Genuinely curious what happens when Svech comes back? Do we disrupt the Staal line? I would think no but wouldn’t we have to anyway? If you put Svech in the top 6, who do send to the 4th? None of those guys, right? In the offseason I heard Turbo but 4g in 3 games keeps him in the top 6. Necas was our best forward last year so surely he won’t drop. Jarvis? Bunting? Doesn’t seem like any of them should.
I would guess moving down from the 3rd it would be Fast, and then Noesen is scratched? Could be either Noesen or Lemieux depending on the night really but how far off am I? Do we leave the top 6 and Svech goes straight to the 3rd for a few games?
by dankbuttersteez
10 Comments
We need to put chatfield in ffs
It’s a good problem to have, but Svech is your 23 year old $7.75m dollar stud. Personally I think he slides right into Teuvo’s spot regardless. Teuvo can get bumped into Aho’s line if he’s still hot, work down into Staal’s if he’s not.
I love the Staal line as is, but I think it can better with someone like Bunting/Teuvo. It’s worth figuring out if something else can work in the regular season. You can always go back to it’s current form in the playoffs.
I’d imagine Svech slots somewhere into the top 6, obviously. I think whoever he replaces is honestly just going to be the “worst” player at the time of his reinstatement. Whoever gets dropped out is likely headed to the fourth line since the third one is pretty much set. Hard to really say who goes where until we get to that point.
My preseason answer would’ve been Teuvo, but clearly he’s stepped his game up this season. He 100% deserves top 6 minutes. Really complicates things though because at this point, you want all of those guys getting big boy minutes.
Teuvo to the top line. Svech with KK and Necas. Bunting to the 4th line, dropping Lemieux.
Chatty in for TDA.
My guesses, in no order of likelihood:
1. Turbo to the fourth, Svech fills spot
2. Jarvis to the fourth, Svech fills spot
3.Bunting to 3rd, Marty to 4th, Turbo to 1st, Svech to 2nd
4. Trade Turbo and a Dman for… Something
Hockey is a business, and we have an embarrassment of riches right now. We need to sell high where we can. If Turbo continues to be this good, that’s as sell high as you get. Add Pesce or Skjei and maybe a Drury for a very good, high scoring Center, put them on 2nd line, KK to fourth. Then you’d have Bunting-Aho-Jarvis, Svech-Center-Necas, Marty-Staal-Fast, Lemieux-KK-Noesen
And on D
Slavin-Burns, Orlov-Skjei, TDA-Chatty, or something like that (I don’t know handedness top of mind)
That’s…. A really good team.
Based on current performance I think Jarvis probably slides down.
Everyone saying Bunting should drop needs to go watch his play on Necas goal. Absolutely needs to stay in the top 6.
It’s hard to say for sure, but Svech has to take his spot on the first line.
Then I’d honestly jump Bunting down to the third line with Staal and Fast.
As much as I hate seeing Martinook on the fourth, I’d put him there and drop Lemieux.
I think the most logical thing is he goes on the second line, the LWs in the pic just move down a line and Lemieux alternates with Noesen for scratch time.
I can also see the SAT line returning up top, probably do Bunting, KK, and Nachos 2nd. Leave the 3rd line, put Jarvis on the 4th. This would also have the benefit of Noesen / Lemieux being paired with him so they can punch people in the mouth who try to push Jarvis around. I don’t like the idea of him getting 4th line minutes all year but it may be the best route, and I worry he or Turbo won’t bring what Marty does to the checking line. But realistically, Rod could just play the 4th line more, let the old men on Staal’s line rest.
Unpopular opinion in this thread, but I think separating Aho and Jarvis would be a mistake with how well they play together. Jarvis’s speed allows space to be created for Aho to work with. That being said if Svech is on that line he naturally will draw a crowd. The difference is we know Svech is effective wherever he is put we don’t know if that applies to Jarvis
Great problem to have! Personally my only fear is Turbo getting pushed down to 3rd/4th line minutes where we don’t get to see what he’s really capable of when his gamer mindset has a whole regular season to game and win.