Wings likely line and defense combos

[yave1964]

The dust seems to have settled at least until September, a quick look at potential lines and defensive pairings...

 

DEFENSE

Seider and Chiarot. Chiarot is not perfect but he is a huge upgrade over the aging leddy who appeared disintersted. Seider another year older after a brilliant first year

Hronek and Maatta Maatta is what Hronek needs, a steady stay at home guy who can cover for his mistakes allowing him to roam

Lindstrom, Hagg, Oesterle, Walman None will wow you but third pair, 15 minutes all bring different skill sets and are meh. Meh is an improvement over years past.

wild card Edvinsson likely starts year at Grand Rapids but the Wings are drooling over the potential of this man mountain on skates

 

Raymond-Bertuzzi-Larkin Same line as last year, Bert missed games due to refusing to get covid shot, Larkin missed time to injury. All had good years solid line

Vrana-C0pp-Perron Perron and Copp are fantastic two way players who can score, Vrana if healthy has at least 25 goals if not more written all over him. Solid 2nd line

Zadina-Suter-Fabbri All forced to play up a line and too much was asked of them. As a third line, they potentially should score 45-50 goals. Zadina has been working on his burst this offseason, too early to write him off.

Rasmussen-Veleno-Erne  zRasmussen and Veleno former first rounders, both have disappointed but can play. Erne loves to hit and can play up a line if need be. Very good 4th line with the quibble being they aren't penalty killers so higher up lines have to do the job.

wildcard Kubalik was signed away from the Hawks. He truly had a hiorrible year last season but swears it is because of how he was used. I didnt list him in the line combos because the forwards are so deep but if used right this man can score in bunches 

 

goaltending

Big Ned and Husso  Love the combo, two guys entering the prime of their career on reasonable deals They will push each other

 

 WHAT IS BETTER  A big improvement, Copp, Chiarot, Perron Maatta all known as being hard to play against. Seider is a year older and should be even better with a perfect partner in Chiarot Maatta a perfect partner for Hronek. Forward depth at the highest level in years. Husso gives a fantastic duo in net. The penalty kill will be massively better

WHAT IS NOT The defense is still weak on the bottom pairing the bottom line is not a true checking line, all are hoping to prove they belong in the middle six and they make a strange unwieldy 4th line. Zadina and Rasmussen running out of chances. Whispers about Veleno as well. All are more or less in a now or never time. 

 

So a better second line (by Far) a better third line (pitentially by far) a couple of solid defesnive d-men and some new forwards who know how to back check combined with Husso means a lot less goals against. Edvinsson will likely be in the AHL this year but if he breaks camp on the second pair the team could be even better.

 

 I dont quite see them as a playoff team, they will fight with Boston and Ottawa for the bottom playoff spot in the East, I think they will fall short, in need of 100 points to make the playoffs I believe the Wings are destined to come in around 90-92 which is still a very solid year. I like this group. Plus more in guys like Berggren are on the way. Lots to like.

 

[yave1964]

15 hours ago, FireDillabaugh said:

Love your optimism, yave.  But, just addressing the defense alone(there's so many holes among the forwards that I really just don't want to bring your optimism down further than I will with this defense criticism), the only one in your top 4 that can actually play solid defense and contribute is Seider.  He is going to absolutely hate having Chiarot as a linemate, if that's what they're going to have as their top pairing.  Chiarot is a big man who doesn't hit, can't produce, who has played 20+ mins ATOI that only continues to show he doesn't deserve the ice time.  A VERY overrated NHL dman.  Hronek(another big man who doesn't hit much at all) needs a guy that can intimidate and help his defensive deficiencies.  That is absolutely not Maatta, who is another big man who doesn't hit much.  Maatta is a guy who not only plays a defensively deficient game, but also doesn't produce much at all.  This pairing, if it's going to be their 2nd pairing, will be a turnover machine for them.  Both are very poor with their puck movement and their games don't generate turnovers in return.  Yes, Hronek has shown he can produce assists.  But, at the cost of those assists are some very poor decisions with the puck that turn into giveaways.  I believe this defense will be wanting to give more minutes to Hagg, since he at least hits OFTEN, can skate well to cover for his looking for hits, and is competent with the puck on his stick in his own zone.

 

If this team makes the playoffs, Lalonde should be a candidate for coach of the year.

Defense,maatta has no speed and zero offense but the kid blueliner on the kings raved about his steady calm play especially after Doughty's went down. He is better than juolevi. Not saying he is great but he is better than his replacement. 

 

 Same with chiarot. Look he isn't great but he leaves it on the ice every night and compared to the plodding disinterested play of leddy he is an improvement.

 

  I fully expect the wongs to miss the playoffs but IMHO 90 points is dooable. We are better everywhere. Not mcdavid better but dolid play the game The right way at every position better with no bad contracts. I have always admired perron and Copp for their selfless 200 game IMHO if Copp scores 45 points and perron does the same and the help our dreadful penalty kill we. Will be decent. And again no seven or eight year dealsdeals hanging over us. A friend of mine says the wings have five third pair defenders which even if true is a massive improvement over the abomination we have had for five years. I believe 90 points,6th place and watchable is reasonable. I don't expect more but would be thrilled with that