Matt Karash: Training camp week! Start the line combination debates...

I definitely like this lineup. My only worry though is the size of line 2B, being 3 smaller players playing against (in some cases) other team's big boys and grinders. The last thing we need is Skinner and/or Lindholm getting injured. A Brenden Morrow signing sounds ideal right about now. Maybe a skinner-lindholm-morrow line? I dunno, just opinions. By the way Tolchinsky is tearing it up at TC, which I'm sure you've heard.

I definitely like this lineup. My only worry though is the size of line 2B, being 3 smaller players playing against (in some cases) other team's big boys and grinders. The last thing we need is Skinner and/or Lindholm getting injured. A Brenden Morrow signing sounds ideal right about now. Maybe a skinner-lindholm-morrow line? I dunno, just opinions. By the way Tolchinsky is tearing it up at TC, which I'm sure you've heard.
- Zannjusk

I think the key is for Muller to be a bit selective with matchups/situations. That is exactly what Laviolette did with much success in 05-06. Whitney/Cullen/Larose was the 3rd line (Stillman/EStaal/Cole, Kahnberg later Ladd/BrindAmour/Williams before Cole got hurt). Laviolette gave the heavy minutes to Staal's line looking to score and BrindAmour's line trying to match up against the other team's best. Whitney/Cullen/Larose cherry picked matchups against lines/defense pairings that could not skate with them and generated a ton of offense. Whitney got his extra minutes on power play and Cullen on both power play and penalty kill.

Well without having seen much of several of the young/ new guys, i'm inclined to stick with J.Staal, Ruutu, Dwyer on the 2nd line, Skinner, Nash, Lindholm on the 3rd, and Bowman, Welsh, Gerbe...Westgarth on the 4th!

I think the key is for Muller to be a bit selective with matchups/situations. That is exactly what Laviolette did with much success in 05-06. Whitney/Cullen/Larose was the 3rd line (Stillman/EStaal/Cole, Kahnberg later Ladd/BrindAmour/Williams before Cole got hurt). Laviolette gave the heavy minutes to Staal's line looking to score and BrindAmour's line trying to match up against the other team's best. Whitney/Cullen/Larose cherry picked matchups against lines/defense pairings that could not skate with them and generated a ton of offense. Whitney got his extra minutes on power play and Cullen on both power play and penalty kill.
- CarolinaMatt63

In picking the wrong Swedish player (Kahnberg) as a BrindAmour line mate from 05-06, I just unearthed a great Canes trivia question.

"Name the 2 Swedish players who played fairly significant roles in the Canes 2005-06 Cup win but saw no action in the playoffs."

Niclas Wallin is obviously a 3rd Swede who had a much more direct role, but Niklas Nordgren played LW on BrindAmour's line early in the season but maybe more significantly was part of the Recchi trade with Pittsburgh. Magnus Kahnberg was a Swedish prospect in the Canes system who was part of the Doug Weight trade.

In picking the wrong Swedish player (Kahnberg) as a BrindAmour line mate from 05-06, I just unearthed a great Canes trivia question.

"Name the 2 Swedish players who played fairly significant roles in the Canes 2005-06 Cup win but saw no action in the playoffs."

Niclas Wallin is obviously a 3rd Swede who had a much more direct role, but Niklas Nordgren played LW on BrindAmour's line early in the season but maybe more significantly was part of the Recchi trade with Pittsburgh. Magnus Kahnberg was a Swedish prospect in the Canes system who was part of the Doug Weight trade.
- CarolinaMatt63

how about westlund and wallin?

how about westlund and wallin?
- randycane

That would be 2002. In 2006 it was Nik Nordgren.