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Random notes on building the Hurricanes forward roster and lines
I had ambitious plans of finishing up an article that offered a slightly more detailed look at the various roster battles underway. But life got in the way a bit, that will wait while instead I offer a bit of an ad hoc list of thoughts on building out the forward lines.
Don’t make the same mistake twice – Lucas Wallmark versus Jordan Martinook
Victor Rask’s injury opened up another center slot. The two names that come up most in this regard are Jordan Martinook and Lucas Wallmark. I cannot help but feel that those advocating for Martinook missed the 2017-18 season when the team centered its fourth line with offense lite Marcus Kruger. The result was a line that was not horrible defensively but were still outscored by a large margin because they scored virtually nothing. The center position, even the fourth line, MUST have some amount of playmaking ability to prevent it from being a scoring nothing again in 2018-19. With the team minus Jeff Skinner and needing to boost scoring, the fourth line needs to produce something. I think that Lucas Wallmark and Jordan Martinook are worlds apart in this regard.
‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ – Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen
I completely agree with Brind’Amour’s rationale for playing Aho and Teravainen apart early in preseason. The two have chemistry and a nice log of games together such that seeing them with other players is not a bad thing. But as the preseason winds close to the regular season, I will be surprised if Aho and Teravainen are reunited. I get that the team has some issues spreading experience throughout a young lineup, but I would not address that by breaking up a combination that was 1+1=3.
Not if but when – Andrei Svechnikov
The more I watch Andrei Svechnikov, the more I think he will eventually fit well with Aho and Teravainen to take a run at creating a scoring line of point per game players. What I like about Svechnikov is that he plays well with the puck on his stick but looks equally comfortable and effective playing without the puck as a receive and shoot type finisher. Either that or just a pure power forward could complement Aho and Teravainen, and Svechnikov projects to be a notch higher than the power forward alternatives like Zykov. The big question is when. It will be interesting to see where Brind’Amour starts Svechnikov. I am not sure he will want to start him on a top scoring line, and I think the defensive responsibilities and lack of playmaking from Staal’s line could be a poor fit for a young scorer. After that Brind’Amour is on record as saying that he preferred not to put Necas and Svechnikov together. That could see Svechnikov bumped all the way to the fourth line which will have the people focused on line numbers hollering. But if the Brind’Amour uses that line fairly evenly, Svechnikov also gets power play ice time and Wallmark centers the line as I expect, I actually thing that could be a decent entry point for Svechnikov.
Support the kid – Martin Necas
Out of the batch of rookie forwards who start the year in the NHL, I think Martin Necas could be in for the toughest bout of growing pains. Part of that is because he plays the center position. The other part is simply that his game without the puck is not as advanced as his game with it. His natural instinct is to pursue the puck on the forecheck. While this general approach is the right one, as a center understanding positioning and circumstances is critical. Necas has a tendency to lean forward a bit on the forecheck even when he is the third forward and has responsibility for coverage in the neutral zone. He could benefit from a bit of help on his wings, but it is not clear who that would be.
Six!?! – Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas, Warren Foegele, Janne Kuokkanen, Lucas Wallmark and Valentin Zykov
It could require an injury or possibly the Hurricanes flying a veteran across waivers, but it is not inconceivable that the team starts the season with fully half of its forwards being rookies. Foegele and Kuokkanen can easily be returned to Charlotte for recall later, but if the current trajectory continues, I just think it will be hard to keep any of Foegele, Kuokkanen or Wallmark out the lineup.
What say you Canes fans?
1) Who has random notes of their own related to building the forward roster and lines?
2) What are your thoughts on the my notes above?
Go Canes!
Normally I would wholeheartedly agree with you about leaving Aho and Turbo together. With Rask going down we are going to have to split up the veteran wingers to support all these young guys.
It’ll be interesting to see if Kuokkanen makes the roster. The other 5 seem to be a foregone conclusion at this point.
Matt. Really great insights.
You all know I think hockey is quickly evolving beyond numbered lines. Let’s hope the Canes are on the forefront. The talent is available.
Still for understanding sake here goes.
Agree that it might be too soon for Svechnikov on the top line. Also I agree that Necas will have struggles as a rookie center on smaller ice. Thus it makes sense to utilize Necas on a “fourth” scoring line. Svechnikov can be deployed with Wallmark.
Zykov/Aho/Teravainen
Kuokkanen/Staal/Williams
Ferland/Wallmark/Svech
Foegele/Necas/McGinn
Each line has a mix of skill, physicality, and defense. The Wallmark line would get sheltered. Unlike past teams, every line can create offense.
Six rookies is crazy—it might just work.
These are the best lines I’ve seen so far CT. If we’re going to have six rooks in the lineup, which I’m all for at this point if they all keep up their current play, I think this is the most well balanced way to do it while still complementing play styles.
TAZ line already showed chemistry and scoring ability at the end of last season. Zykov’s net front presence is exactly what Aho and Turbo need. I have zero worries about Zykov’s skating from what I’ve seen.
John and Tripp have been talking about Kuok and Staal’s locker room chemistry already. Throw in Williams and you have a good shut down line with offensive ability.
Ferland – Wallmark – Svech is interesting. Not a combo I had seen before but I think it could work and makes sense given the rest of the lineup. They could definitely do well in a more sheltered role. I also agree with Wallmark having more offensive potential than Martinook. Put him and PDG in the box.
I think Foegele – Necas – McGinn will be a fun line to watch. Lots of speed and grit. This is a shut down line lite with tons of offensive upside. I think this line could surprise a lot of teams and is miles ahead of any 4th line we’ve had recently even with 2 rookies.
I know this article is about the forward lines but I have to mention again how excited I am about this defense.
I think running this lineup will be a match up nightmare for other teams:
Slavin – Hamilton
CDH – Faulk
Pesce – TVR
Carrick
Let Fleury, McKeown, and Bean eat up big minutes in Charlotte.
Agreeing with virtus that these lines are interesting – each has skill and physicality and speed and none are easy to play against. That Necas line is not a 4th line; it’s a bear.
I haven’t seen enough of Martinook to have an opinion yet but I thought PDG played well in Game #1 and shouldn’t be completely overlooked yet.
Again, coming back to something I said yesterday, RBA is going to have some tough decisions to make and some players are going to be very disappointed with the outcome. The day of reckoning for how the talent-logjam gets resolved is rapidly approaching; hoping it’s through a trade and not via a waiver-claim.
I think Necas in particular needs 1 of not 2 wings who think the game at a high level positionally. One of a few issues with v1.0 of his game is that he does not get when he can forecheck aggressively and when he needs to take away second passes or skating lanes in the neutral zone. If you take that as correct, then McGinn and Foegele who are both ‘pin your ears back and charge’ type forechecking wings could too frequently have a jail break behind them. They would sometimes smother and win the puck, but too frequently against good NHL defensemen, they would be chasing the puck with the defensemen facing 3v2 with no impediment to slow them in the neutral zone.
On that note, that is the one sort of hidden hole in McGinn’s game. Tuomo Ruutu was incredibly good at understanding how to adjust and forecheck through passing lanes such that you could not just quickly move the puck behind him and start going north-south with speed. v1.0 of McGinn featured him playing on a horrible line with Jay McClement that got torched frequently in transition. Part of the issue was McGinn getting deep but not doing much more than hitting a defenseman who had already started a rush up the ice. The issue has been less glaring the past couple years with McGinn playing with more mobile/better centers to read/react behind the first pass, but I still think it is there.
Regardless, the fact that the team has multiple options and more skill than in years past is encouraging. And watching how situations like this work/do not work is one of the funnest parts of early season hockey.:-)
I think McGinn and Foegele are smarter than you give them credit. McGinn wasn’t a guy that got himself too deep on a regular basis last season, why would he start now? Foegele was a big positive player in Charlotte and is known for being defensively responsible. Just because they like to go hard on the forcheck doesn’t mean they don’t know when to go and when not to go.
I like Foegele with Necas. The reason is he draws the attention away from Necas. Foegele is kind of a bull in a china shop. Always involved. Skating, grinding, working. A real PITA to play against. He will piss people off which should draw attention away from Necas. The fact that he generally knows were to be on the ice and pays attention to defensive assignments is big as well. Throw in a vet on the other side and I think that line will be good, or even better than that.
The extent of my knowledge limits me to one thought about line combinations. Aho and Teravainen should NOT be split up. Having shared all that I have any reasonable idea about, I will close with “That’s all folks!” You old timers will know where that comes from.
Ct, those are great lines… For me it fixes the “Wallmark is not a grinder” problem and also eases Svench and Necas in. Wallmark is older, but would still be a rookie. Ferly should really help Wally and Svechy.
Fogy, Necy, Guiny… that could be brilliant 🙂 it takes pressure off Necas, but still gives him fast (and tough) line mates… both who might just get a huge boost from Necas playmaking abilities….
like it!
While I am impressed by the skills of some of the “youngsters”, I think the team may be TOO LIGHT on skilled VETS, who are ready for a full /tough NHL SEASON. I’M not betting against the kids, but the kind of move I’d like to see is moving Fleury (or other depth D) and MORE- for a top9 dependable (slightly over-paid) veteran F.
Clearly the Canes are still cheap-skates, but a modest-priced 4-6M veteran could be well-spent money, and would still not cause their Cap to be much more than the FLOOR!
I’m not holding my breath…the O/M still act like they believe that ALL THE POSSIBLE FUTURE STARS WILL ACTUALLY BECOME STARS…AND SOOOOO THEY HAVE TO SAVE TONS OF MONEY FOR THEM!! …yeah, right!
For us dinosaurs, unable to use our phalanges effectively on the newest electronic payment apps an address to send a contribution by check would be appreciated.
It’s been a fun start to the (pre) season, enough to get my hopes up a little bit.
Based on what little I’ve seen I’d recommend sending Necas down to Clt for seasoning and trying to get another center with more experience on a short-term deal, either via trade or free agent signing to give the team options down the middle.
Necas just doesn’t strike me as ready, and I can’t blame him either.
Also I remind myself that preseason games are notoriously bad predictors of performance, the good teams know to take it easy and ensure veterans don’t get hurt or worn out. I remember specifically that the Caps struggled mightily in the preseason last year, including at least one loss to the Canes, then Ovi and co lit it up when the season started.
But for a team of players and fans who are tired of losing any shift in the trend at least brings a glimmer of hope, and the canes have done well.
I know some of the prospects wil not live up to the hype in the first year, it’s impossible, so the team ss constructed will be fun to watch but will have its ups and downs with great potential for next season. I am still hoping the team can turn the logjam into one more addition to move the needle this season, but I’ll have fun with or without it.