Your Thoughts on Best......

[eva unit zero 271]

Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Holmstrom

Cleary/Hudler/Hossa

Franzen/Filppula/Samuelsson

Maltby/Draper/Kopecky

McCarty

Lidstrom/Rafalski

Kronwall/Stuart

Lilja/Lebda/Meech/Chelios/Quincey

Osgood

Conklin

Yes, I listed 24 players. Lilja, Lebda, Meech, Chelios, and Quincey will compete at camp for the final two spots. As Kopecky will most likely not be healthy for the start of the regular season, Meech will be playing in his spot to open the season.

Most likely, whichever of Lebda, Lilja, Meech, and Quincey performs the worst will be voted off the island. However, it is possible that, especially if it is Meech and he is outperforming other forwards during Kopecky's absence, that Meech could simply be converted to forward full-time and someone else, Maltby or McCarty perhaps, would be the departing player.

[CrossoverThrash 0]

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Franzen

Holmstrom-Filpula-Hossa

Maltby-Draper-Cleary

Helm-Hudler-Samuelsson/Enforcer/Kopecky

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom (Don't fix it if it ain't broken)

Franzen-Filpula-Hossa

Cleary-Draper-Maltby

Helm-Hudler-Sammy/Downey or Mac for enforcer

Downey

Kopecky

McCarty

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Stuart-Kronwall

Lilja/Lebda/Cheli

Osgood

Conklin

[Shaman 713]

i still think Zetterberg-Dats-Hossa would be the best first line, Homer is on the downslope now, and putting Z on the second line when hes our top forward for ice time is retarded. Besides, it really is time to start giving others time to put up or shut up so the second line would be Franzen-Flip-Cleary with that line being fluid for anyone who can show their worth to be able to replace anyone who isnt justifying their postion.

[ArcticWing 0]

I've been tempted to post on these forums many times along the years, but due my bad English I haven't done so. Here goes first.

In this post I don't make a stand on who plays on right or left. I just left the right side of the top 3 lines empty to simplify this post. Everyone has their favourites, but not all can be on top 2 lines. I tried to use brains over heart, when compiling these lines. Inserting Franzen on the first line would give us two top lines with a very good backup for face-offs. Inserting Franzen on second line would waste three face-off takers on one line. So I would fill the ***** marked positions accordingly: 1. Franzen 2. Holmstrom 3. Cleary, and if Franzen can't continue his hot streak I would give Cleary a chance on first line (1.C / 2.H / 3.F). I think this would give us three very good scoring lines, and a system that utilises Hudlers playmaking abilities best.

Balanced Lines:

1. Hossa-Zetterberg-*****

2. Filppula-Datsyuk-*****

3. Samuelsson-Hudler-*****

4. Maltby-Draper-Helm

***** Holmstrom / Franzen / Cleary

1st reserve forward spot: Downey or Kopecky

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Lebda-Lilja

PP1:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Hossa

Lidstrom-Samuelsson/Stuart

PP2:

Filppula-Hudler-Holmstrom/Franzen

Kronwall-Rafalski

PK1:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg

Lidstrom-Stuart

PK2:

Filppula-Draper

Kronwall-Lebda

Special Lines:

1. Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Hossa Catching up line: Use when in desperate need of late game-tying goal.

2. Filppula-Datsyuk-Hossa Speed line: Use against teams, that are suffering from heavy away schedule or are otherwise weared out. This line should make them take penalties at least

Sorry about the bad English, I actually tried to use a dictionary.

[stud_defenseman 1]

I've been tempted to post on these forums many times along the years, but due my bad English I haven't done so. Here goes first.

In this post I don't make a stand on who plays on right or left. I just left the right side of the top 3 lines empty to simplify this post. Everyone has their favourites, but not all can be on top 2 lines. I tried to use brains over heart, when compiling these lines. Inserting Franzen on the first line would give us two top lines with a very good backup for face-offs. Inserting Franzen on second line would waste three face-off takers on one line. So I would fill the ***** marked positions accordingly: 1. Franzen 2. Holmstrom 3. Cleary, and if Franzen can't continue his hot streak I would give Cleary a chance on first line (1.C / 2.H / 3.F). I think this would give us three very good scoring lines, and a system that utilises Hudlers playmaking abilities best.

Balanced Lines:

1. Hossa-Zetterberg-*****

2. Filppula-Datsyuk-*****

3. Samuelsson-Hudler-*****

4. Maltby-Draper-Helm

***** Holmstrom / Franzen / Cleary

1st reserve forward spot: Downey or Kopecky

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Lebda-Lilja

PP1:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Hossa

Lidstrom-Samuelsson/Stuart

PP2:

Filppula-Hudler-Holmstrom/Franzen

Kronwall-Rafalski

PK1:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg

Lidstrom-Stuart

PK2:

Filppula-Draper

Kronwall-Lebda

Special Lines:

1. Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Hossa Catching up line: Use when in desperate need of late game-tying goal.

2. Filppula-Datsyuk-Hossa Speed line: Use against teams, that are suffering from heavy away schedule or are otherwise weared out. This line should make them take penalties at least

Sorry about the bad English, I actually tried to use a dictionary.

your english is actually pretty decent....<--- coming from someone who has a Master's degree in English Lit.

you can atleast spell the player's names better than a lot of people on this forum. Spelling Zetterberg as Zetterburg is pretty much blasphemy in my books.

[Dabura 12,207]

i still think Zetterberg-Dats-Hossa would be the best first line, Homer is on the downslope now

If Homer's not playing with Hank or Dats, he's useless. Ideally, he plays with both, which you get with ZDH, which just so happens to be the most dominant line in the NHL. Putting Hossa on that line would therefore render Homer less effective (thereby rendering the second line even less effective, in my estimation), and would also put all of the Wings' eggs in one basket in terms of their top point-producers. Putting Hossa on the second line would, in theory at least, cause far more trouble for the opposition, as it'd be facing ZDH plus a line anchored by an elite goal-scorer who would be enjoying first-line duties on just about any other club. That's a monstrous one-two punch that's going to stretch any team's shutdown effort thin over the course of a best-of-seven series, with the Wings likely owning the home-ice advantage (i.e., the last change).

Hossa's linemates should be Flip and Mule. I think that's a no-brainer; Flip gives Hossa a shifty, like-minded setup man and Mule gives the line a big power forward-type crease-crasher. On paper, that's an extremely dynamic line; speed, size, strength, hands, defensive responsibility -- everything. Cleary and Hudler both deserve second-line minutes, but given the makeup of this squad, I'd stick them on the third and fourth, respectively. Flank Draper with Cleary and Sammy and suddenly you've got a checking line that could be the second scoring unit on a lot of other teams.

[stud_defenseman 1]

This is my nice and balanced line-up. No one will like it because Sammy is on the second line, but I wanted to make a more dangerous third line.

Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Hossa

Franzen - Zetterberg - Samuelsson

Cleary - Filppula - Hudler

Maltby - Draper - Kopecky / Helm / McCarty

Lidstrom - Rafalski

Stuart - Kronwall

Lilja - Lebda

Cheli / Meech / Ericsson

The top two lines are going to get equal ice-time, so don't worry about Zetterberg losing time. Even though Sammy is going to be playing on the second line he isn't going to get PK minutes, and very few PP minutes so he is still going to be playing like 16 min a night. He plays well with Z, so it's a good fit. This gives us a very dangerous third line. Best of all, we are extremely deep down the middle. We are going to win like 63.7% of the faceoffs.

[stud_defenseman 1]

If Homer's not playing with Hank or Dats, he's useless. Ideally, he plays with both, which you get with ZDH, which just so happens to be the most dominant line in the NHL. Putting Hossa on that line would therefore render Homer less effective (thereby rendering the second line even less effective, in my estimation), and would also put all of the Wings' eggs in one basket in terms of their top point-producers. Putting Hossa on the second line would, in theory at least, cause far more trouble for the opposition, as it'd be facing ZDH plus a line anchored by an elite goal-scorer who would be enjoying first-line duties on just about any other club. That's a monstrous one-two punch that's going to stretch any team's shutdown effort thin over the course of a best-of-seven series, with the Wings likely owning the home-ice advantage (i.e., the last change).

Hossa's linemates should be Flip and Mule. I think that's a no-brainer; Flip gives Hossa a shifty, like-minded setup man and Mule gives the line a big power forward-type crease-crasher. On paper, that's an extremely dynamic line; speed, size, strength, hands, defensive responsibility -- everything. Cleary and Hudler both deserve second-line minutes, but given the makeup of this squad, I'd stick them on the third and fourth, respectively. Flank Draper with Cleary and Sammy and suddenly you've got a checking line that could be the second scoring unit on a lot of other teams.

How is that a no-brainer? Why would you put the best pure winger on the team, one who has a history of not performing while being the best player on his line, on a line with two largely unproven players. It's not as if they haven't split Z and Dats apart before, now they have even better guys to play with. Franzen - Zetterberg - Cleary, Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Hossa...

[germanwing 154]

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Holmstrom

Franzen - Filppula - Hossa

Cleary - Draper - Maltby

Hudler - Kopecky - Samuelsson

McCarty/Meech

Lidstrom - Rafalski

Stuart - Kronwall

Ericsson - Lebda

Lilja/Chelios

Osgood

Conklin

[Shaman 713]

How is that a no-brainer? Why would you put the best pure winger on the team, one who has a history of not performing while being the best player on his line, on a line with two largely unproven players. It's not as if they haven't split Z and Dats apart before, now they have even better guys to play with. Franzen - Zetterberg - Cleary, Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Hossa...

You say that the wings shouldnt put one of our best players with unproven people, but yet you want to put Sammy 'I am for the chest of goalies and only pass to the oppsition' with Z? Kinda the kettle calling the stove black on that one, because you are putting a player who is only a second liner because babcock has a hardon for him into a situation that makes everyone around him worse for it. And before you tell me about game 1 of the SCF please remember that even blind pigs can find sh*t every so often and to use that as justifcation for his being on the second line would only allow people to want to put corey cross on defense because he scored on his first shift.

[stud_defenseman 1]

You say that the wings shouldnt put one of our best players with unproven people, but yet you want to put Sammy 'I am for the chest of goalies and only pass to the oppsition' with Z? Kinda the kettle calling the stove black on that one, because you are putting a player who is only a second liner because babcock has a hardon for him into a situation that makes everyone around him worse for it. And before you tell me about game 1 of the SCF please remember that even blind pigs can find sh*t every so often and to use that as justifcation for his being on the second line would only allow people to want to put corey cross on defense because he scored on his first shift.

I am putting Sammy on the second line to make the lines more balanced. Franzen and Z would get along fine with him. The third line would be much more dangerous. I am not saying that Sammy deserves to be on the 2nd line according to his skill level, but that is not how lines are always created in the NHL. If that was the case Homer wouldn't have always been on the top line last year. What is key is to make sure all the lines mesh well together and every player can be effective in his own way. Why people would want ot put him in a checking line roll is beyond me because he simply cannot fill that roll. He is effective as a scoring forward in a support role (eg. put him on a line with a great player and he will do well).

I don't think it's that Babcock has a hard-on for him as much as he knows how to use his roster effectively.

[Lidstrom for Norris 0]

Just wondering what everyone thinks will be the offensive line combinations, or wish what the line combinations will look like this upcoming season.....heres mine 2 cents....

Line 1: Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Holmstrom.

Line 2. Hossa, Fillpula, Franzen

Line 3. Cleary, Hudler, Draper

Line 4. Maltby, Helm, Kopecky

I am sure a lot of people will say Hossa should be on the first line, but I think the line of Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Homer was the best in the league last year, so I would keep it as is to start the season anyway. What do you guys think!!!

First Line: Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom

Second: Franzen, Cleary, Hossa

Third Line: Maltby, Draper, Fillpula

Forth Line: Helm, Hudler, McCarty/ Downey (Kopecky is still hurt)

The reason i say Cleary over Fillpula on the 2nd line is because he was more of a go to guy for us last season. He never stood out like Fillpula does, but Cleary is our top secondary scorer.

[Dabura 12,207]

I am putting Sammy on the second line to make the lines more balanced.

My lines are about as balanced an attack as you're going to get. Sammy is a checking-line forward who's been unfairly counted on to be a scorer. Stick him on a line with Draper and Cleary and you've got one hell of a checking line. (Again, see Drake - Draper - Sammy). Moreover, one could very reasonably argue that one of the reasons why Mule and Flip are "unproven" is that they've spent time with Sammy, who, as I just said, is a checking-line forward by design. So, in other words, you're looking at a great setup guy + a crease-crasher + ...a checker. Replace the checker with an elite goal-scorer and I guarantee you great things will happen.

I can also guarantee you that when management and Babcock were fishing around for a goal-scorer, they weren't thinking, "We're gonna need to put ___x player___ on the first line." And really, why would they be thinking that? ZDH is fresh off mopping the floor with the Western Conference and those oh-so-dominant Penguins. If there was a noticeably weak link in the scoring attack, it was the fact that beyond Zetterberg and Datsyuk (and Franzen, who, perhaps unfairly, is a question mark right now), no one could be counted on for consistent production.

Adding Hossa gives Babcock the option of sharpening the scoring attack while still keeping ZDH intact (which is just as well, as ZDH has never been "the problem." Historically, it's only been broken up when the second line is choking.) Sure, the idea of having an elite scorer worth 7 million playing on the second line seems weird, but the team lining up against those lines won't think it's weird -- more like, nightmarish.

[eva unit zero 271]

My lines are about as balanced an attack as you're going to get. Sammy is a checking-line forward who's been unfairly counted on to be a scorer. Stick him on a line with Draper and Cleary and you've got one hell of a checking line. (Again, see Drake - Draper - Sammy). Moreover, one could very reasonably argue that one of the reasons why Mule and Flip are "unproven" is that they've spent time with Sammy, who, as I just said, is a checking-line forward by design. So, in other words, you're looking at a great setup guy + a crease-crasher + ...a checker. Replace the checker with an elite goal-scorer and I guarantee you great things will happen.

Samuelsson is more proven than Filppula is. Just because Flip has a lot of potential and scored a highlight reel goal doesn't mean he has proven more or that he even had a better season than Samuelsson (he didn't btw) so please don't act like Filppula is some kind of proven player and Samuelsson is dragging down everyone around him. Franzen also; he only started scoring when he was put in Holmstrom's role on the first line towards the end of the year, he was given scoring line opportunities at other times WITHOUT SAMUELSSON and couldn't convert.

I can also guarantee you that when management and Babcock were fishing around for a goal-scorer, they weren't thinking, "We're gonna need to put ___x player___ on the first line." And really, why would they be thinking that? ZDH is fresh off mopping the floor with the Western Conference and those oh-so-dominant Penguins. If there was a noticeably weak link in the scoring attack, it was the fact that beyond Zetterberg and Datsyuk (and Franzen, who, perhaps unfairly, is a question mark right now), no one could be counted on for consistent production.

Why is it unfair for Franzen to be a question mark? What else would he be? He's certainly not a sure thing as far as scoring is concerned. He scored damn well at the end of last year, but that was after a long stretch of almost nothing which included time on the top two lines, so do we know which Franzen will be showing up? He is absolutely a question mark. The fact that you try to suggest Franzen can be counted on for consistent production is even more laughable, as he was the LEAST consistent Red Wing last season, scoring 28 goals in a span of 29 games at one point? Over that span, sure, he was consistent production...but you can't use the term to describe Franzen going into the year. It's just completely inaccurate.

Adding Hossa gives Babcock the option of sharpening the scoring attack while still keeping ZDH intact (which is just as well, as ZDH has never been "the problem." Historically, it's only been broken up when the second line is choking.) Sure, the idea of having an elite scorer worth 7 million playing on the second line seems weird, but the team lining up against those lines won't think it's weird -- more like, nightmarish.

Hossa should be playing with Hudler and Cleary. Hudler is the team's most offensively skilled player not on the first line and not named Hossa, so he should play with Hossa. Cleary has good all around skill, speed, and good finishing skills. Putting him opposite Hossa with Hudler in the middle gives the line two wingers who can play solid defense and who can score goals, as well as a center capable of feeding them, scoring goals himself, or playing adequate defense. A Cleary/Hudler/Hossa line would be better than many teams' top lines offensively, and quite good defensively as well.

It allows the Franzen/Filppula/Samuelsson line which displayed such wonderful chemistry to remain intact as the third line, against weaker defense. A strong two-way line, it can be used as a checking line if necessary, but it has quite a bit of scoring punch as well.

[Heaton 1]

None of Cleary, Hudler or Hossa are NHL centers. You still need a center on that line and I really don't care if Hudler was a center in Europe, he's not a center in the NHL (or AHL). There's nothing wrong with that, he's a fine winger but he doesn't have the tools necessary to be a 2nd line center on the Wings which is size, speed and faceoff prowess.

Franzen has the size and the speed but he was never put into that spot because Filppula is a much better faceoff man. The entire puck possession system starts with gaining the puck first and foremost. You can want and justify Hudler on the 2nd line, but not as center.

[eva unit zero 271]

None of Cleary, Hudler or Hossa are NHL centers. You still need a center on that line and I really don't care if Hudler was a center in Europe, he's not a center in the NHL (or AHL). There's nothing wrong with that, he's a fine winger but he doesn't have the tools necessary to be a 2nd line center on the Wings which is size, speed and faceoff prowess.

Franzen has the size and the speed but he was never put into that spot because Filppula is a much better faceoff man. The entire puck possession system starts with gaining the puck first and foremost. You can want and justify Hudler on the 2nd line, but not as center.

Franzen is not a natural center; he only ever played center in Sweden because he is good defensively and has size. He was converted from wing to play center. He has always been a terrible faceoff man and has a long way to go if the Wings ever hope to use him in the middle. Filppula is not significantly bigger than Hudler that you can say "Well, Filppula has size so that makes him a second line center." Especially given that I would argue that when compared to Hudler, you can't really say that Flip takes advantage of the size difference. Faceoffs are an obvious thing, but the argument here is that Hudler has never really been given an opportunity to center a line at the NHL level. So we can't say "He's no good at faceoffs" other than that he's had a very limited sample size. Hudler, however, has displayed considerably better playmaking ability than Filppula has. Right now. So do you want to teach Hudler to take faceoffs, and make him your second line center, or would you rather have Flip center that line and lose considerable playmaking ability from the primary playmaker for your top sniper?

[Heaton 1]

Franzen is not a natural center; he only ever played center in Sweden because he is good defensively and has size. He was converted from wing to play center. He has always been a terrible faceoff man and has a long way to go if the Wings ever hope to use him in the middle.

They don't want him to, that's my point.

Filppula is not significantly bigger than Hudler that you can say "Well, Filppula has size so that makes him a second line center."

Correct, but he had much better speed and is one of the better and more consistent faceoff takers on the team. I didn't mean to imply you have to be big to be a good center or good at faceoffs, but the majority of good centers who are good at faceoffs have a combination of those skills.

Faceoffs are an obvious thing, but the argument here is that Hudler has never really been given an opportunity to center a line at the NHL level. So we can't say "He's no good at faceoffs" other than that he's had a very limited sample size.

There's no reason to try an expirement there when there's no reason to. Hudler can be as dynamic as he could ever be playing the wing which is playing to his strengths. Hudler is not built to be a center in North America which is why as soon as he came over he was coverted to wing. He's never been a center here.

Hudler, however, has displayed considerably better playmaking ability than Filppula has. Right now. So do you want to teach Hudler to take faceoffs, and make him your second line center, or would you rather have Flip center that line and lose considerable playmaking ability from the primary playmaker for your top sniper?

I'd rather have Filppula be on the 3rd line with Hudler so they can compliment each other. I'd rather see Hossa with Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the "2nd" line with Franzen. It's not rocket science, we know what works here, we know how Babcock likes to use his top 2 lines and having Hudler as the "2nd" line center doesn't work with how he wants it to work.

Don't take it as a knock on Hudler.

[eva unit zero 271]

They don't want him to, that's my point.

So why even mention it...

Correct, but he had much better speed and is one of the better and more consistent faceoff takers on the team. I didn't mean to imply you have to be big to be a good center or good at faceoffs, but the majority of good centers who are good at faceoffs have a combination of those skills.

Yes. My point was that Hudler is the fourth most offensively talented forward on the team and should be combined with (at least) one of Hossa, Datsyuk, or Zetterberg. It's expected that ZDH will stay intact, so that leaves Hossa.

There's no reason to try an expirement there when there's no reason to. Hudler can be as dynamic as he could ever be playing the wing which is playing to his strengths. Hudler is not built to be a center in North America which is why as soon as he came over he was coverted to wing. He's never been a center here.

Hudler played mostly center in Grand Rapids, actually. He wasn't converted to the wing until he came to Detroit, and that was due to the fact the Wings had Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lang, Williams, and Draper all starting the 2006-07 season ahead of him on the depth chart as far as centers go.

I'd rather have Filppula be on the 3rd line with Hudler so they can compliment each other. I'd rather see Hossa with Datsyuk and Zetterberg on the "2nd" line with Franzen. It's not rocket science, we know what works here, we know how Babcock likes to use his top 2 lines and having Hudler as the "2nd" line center doesn't work with how he wants it to work.

If we're splitting Dats and Z up and having them each center a line, here's how I'd like to see it done:

Holmstrom/Zetterberg/Hossa

Hudler/Datsyuk/Franzen

Cleary/Filppula/Samuelsson

Maltby/Draper/Kopecky

Teaching a player how to take faceoffs is not rocket science. Hudler has proven he will work hard and improve his game. So assuming he can improve his faceoffs to "adequate" for a second line center, what else about a Cleary/Hudler/Hossa line don't you like? I think it would work rather well as a second line.

[Heaton 1]

So why even mention it...

To explain why he isn't a center...

Yes. My point was that Hudler is the fourth most offensively talented forward on the team and should be combined with (at least) one of Hossa, Datsyuk, or Zetterberg. It's expected that ZDH will stay intact, so that leaves Hossa.

The Wings have more than 2 scoring lines and there's really no reason to load up the top 6. The way the Wings play they need their players in the top 6 to have a more balanced playing style. Hudler is fine defensively and makes smart plays, but in the playoffs when Babcock is going power for power it's better to have Hudler on a different line so he can focus on his strengths.

Hudler played mostly center in Grand Rapids, actually. He wasn't converted to the wing until he came to Detroit, and that was due to the fact the Wings had Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lang, Williams, and Draper all starting the 2006-07 season ahead of him on the depth chart as far as centers go.

From the time I've watched Hudler in Grand Rapids and everything I've read, he was converted to winger when he came over. I've never been able to find any faceoff stats to really back it up. I realize he's usually always listed as a center, but so is Franzen.

Teaching a player how to take faceoffs is not rocket science. Hudler has proven he will work hard and improve his game. So assuming he can improve his faceoffs to "adequate" for a second line center, what else about a Cleary/Hudler/Hossa line don't you like? I think it would work rather well as a second line.

Probably would work fine in the regular season, but I don't like the makeup for the playoffs mainly because I of the center position. It's more about the responsibilities that a center has, it's a lot more than just taking faceoffs and being a primary playmaker. The Wings system is based on defense first, but because of that we're a great offensive team. Hudler is obviously better offensively than Filppula, but Filppula is a better center in the general sense. The Wings are too deep at center still to really mess with it.

If we're splitting up Datsyuk and Zetterberg these are the best:

Hossa - Datsyuk - Holmstrom

Franzen - Zetterberg - Samuelsson

Hudler - Filppula - Cleary

Maltby - Draper - Kopecky

Every line is balanced, every line can go up against any other line. Moving Hudler up and Samuelsson down doesn't really help as much as it waters down the bottom 6. I have no idea of the probability of these lines happening but as NN has touted on other sites, this is as balanced as you're going to get.

[norrisnick 1]

Hossa - Datsyuk - Holmstrom

Franzen - Zetterberg - Samuelsson

Hudler - Filppula - Cleary

Maltby - Draper - Kopecky

Thief...

[Heaton 1]

Thief...

I gave you credit!

[norrisnick 1]

Not on the post I quoted...

[Heaton 1]

Not on the post I quoted...

Yeah well, I had the same thing as my initial lines but had Samuelsson and Cleary swapped. You should feel flattered.

[Dabura 12,207]

Sammy is best used as a checker, not a goal-scorer. He proved this with an exclamation mark while playing on a line with Drake and Draper, which saw him playing the best hockey he's ever played as a Wing. Knowing he gets on well with Draper, we have, so far, a checking line of ? - Draper - Sammy. What this line lacks is not a Flip-type player (i.e. a shifty setup man); what it lacks is a Cleary-type player (i.e. a tenacious workhorse who would've fit right in with the Grind Line of yesterday). In terms of offensive production, Cleary was ice-cold this past run. Granted, that likely owed more to his helmet situation than anything else. But it's not like sticking him with Draper and Sammy would be a grave injustice. So, third line: Cleary - Draper - Sammy. Fast, tenacious, defensively responsible, with a nice offensive upside. Very dynamic for a checking line.

We know we're not going to put Franzen on the fourth line, and, ideally, he stays off the first. So, assuming ZDH stays together (which it should), that gives us a second line of Franzen - ? - Hossa. That's a crease-crasher coming off a monstrous run + a consistent, proven goal-scorer. Already, with just those two bodies, we know the goals will come. What could help the cause is a playmaker, and Flip fits the bill nicely. My opinion is that Flip tries to do too much. If Babs sits him down and says, "Focus on feeding your wingers," he should, I think, come into his own. Franzen - Filppula - Hossa. In theory, ZDH Jr.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hudler deserves second-line minutes, but given this roster's makeup, he should play on the third or fourth. Do I think his size is an issue? Yes. Do I think his all-around game could stand to improve? Yes. Couldn't the latter also be said of Flip? Yes. But here's the crucial difference: I see Flip projecting as a solid playmaker with great vision and speed and Hudler as a straightaway goal-scorer. The second line as I'm envisioning it doesn't need a straightaway goal-scorer -- but that doesn't render him useless. More than a few times this past run he caught the other team off-guard, coming seemingly out of nowhere with a play that has no right being made by an energy line. That's the key: he gives the fourth line an edge, an "x factor," a guy who, if given room, will score. (He also likes to mix it up and run his mouth. Better to do that on the fourth than the second.)

So yes, I like him on the fourth. He and Helm showed some chemistry; they have very different styles (shifty scorer and tenacious crash-and-banger), but the styles complement each other pretty nicely. That's a smallish line so far; throw in Kopecky's big body and you've got a solid energy line.