Babcock moving people around

[spydrwebb 0]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...0339/1128/rss16

"Tomas Kopecky has moved from a wing to a center position, while Kris Draper has gone from center to a wing.

"Kopecky is 6-foot-3, and we feel over time he'll become a real good matchup center," Babcock said. "Can he do it? I don't know. You have to have the opportunity, and we'll give him one right off the start."

Babcock feels Draper's speed can be best utilized playing a wing on a line with center"

Thoughts?

[Opie 308]

Not a bad move at all, playing any of the young guys with Draper imho is a great move. Plus if this line is on the ice and there is an important face off to be won, you have a great face off man on the wing.

[JayUp88 1]

hey what ever he does is fine with me

[egroen 384]

As long as Draper keeps taking faceoffs - He was one of the top guys in the NHL last year in faceoff %.

[swedishconnection 36]

If you continue reading the article, it goes on to say Drapes will be on Flips line, not Kopay's. Flip is slick enough to take advantage of Drape's speed, where as Kopay probably is a little too slow (can you say offsides?) to properly utilize Drapes.

[toby91_ca 620]

As long as Draper keeps taking faceoffs - He was one of the top guys in the NHL last year in faceoff %.

Well, if he is playing wing, then he won't be taking faceoffs (not many anyway). I didn't read the article and maybe they are suggesting he takes the draws and then moves over the wing position during play, but I can't imagine that would work very well.

Edited September 14, 2007 by toby91_ca

[rick zombo 3,739]

I wonder how these lines will shake down. If everyone stays healthy, then whose the #13 forward?

Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Grigorenko

Filpulla - Zettreberg - Hudler

Draper - Cleary - Samuelson

Drake/Maltby - Kopecky - Franzen

Also, why move Draper to the wing unless you're planning on putting him on the top 2 lines? IMO they better not put him on the top two lines.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I don't mind trying it out, but I can't say it doesn't concern me a little that Drapes won't be taking that many faceoffs. It was comforting to see him take the draw in our own zone when the Wings were clinging to a 1 goal lead.

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

Team toughness

The transformation into a Mike Babcock team is complete, in many people's estimation.

Nobody really talks about whether the Wings are physical, gritty or tough to play against anymore.

The Wings were tougher than a physical Calgary team in the first round of the playoffs, and outwilled San Jose in Round 2.

In Johan Franzen , Tomas Kopecky , Dan Cleary and Dallas Drake , the Wings have grit and the ability to hit up front.

The defense lacks overpowering size, but Niklas Kronwall and Andreas Lilja provide a physical presence.

Unlike some people on this board, these guys know the definition of grit.

[Winged Scooter 0]

I wonder how these lines will shake down. If everyone stays healthy, then whose the #13 forward?

Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Grigorenko

Filpulla - Zettreberg - Hudler

Draper - Cleary - Samuelson

Drake/Maltby - Kopecky - Franzen

Also, why move Draper to the wing unless you're planning on putting him on the top 2 lines? IMO they better not put him on the top two lines.

I think Grigorenko making the 1st line is quite a stretch ( at least for now ), I like the second line ( even though it's a rather small line..)

[JayUp88 1]

I think Grigorenko making the 1st line is quite a stretch ( at least for now ), I like the second line ( even though it's a rather small line..)

agreed, thats pretty big order for his first year.

[swedishconnection 36]

I wonder how these lines will shake down. If everyone stays healthy, then whose the #13 forward?

Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Grigorenko

Filpulla - Zettreberg - Hudler

Draper - Cleary - Samuelson

Drake/Maltby - Kopecky - Franzen

Also, why move Draper to the wing unless you're planning on putting him on the top 2 lines? IMO they better not put him on the top two lines.

Grigs on the first line? I highly doubt it. At least not right away.

In the article, Flip and Draper are on the same line.

I think that Babs still wants Cleary on the wing, not center.

More likely :

Homer - Dats - Sammy

Huds - Zata - Franz/Grigs?

Cleary/Franz? - Flip - Drapes

Maltby/Cleary? - Kopay - Drake

In any case - I think that is what Babs will most likely try. I personally would switch Franz with Cleary.

Wow... we really need to start investing in wingers who can play thier part. This center depth is giving me migranes.

Edited September 14, 2007 by swedishconnection

[Opie 308]

I would much rather have Cleary out there than I would Maltby, at least Cleary can put the biscuit in the basket once in a while.

I love how people complain that Sammy isn't a first liner, grigs isn't a first liner, cleary isn't a first liner so on and so on, who else is. Heatley isn't walking through the doors of the Joe anytime soon. Babs has to make do with what he has. Unless some how the wings manage to make a trade for a top 6 forward, this team has three first line guys, and they do not want Z and dats on the same line.

These lines will be tweaked all year long until babs finds the lines he likes.

[kozac 10]

Does anyone remember the Draper-Fedorov-Yzerman line? That one was pretty good and Draper did fine on the wing.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Does anyone remember the Draper-Fedorov-Yzerman line? That one was pretty good and Draper did fine on the wing.

I can give you two reasons why Draper was good on that line.

Do you need me to list them?

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Sidenote: That's not a knock on Draper. I think he's invaluable.

[KrazyGangsta 79]

Holmstrom Datsyuk Zetterberg

Sammy Filppula Hudler

Draper Kopecky Cleary

Maltby Franzen Drake

Edited September 14, 2007 by KrazyGangsta

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Sidenote: That's not a knock on Draper. I think he's invaluable.

Definitely. And to be fair- I think we all know that Drapes will be playing on every PK.

[StevieBoy 2]

My bigger issue is that I fail to understand why each year Babcock wants to split up the Datsuk/Zetts/Holmstrum line. They've provien to be uber productive and when they've been split up they have not been nearly as productive as when together, and they end up together again anyways. Leave that line alone...let them build on what they've done.

[theman19 47]

Well I for one think this is a good idea, Draper has shown he can score despite his hands of stone. In 04 he had the highest goal production of his career and if he plays in an offensive role i can see him doing more.

[GoCryWolfe 0]

Holmstrom Datsyuk Zetterberg

Sammy Filppula Hudler

Draper Kopecky Cleary

Maltby Franzen Drake

That first line won't stay intact. It is pretty much decided (paraphrasing from multiple sources) that Hank and Pavel will be split, each centering the first two lines.

[Hank 0]

I don't mind trying it out, but I can't say it doesn't concern me a little that Drapes won't be taking that many faceoffs. It was comforting to see him take the draw in our own zone when the Wings were clinging to a 1 goal lead.

I imagine Drapes will still take most of the draws and then resume his position on Wing after. McCarty used to do this all the time too.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Im starting to warm up to these lines changes and the things that Babs is doing. If this ends up working out, itll be a sham if Babs doesnt get some Adams cred. Hes seriously crafting a prototypical hockey team out of a forward corps that is somewhat lacking.

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

My bigger issue is that I fail to understand why each year Babcock wants to split up the Datsuk/Zetts/Holmstrum line. They've provien to be uber productive and when they've been split up they have not been nearly as productive as when together, and they end up together again anyways. Leave that line alone...let them build on what they've done.

Well Datsyuk and Zetterberg both want to play center badly so I'm sure they are in support of breaking that line up as well. They are both clearly better at center anyways. Im sure you will see that line on the powerplay regardless so no worries.

[Blood On The Ice 15]

Well, if he is playing wing, then he won't be taking faceoffs (not many anyway). I didn't read the article and maybe they are suggesting he takes the draws and then moves over the wing position during play, but I can't imagine that would work very well.

As a winger he can still take all of the faces off. Darius Zubrus played RW for the CAPS the last several years and was always good for 500 to 600 face offs.