Exactly. He's not new here.

Put him out there and let's see what he can do. I think he hung decent numbers last year when you consider who he was playing with. Let the guy play that 3C role and grow into it.
- johndewar

or waste more time with Filppula there

Yup, this is his make or break season. He can already have a career as a 4th liner, but it's up to him to prove that he can be a 3rd line player.
- BiggE

How many years did it take Coots to become a 1c from 3c?

Yeah, and G isn't moving back to center after the year he and Coots had together. I keep seeing people suggest G move back to center and I just don't get it.
- hereticpride

It's not happening. They will remain a dynamic duo going forward plus you have two top face offs guys in crucial game situations. If hak breaks them up I will have the torches and pitchforks ready

I want to see them spread the wealth and have at least one highly skilled, offensively creative and mobile player on each of the top 3 lines. I'm hoping to see something like:

Giroux-Couturier-Voracek
JVR-Patrick-Lindblom
Konecny-Laughton-Simmonds

For the 4th line, if no one else is added either FA or via trade. I'd be fine with:

Raffl-Lehtera-NAK (assuming he can win the spot)

This would leave Weal and Weise as the spares and Leier being waived and playing in LHV (I very much doubt anyone is gonna grab Leier off waivers and keep him on an NHL roster)
- BiggE

Konecny doesn't leave the one of the top 2 RW spots for me. I like him a lot better on the right side and have no interest in him playing without a quality center like Coots, Patrick, or Giroux

I want to see them spread the wealth and have at least one highly skilled, offensively creative and mobile player on each of the top 3 lines. I'm hoping to see something like:

Giroux-Couturier-Voracek
JVR-Patrick-Lindblom
Konecny-Laughton-Simmonds

For the 4th line, if no one else is added either FA or via trade. I'd be fine with:

Raffl-Lehtera-NAK (assuming he can win the spot)

This would leave Weal and Weise as the spares and Leier being waived and playing in LHV (I very much doubt anyone is gonna grab Leier off waivers and keep him on an NHL roster)
- BiggE

I agree here. Wouldn’t even mind

G-coots-Simmonds
Lindblom-Patrick-Jake
Jvr-3C-konecny

I think they’re going to take a long look at Vorobyev in camp on the 3rd line

How many years did it take Coots to become a 1c from 3c?
- Tfaehner

Well, that kinda took the incumbent #1 center and face of the franchise to acquiesce to move to the wing to open up that 1C spot.

Coots' underlying numbers had been good for years, despite what folks think about his offensive numbers. The clues were always there; it was more about opportunity and linemates for Couturier.

Well, that kinda took the incumbent #1 center and face of the franchise to acquiesce to move to the wing to open up that 1C spot.

Coots' underlying numbers had been good for years, despite what folks think about his offensive numbers. The clues were always there; it was more about opportunity and linemates for Couturier.
- johndewar

It will be interesting to see if Couturier can repeat scoring 30 goals and 70 points.

I agree here. Wouldn’t even mind

G-coots-Simmonds
Lindblom-Patrick-Jake
Jvr-3C-konecny

I think they’re going to take a long look at Vorobyev in camp on the 3rd line
- Just5

You're not paying JVR $7m AAV to play on the 3rd line.

He, NoPa, and Jake are going to a fantastic size/skill line.

JVR has the potential to score 40 with those two.

It will be interesting to see if Couturier can repeat scoring 30 goals and 70 points.
- MJL

JMO, but I see Couturier repeating that kind of season before I see Giroux putting up 100 points again.

Not that I see G backsliding significantly, but hanging 100 points again, with being a year older, might be tough.

How many years did it take Coots to become a 1c from 3c?
- Tfaehner

Hard to really say. I'm pretty sure that if they had stuck him between Giroux and Voracek at any time after his first couple of years in the league and put him on the top pp unit, he probably would have put up 1C numbers.

It will be interesting to see if Couturier can repeat scoring 30 goals and 70 points.
- MJL

If JVR is taking his spot on the first pp unit, it's highly unlikely. I think he falls back to 25 goals and 60 points which is still very good production for a forward not getting 1st unit pp usage.

JMO, but I see Couturier repeating that kind of season before I see Giroux putting up 100 points again.

Not that I see G backsliding significantly, but hanging 100 points again, with being a year older, might be tough.
- johndewar

We got angry G all last year. I agree it’s going to be a tough repeat. He doesn’t have to. 75 is fine as long as the kids keep growing

I want to see them spread the wealth and have at least one highly skilled, offensively creative and mobile player on each of the top 3 lines. I'm hoping to see something like:

Giroux-Couturier-Voracek
JVR-Patrick-Lindblom
Konecny-Laughton-Simmonds

For the 4th line, if no one else is added either FA or via trade. I'd be fine with:

Raffl-Lehtera-NAK (assuming he can win the spot)

This would leave Weal and Weise as the spares and Leier being waived and playing in LHV (I very much doubt anyone is gonna grab Leier off waivers and keep him on an NHL roster)
- BiggE

Cue the "Konecny is buried on the third line and Hak doesn't know what he is doing!" self rendering and gnashing of teeth.

Cue the "Konecny is buried on the third line and Hak doesn't know what he is doing!" self rendering and gnashing of teeth.



- MBFlyerfan

IKR?

Imagine, a 3rd line with the potential to score 60 or so goals, the horror!

Hard to really say. I'm pretty sure that if they had stuck him between Giroux and Voracek at any time after his first couple of years in the league and put him on the top pp unit, he probably would have put up 1C numbers.
- BiggE

We saw the potential but I would say until the past 2 seasons he had not put it all together yet. That was roughly 350 nhl games. I'm not saying laughton will jump to be a 1c. But I think it can take guys longer to fully emerge into their nhl role. Coots didn't even break 40 points until this past season even though we saw the potential.

You're not paying JVR $7m AAV to play on the 3rd line.

He, NoPa, and Jake are going to a fantastic size/skill line.

JVR has the potential to score 40 with those two.
- johndewar

I’d be ok with watching that line go to work too

a wild new blog appears

We saw the potential but I would say until the past 2 seasons he had not put it all together yet. That was roughly 350 nhl games. I'm not saying laughton will jump to be a 1c. But I think it can take guys longer to fully emerge into their nhl role. Coots didn't even break 40 points until this past season even though we saw the potential.
- Tfaehner

I hear what your saying, but when it comes to Couturier it was much more about his usage than the player himself. He was asked to be a shutdown center, play heavy PK minutes and was rarely give two skilled linemates to work with, and at times, not even one highly skilled linemate to work with.

I'm pretty sure that for example, if the Flyers had added a legit shutdown center instead of VLC prior to the start of the 13-14 season, and they were also willing to move G to LW, then Coots could have easily slotted in between Jake and Giroux and put up 1C numbers.

I don't see the hockey sense and all around skill set in Laughton that I do in Couturier. I do think that Laughton can be a 3rd line player, but when I watch him closely, it just seems to me that his skill set would be better served by having him play the wing. He's not a guy who is going to create a lot of offense for linemates, he's just not that kind of playmaker. That's why if you are going to try him at 3C, I'd like to see an offensively creative player like Konecny on his wing.

I hear what your saying, but when it comes to Couturier it was much more about his usage than the player himself. He was asked to be a shutdown center, play heavy PK minutes and was rarely give two skilled linemates to work with, and at times, not even one highly skilled linemate to work with.

I'm pretty sure that for example, if the Flyers had added a legit shutdown center instead of VLC prior to the start of the 13-14 season, and they were also willing to move G to LW, then Coots could have easily slotted in between Jake and Giroux and put up 1C numbers.

I don't see the hockey sense and all around skill set in Laughton that I do in Couturier. I do think that Laughton can be a 3rd line player, but when I watch him closely, it just seems to me that his skill set would be better served by having him play the wing. He's not a guy who is going to create a lot of offense for linemates, he's just not that kind of playmaker. That's why if you are going to try him at 3C, I'd like to see an offensively creative player like Konecny on his wing.
- BiggE

But the Koneckknee is nots the thirds line players

I hear what your saying, but when it comes to Couturier it was much more about his usage than the player himself. He was asked to be a shutdown center, play heavy PK minutes and was rarely give two skilled linemates to work with, and at times, not even one highly skilled linemate to work with.

I'm pretty sure that for example, if the Flyers had added a legit shutdown center instead of VLC prior to the start of the 13-14 season, and they were also willing to move G to LW, then Coots could have easily slotted in between Jake and Giroux and put up 1C numbers.

I don't see the hockey sense and all around skill set in Laughton that I do in Couturier. I do think that Laughton can be a 3rd line player, but when I watch him closely, it just seems to me that his skill set would be better served by having him play the wing. He's not a guy who is going to create a lot of offense for linemates, he's just not that kind of playmaker. That's why if you are going to try him at 3C, I'd like to see an offensively creative player like Konecny on his wing.
- BiggE

an option that adds some defensive acumen/balance...

JVR-Coots-Jake
Laughton-G-TK
Lindbolm-Patrick-Simmonds/Weal

IKR?

Imagine, a 3rd line with the potential to score 60 or so goals, the horror!
- BiggE

Imagine ice times of 18, 18 ,18 and 6 for the lines or even 16 16 16 and 12....Dear god the complaints.

Giroux had a great season as a LW forward last season but we're thin in the middle, he has arguably the best hands on the team and one of the best faceoff men in the entire league. I expect G to start the season on the winger but to pretend moving him back to the middle isn't an option is silly. The signing of JvR just gave us more options and I personally would love to see G, Jake and JvR at even strength together at some point.

Konecny doesn't leave the one of the top 2 RW spots for me. I like him a lot better on the right side and have no interest in him playing without a quality center like Coots, Patrick, or Giroux
- YuenglingJagr

One thing is really clear: Pairing Coots and G worked. If you look at the stats, there is essentially no difference in productivity whether whey were with Jake, Simmer, Raffl or TK. The main differences are that when they played with TK, G and Coots had multiple multi-point games where they ended up in the minus anyway and the team lost. Also, Raffl, Simmer and Jake were all productive on other lines, but TK basically vanished when not partnered with G and Coots.

So the question is, is it more important to get the most from G and Coots, or to get something from TK, even if it means you need to depend on your other three lines more?

an option that adds some defensive acumen/balance...

JVR-Coots-Jake
Laughton-G-TK
Lindbolm-Patrick-Simmonds/Weal
- juiced

Well, that's one way to kill any talk of G and Coots being good offensive players.

I agree here. Wouldn’t even mind

G-coots-Simmonds
Lindblom-Patrick-Jake
Jvr-3C-konecny

I think they’re going to take a long look at Vorobyev in camp on the 3rd line
- Just5

Yes, they will look at Vorobyev who was basically invisible most of the time at the AHL level instead of the best center on the Phantoms last year. That totally makes sense.