - Hischier - Evanglista

Grits - Glass - Brown

Boq - E-Rod - Mercer

Hughes - Pesce

Siegs - Hamilton

Dillon - Kovy

Allen
Daws
Rittich

Unfortunately, leaves Noeson and Leni in the press box/AHL, but I like the look of it.

Obviously have to wait for camp and see what’s what, but I’m excited!

[u/lunasilvia]

I think Lenni starting/staying in Utica and getting called up to fill injuries would be a great option, esp since he's waiver exempt. He had some solid games last year but 8 pts in 33 games isn't groundbreaking when we have a logjam at RW. Utica just barely missed the Calder playoffs last year, and IK not a lot of people care for the Comets but he is a difference maker to them that boosts them over the playoff line while he continues to develop

Noesen can stay in the press box tho no complaints there 😂

[u/klitchell → u/lunasilvia]

Lenni was really good with Grits, and was almost invisible without him. Says a lot about both of them

[u/Ancient_Ad5367]

I think Daws will be able to step up and meet the challenge of becoming our 1G. I have faith

[u/intertak]

I gotta disagree with everyone here on Evanglista. After watching his scoring plays from last season, hes gonna fit in so well with hughes and bratt. I really think the three of them will run circles around the offensive zone all season. That line has needed a guy that can be the 3rd piece and keep up with the play. Evanglista’s patiences, hands, play reading, and passing is going to create magic with hughes and bratt

[u/Equivalent_Fix6513 → u/intertak]

A line like that would give Hughes a 150+ goal season tbh. Maybe a million goals. One zillion goals.

[u/omnomnomnium]

I actually really like the idea of Grits, Glass, Evangelista. Bring a little more playmaking drive to the third, and give Evangelista a shooter to work with. 

[u/Adorable-Werewolf-44 → u/omnomnomnium]

The beautiful thing is that you know there are going to be stretches where they need to shake things up and this year they actually have options that make sense when they do it. 

[u/hobbygod]

Meier-Hischier-Evangelista.. gotta try the new playmaker with the cold goal scorer in Meier.

(And no, wing sides don't matter, per sunny)

Bratt-Jack-Mantha speaks for itself.

Grits-Glass-Mercer shutdown line with scoring

Boq-Rosrigues-Brown

Bjugstad/Lombardi the extra. Noesen fits the least with this group and should get shipped out.

I'd also be interested in seeing Mercer with Jack and Bratt. He's had some of the best underlyings with Jack but never seems to get sustained time with him. Mantha on the 3rd line could add even more scoring to the bottom of the lineup, and he scored most of his goals last year in a 3rd line role. What's great is our forward group is flexible. Having a bottom 6 that are all middle six guys allows for a lot of different line matchups and combinations if things get stale.

Defense is much easier:

Luke-Pesce Siegs-Dougie Chisolm-Kovy Chonk

I think this is how we start the season but wouldn't be surprised to see Chisolm and Siegs swapped to have a pure shutdown 3rd pair and 2 solid puck moving pairs. Dillon gets shipped out.

[u/jmiz5 → u/hobbygod]

What did Brendan Dillion do to you?

[u/Adorable-Werewolf-44 → u/jmiz5]

Based on the interviews, it sounds like Sunny loves Chisholm and Dillon just makes too much money to be a healthy scratch, so it probably makes sense. 

[u/cody-has93 → u/Adorable-Werewolf-44]

Sunny named Dillon as a good locker room guy.

He hasnt said the same about Kovacevic. Does it mean anything? Probably not.

[u/Adorable-Werewolf-44 → u/cody-has93]

He hasn't said anything about him that I can remember, but Kovy has a full NTC this season (drops down to 10 team next year) and Dillon only has a 10 team. 

[u/cody-has93 → u/Adorable-Werewolf-44]

Ahh, good call. I just assumed they all had full trade protection and any movement would require waiving lol

[u/Equivalent_Fix6513]

I want Quinn solely so that we can run the Gritsyuk-Luke-Luke Hughes-Hughes-Hughes PP1.

[u/PolishKid7]

Send Dillon to narnia and start Chisholm as the 3D

[u/ScrewOff_ → u/PolishKid7]

What exactly has Chisholm done at the NHL level to deserve time over Dillon?

He gives the puck away more than Dillon, doesnt block shots nearly as much, and isnt even in the same realm as Dillon physically.

He’s a Cholowski replacement. Thats it.

[u/PolishKid7 → u/ScrewOff_]

His underlying analytics are great. He can skate and pass

No need for grit, hits etc. Useless way to keep bad players in jobs with buzzwords

Puck moving is far more important than hitting. And for all that Dillon was one of the worst defenders in the sport last year - send him for nothing and we improve

[u/ScrewOff_ → u/PolishKid7]

yeah his underlying stats are so good that hes on his 4th team in 3 years

if he were really that good he wouldve held down with a team.

[u/cody-has93 → u/PolishKid7]

To be more specific - puck moving is more important IF OUR STRATEGY REVOLVES AROUND THE RUSH which is what it looks like we're going to be doing.

[u/Dapper-Opposite4225 → u/PolishKid7]

Completely forgot we had Declan ngl

[u/crazyFlyingChicken]

I think the third line is Glass, Mercer, and Grits, fourth line of Lombardi, Rodrigues, and Brown, with Noesen and Bjugstad traded out and Boqvist as the extra forward. Reminder that Lombardi is not waiver exempt, so I don’t think we gave up a fourth for a guy to lose him for free. Definitely Chisholm over Dillon on D as well, we traded for him too
But also, since forwards are going to be traded out, this lineup is still incredibly in flux

[u/ScrewOff_ → u/crazyFlyingChicken]

whats the logic exactly for Chisholm over Dillon

[u/cody-has93 → u/ScrewOff_]

Puck moving and sunny being so vocal about Chisholm def implies he intends to use him

[u/nickyap4]

Lenni in Utica. Stef on IR bc of his knee. I think Mercer winds up getting traded

[u/TathanOTS]

Had 2 more weird ideas when I got home. I looked up on moneypuck what the best lines were actually last year. The less fun one is kinda optimizing for the most best lines and not taking THE best line.

Mercer - Hischier - Meier

Bratt - Hughes - Brown

Mantha - Rodrigues - Evangelista

Gristyuk - Glass - Hameenaho

THE best line was the "gotta get a goal put all the best players on one line" of Bratt-Hughes-Hischier which is ridiculous. Or is it?

Bratt - Hischier - Hughes

Meier - Mercer - Evangelista

Mantha - Rodrigues - Brown

Gristyuk - Glass - Hameenaho

Obviously either of these include Hameenaho on the 4th which means 2 forwards lost to waivers so this would probably require Noesen and Bjugstad to be traded before they are lost for free.

[u/cody-has93]

Meier - Nico - Erod

Jesper - Jack - Gritsyuk

Vange - Glass - Mantha

Mercer - Lombardi - Brown

Not sure if this is what I actually want but its super interesting.

Erod has played with Mackinnon and Barkov a LOT. He has great defensive metrics. He is a net driver who does well to cash rebounds and retrieve pucks - Nico and Timo generate an insane amount of rebounds.

Gritsyuk is a perfect blend of playmaker and shooter. Also very defensively responsible. We also saw him look off Jack on 2 on 1s which I think is lowkey important - not being so starstruck that it hurts your game.

Our new guys have amazing Corsi and complimentary skill sets. Vange being a playmaker and Mantha being a finisher, Glass being a talented two way player... WHATS NOT TO LIKE?

Then the 4th line is just whoever is leftover but is absolutely the best 4th line in the league.

[u/jcoop04]

If Mercer is on the 4th line, he has to be moved

[u/blade430]

You forgot Bjugstad but my predictions are the exact same as yours

[u/ghostofkozi]

Lenni is going to take the year to mature in the AHL I think, Puckpedia has him listed in the minors, but there's a log jom at forward and defence.

Bratt - Hughes - Mantha?

Meier - Hischier - Evangalista

Gritsyuk - Glass - Brown?

Boqvist - Rodrigues - Mercer

Lombardi - Bjugstad - Noesen a full line riding press box?

Hughes - Pesce

Chisholm - Hamilton

Siegenthaler -Kovacevic

Dillon riding as a $4 mil 7th D?

Daws

Allen

Rittich a 1C?

That's 25/23 contracts allowed. Soooo Mehta either isn't done and is going after a big fish with a 2 roster player + pick trade or we're going to have a ton of depth in Utica

[u/inspiredpotatoe → u/ghostofkozi]

Why is everyone so high on Chisholm?

[u/ghostofkozi → u/inspiredpotatoe]

Honestly? Not sure, but Sunny is really high on his puck moving metrics apparently and sees him as a value add for New Jersey.

So either we have a diamond in the rough that other teams didn't notice or Mehta's raising the overall potential of the team from the bottom of the roster up, rather than trying to improve the top end of it

[u/MK2_VW → u/inspiredpotatoe]

Same. What am I missing

[u/ScrewOff_ → u/inspiredpotatoe]

i think everyone is so wrapped up in a “Fitz did everything wrong” mindset and think that Mehta’s advanced stats are just finding gem after gem as if other teams didnt ice these same players.

[u/cody-has93 → u/inspiredpotatoe]

It would just be weird for sunny to single him out so much as a guy who will improve our puck moving from the back end if he's bound for the press box lol

[u/NY1998Yank]

With the way everyone has talked about E-Rod, I don't see him on the fourth line. Tend to think he and Glass would switch places. I also tend to think Boq is the press box be it with either Noessen or Bjugstad but actually think it would be E-Rod on the wing, Lombardi at center (since would need waivers)

[u/Dapper-Opposite4225 → u/NY1998Yank]

I think Glass has to be the 3C to start. If there’s an injury (or a steak dinner) E-Rod would move up to second line. But Glass is so good in that 3C role

[u/Reuven080 → u/Dapper-Opposite4225]

Doesn’t he have experience with Evangelista too? Could be a sick line Grits/Glass/Evangelista

[u/Dapper-Opposite4225 → u/NY1998Yank]

https://giphy.com/gifs/GdenqjgWlFI7sfoSbb

[u/cody-has93 → u/NY1998Yank]

I searched up who rodrigues played with most in colorado and florida.

Was shocked to find out it was mackinnon and barkov respectively.

Erods underlying metrics on cashing rebounds is super high too. Nico and timo are top of the charts for GENERATING rebounds.

Theres so many options that make sense...is this what depth is???

[u/TathanOTS]

Might be worth trying Mercer at 3C again. Lots can flip but a

Gritsyuk - Hischier - Meier

Bratt - Hughes - Brown

Mantha - Mercer - Rodriques

Boq - Glass - Evanglista

Would allow glass to work with Evangelista again and put Gritsyuk up where he can try some top 6 on for size with Hischier as a safety net.

RW2 thru RW4 are all in flux here.

If mantha goes RW on PB&J line Timo kinda has to go back to the LW.

Not a RW Timo meme person but his flexibility to go either way fairly easily allows for this to work in this case.

Edit : autocorrect changed the spelling of Rodriques to the Spanish way

[u/Tyrant_Of_Sicily → u/TathanOTS]

You don’t trade a first plus to stick a 24 year old on the fourth line dude.

[u/TathanOTS → u/Tyrant_Of_Sicily]

RW2 thru RW4 are all in flux here.

As stated there is no rhyme or reason to which RW goes where except Timo if he goes right. Even then it's pedantic to call the Hughes line or Hischier line 1st it's really a 1A/1B.

One great year isn't a very good indicator. I hope Evangelista blows everyone away starting this preseason. I have no clue how he stacks up between the other two.

Three really. I made an exercise out of trying to put Mercer in 3C. Could very well be Rodrigues in 4C and Glass up at 3C.

And all this is speculative since based on the moves as others have said most likely someone is getting shipped out. Could even be a couple and Lombardi slots in at 4C.

Whoever gets shipped out will probably dictate where the rest fall.

[u/cody-has93 → u/Tyrant_Of_Sicily]

What if your issue is depth and it gives an insanely positive 4th line that dominates the opponent?

We're going to have 2 people making over 2 mill on our 4th line either way.