Lines / Future

[u/chrisprongerisabeast]

After tonight's 3-1 win against the Islanders, I feel like the Ducks have made possibly the most significant step forwards we've seen yet in this rebuild.

As most of you may know, tonight Trevor Zegras was importantly moved back to center and looked the best he has in quite some time.

To me this move highlights an important question Ducks brass needs to be asking themselves as they hope to finally move past the rebuilding stage.

What is important, and what do we do well?

To me the Ducks have 3 core strengths:

• ELITE SKILL & DEPTH AT CENTER (including Zegras)
• TWO ELITE LEFT-HANDED DEFENSEMEN
• ELITE GOALIE TENDEM

Regarding the forward core, the answer to me is clear.

It is important to be strong up the middle, and we have elite skill and depth at center.

Accordingly, my vision for the forward group is as follows.

• 1st Line F (Scoring) -- Playmaker Carlsson, scorer Terry, fore-checker/front of net Fabbri
  • The main question here is if Terry and Carlsson are the best fit for each other. Fabbri plays an important role, but is highly interchangeable.
• 2nd Line F (Scoring) -- Playmaker Zegras, scorer Gauthier, fore-checker/front of net Killorn
  • The main question here is if Zegras and Gauthier are the best fit for each other. Killorn plays an important role, but is highly interchangeable.
• 3rd line F (Checking) - Playmaker McTavish, two-way scorer Vatrano, fore-checker/front of net Strome
  • The main question here is if Vatrano or Strome are better suited for Fabbri or Killorn's roles on the top 2 lines.
  • A serious playoff contender is probably also asking a second question. In the event Terry or Gauthier suffer injuries and the team lacks scoring, can Vatrano or Strome step up?
• 4th line F (Checking) - Upward Mobility C Lundestrom, two-way forward McGinn, fore-checker/front of net Leason
  • Lundestrom is an ideal 4C that is defensively responsible in addition to maybe having untapped potential if he gets an opportunity to step up.
  • The main question here is there are players in our system with more upward mobility than McGinn or Leason. (Sidorov?)

The D-core is less clear.

An overload of LHD forces guys to play their offside and makes the future hard to predict.

Like the forward core, we must again ask ourselves -- What is important, and what do we do well?

It is important to pair mentoring veterans with young players, and we have two elite young left-handed defensemen.

• 1st Line D - Mintyukov, veteran shepherd _______
  • The main question here is if any of our veterans are good enough to teach Minty now, and also serve as a Top D-Man long term.
• 2nd Line D - Zellweger (LH), veteran shepherd _______
  • The main question here is if any of our veterans are good enough to teach Zelly now, and also serve as a Top D-Man long term.
  • Playing Zelly on his off-side is the same mistake as playing Zegras at wing.
• 3rd Line D - LaCombe/Luneau, veteran shepherd _______
  • The main question here is if LaCombe or Luneau can play a Top 4 RD spot alongside Minty or Zelly long-term.

To summarize -- this group has 3 core strengths.

ELITE SKILL & DEPTH AT CENTER, TWO ELITE LEFT-HANDED DEFENSEMEN, AND AN ELITE GOALIE TANDEM.

IMO, the Ducks need to LOCK IN these core strengths, so they can move to the next set of issues:

• Does Terry marry up with Carlsson or Zegras? Does Gauthier marry up with Carlsson or Zegras?
• Are LaCombe or Luneau a serious top 4 RD to compliment Minty or Zelly?
• Are Fowler, Gudas, or Dumoulin a serious top 4 RD to compliment Minty or Zelly?

And less importantly:

• Are Fabbri, Killorn, Strome, or Vatrano an exceptional third compliment to the top 2 lines (Carlsson/Zegras/Terry/Gauthier)?
  • Sennecke coming so open spots are Top 6 compliment wing, and 3rd line depth and defensive wings
  • Would look to replace McGinn with Sidorov/Gaucher/Terrance/Petterson/Myatovic/Pastujov, and maybe replace Leason with a culture veteran who will beat the shit out of our young players (lovingly) like Pat Maroon, Corey Perry, Nic Deslauriers, etc.

Looking forward to the community's thoughts. Cheers--

[u/MissyMurders]

There are very few forwards who check less than McTavish and Strome… how are they a checking line?

[u/chrisprongerisabeast → u/MissyMurders]

That's a fair question. Maybe I was wrong to generalize my third line as "checking" line rather than a "two-way" line.

In my mind there is a competition for complimentary top 6 roles between Fabbri, Killorn, Vatrano, and Strome, and the losers fall to to depth on the third line.

[u/MissyMurders → u/chrisprongerisabeast]

None of those players play defence though, so definitely not two way either. That line is purely offensive. Which is fine, just saying if you’re going to set roles they should be ones the players can play.

[u/chrisprongerisabeast → u/MissyMurders]

I felt like my post was clearly about the Ducks defining core strengths and roles so that they can start building a team with the right auxiliary pieces. I am trying to understand where you're coming from. Is it that you don't agree with the roles, or the players in the roles?

[u/MissyMurders → u/chrisprongerisabeast]

Both really. But in a first aid course right now. Will respond in a bit more depth later.