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Optimizing potential playoff lines, a thread.
ARI
Hall-Dvorak-Kessel (good)
*
Grabner-Stepan-Hinostroza (good)
Soderberg-Richardson-Fischer (wheeee!)
*that leaves Garland, Hayton, Crouse, Schmaltz, and Keller with which to make a new second line.
https://www.chartinghockey.ca/lines-and-pairs/
ARI
Hall-Dvorak-Kessel (good)
*
Grabner-Stepan-Hinostroza (good)
Soderberg-Richardson-Fischer (wheeee!)
*that leaves Garland, Hayton, Crouse, Schmaltz, and Keller with which to make a new second line.
https://www.chartinghockey.ca/lines-and-pairs/
The Bruins are easy.
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak (duh)
Debrusk-Krejci-Coyle (good)
Bjork-Kuraly-Wagner (dull but positive)
That leaves Kase (probably good), Ritchie (probably not), Nordstrom, Lindholm, and Blidh to make a third-ish line with.
Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak (duh)
Debrusk-Krejci-Coyle (good)
Bjork-Kuraly-Wagner (dull but positive)
That leaves Kase (probably good), Ritchie (probably not), Nordstrom, Lindholm, and Blidh to make a third-ish line with.
The Canes
You can basically do /anything/ but...
Teravainen-Staal-Niederreiter (great)
Foegele-Aho-Svechnikov (great)
Martinook-Trocheck-McGinn (not sure but Martinook-McGinn worked well with Wallmark)
That leaves Dzingel, Necas, and Williams.
You can basically do /anything/ but...
Teravainen-Staal-Niederreiter (great)
Foegele-Aho-Svechnikov (great)
Martinook-Trocheck-McGinn (not sure but Martinook-McGinn worked well with Wallmark)
That leaves Dzingel, Necas, and Williams.
CBJ
Nyquist-Dubois-Bjorkstrand (very good)
Foligno-Texier-Atkinson (dull but positive xGF%)
Robinson-Nash-Gerbe (very good)
That leaves Wennberg, Jenner, MacInnis, Bemstrom, Shore, and Foudy(?) to build a fourth line with. So maybe...
Jenner-Wennberg-MacInnis/Bemstrom/Foudy
Nyquist-Dubois-Bjorkstrand (very good)
Foligno-Texier-Atkinson (dull but positive xGF%)
Robinson-Nash-Gerbe (very good)
That leaves Wennberg, Jenner, MacInnis, Bemstrom, Shore, and Foudy(?) to build a fourth line with. So maybe...
Jenner-Wennberg-MacInnis/Bemstrom/Foudy
CGY
Gaudreau-Backlund-Monahan (there's no positive xG line with Gaudreau/Monahan but this is closest...)
Mangiapane-Lindholm-Tkachuk (good)
Lucic-Ryan-Bennett (good)
Rieder-Jankowski-Dube (Rieder/Jankowski were good with the departed Frolik so let's give it a shot w/ Dube)
Gaudreau-Backlund-Monahan (there's no positive xG line with Gaudreau/Monahan but this is closest...)
Mangiapane-Lindholm-Tkachuk (good)
Lucic-Ryan-Bennett (good)
Rieder-Jankowski-Dube (Rieder/Jankowski were good with the departed Frolik so let's give it a shot w/ Dube)
CHI
This won't be easy but...
Nylander-Strome-Kane (good)
*see below
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik (good)
DeBrincat-Carpenter-Dach (dull but positive)
*Toews with two of:
Smith/Caggiula/Hagel/Highmore (probably going to be bad)
This won't be easy but...
Nylander-Strome-Kane (good)
*see below
Saad-Kampf-Kubalik (good)
DeBrincat-Carpenter-Dach (dull but positive)
*Toews with two of:
Smith/Caggiula/Hagel/Highmore (probably going to be bad)
COL
Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen (duh)
Burakovsky-Kadri-Nichushkin (good)
Nieto-Bellemare-Calvert (good)
Then one of Namestnikov/Jost/Kamanev with Donskoi and Compher (Donskoi/Compher were part of a few dull trios, so there's plenty hope for a decent fourth line here).
Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen (duh)
Burakovsky-Kadri-Nichushkin (good)
Nieto-Bellemare-Calvert (good)
Then one of Namestnikov/Jost/Kamanev with Donskoi and Compher (Donskoi/Compher were part of a few dull trios, so there's plenty hope for a decent fourth line here).
DAL
Going to try to figure out some "good" but this might skew "dull."
Benn-Seguin-Perry (great)
Hintz-Pavelski-Janmark (good)
Comeau-Faksa-Cogliano (as dull as you hoped they'd be)
Radulov can be excellent, so stick him with two of Dickinson/Gurianov/Dowling.
Going to try to figure out some "good" but this might skew "dull."
Benn-Seguin-Perry (great)
Hintz-Pavelski-Janmark (good)
Comeau-Faksa-Cogliano (as dull as you hoped they'd be)
Radulov can be excellent, so stick him with two of Dickinson/Gurianov/Dowling.
EDM
We're going to split the big-2.
Neal-McDavid-Kassian (good)
RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto (good)
Nygard-Haas-Chiasson (good)
Line 4 will be new, so:
Athanasiou-Ennis with one of Nygard/Sheahan/Archibald/Russell (could be bad, hard to know)
We're going to split the big-2.
Neal-McDavid-Kassian (good)
RNH-Draisaitl-Yamamoto (good)
Nygard-Haas-Chiasson (good)
Line 4 will be new, so:
Athanasiou-Ennis with one of Nygard/Sheahan/Archibald/Russell (could be bad, hard to know)
FLA
Hoffman-Barkov-Huberdeau (good)
Vatrano-Toninato-Dadonov (good)
Hunt-Acciari-Sceviour (good)
That leaves a handful of options for a new fourth line:
Haula-Boyle-Connolly or Saarela or Wallmark (I'd bet this would be a "bad" line but who knows)
Hoffman-Barkov-Huberdeau (good)
Vatrano-Toninato-Dadonov (good)
Hunt-Acciari-Sceviour (good)
That leaves a handful of options for a new fourth line:
Haula-Boyle-Connolly or Saarela or Wallmark (I'd bet this would be a "bad" line but who knows)
MIN
Fiala-Koivu-Parise (good)
Zuccarello-Staal-Galchenyuk*
Greenway-Kunin-Sturm (dull, positive)
Donato-Rask-Hartman (good)
Zucc-Staal weren't great with Zucker but were dull/positive with Parise. I doubt Galchenyuk makes this a +xG trio but it's worth trying.
Fiala-Koivu-Parise (good)
Zuccarello-Staal-Galchenyuk*
Greenway-Kunin-Sturm (dull, positive)
Donato-Rask-Hartman (good)
Zucc-Staal weren't great with Zucker but were dull/positive with Parise. I doubt Galchenyuk makes this a +xG trio but it's worth trying.
MTL
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher (one of the NHL's best trios)
Lekhonen-Domi-Weal (good in brief mins)
Drouin-Suzuki-Armia (dull but positive in brief mins)
That leaves Kotkaniemi/Weise/Hudon/Byron to make a 4th line, so...
Byron-Kotkaniemi-Hudon/Weise and cross your fingers.
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher (one of the NHL's best trios)
Lekhonen-Domi-Weal (good in brief mins)
Drouin-Suzuki-Armia (dull but positive in brief mins)
That leaves Kotkaniemi/Weise/Hudon/Byron to make a 4th line, so...
Byron-Kotkaniemi-Hudon/Weise and cross your fingers.
NSH
They've tried lots...
Forsberg-Duchene-Granlund (good)
someone*-Johansen-Arvidsson
Grimaldi-Bonino-Smith (good)
Watson-Sissons-Jarnkrok (dull/positive)
There isn't a "good" trio left with Johansen-Arvidsson involved, so I guess Turris, Blackwell, or Tolvanen goes here?
They've tried lots...
Forsberg-Duchene-Granlund (good)
someone*-Johansen-Arvidsson
Grimaldi-Bonino-Smith (good)
Watson-Sissons-Jarnkrok (dull/positive)
There isn't a "good" trio left with Johansen-Arvidsson involved, so I guess Turris, Blackwell, or Tolvanen goes here?
NYI
Lee-Barzal-Eberle (fun/good)
Bailey-Pageau-MDC/Koivula**
Beauvillier-Nelson-Brassard (dull/positive)
Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck (dull/positive)
These are just the leftovers thrown together but the other trios give you a scoring line and a couple of Trotz-styled lines.
Lee-Barzal-Eberle (fun/good)
Bailey-Pageau-MDC/Koivula**
Beauvillier-Nelson-Brassard (dull/positive)
Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck (dull/positive)
These are just the leftovers thrown together but the other trios give you a scoring line and a couple of Trotz-styled lines.
NYR
This one is weird:
Panarin-Strome-Fast (good)
Kreider-Zibanejad-Buchnevich (dull(?!) but positive)
Now it's trouble...
Lemieux-Howden-Kakko (fun but negative xG share)
PDG/McKegg-Chytil-Gauthier (no data but it'll be bad)
This one is weird:
Panarin-Strome-Fast (good)
Kreider-Zibanejad-Buchnevich (dull(?!) but positive)
Now it's trouble...
Lemieux-Howden-Kakko (fun but negative xG share)
PDG/McKegg-Chytil-Gauthier (no data but it'll be bad)
Here's the beset I can do with PHI
Farabee-Couturier-Voracek (good)
JVR-Giroux-Konecny (good)
*Pitlick-Hayes-Laughton
Raffl-**Bunnaman-NAK (dull/positive)
*Hayes-Laughton were average-ish with Farabee, so here's hoping Pitlick doesn't break anything.
**Frost?
Farabee-Couturier-Voracek (good)
JVR-Giroux-Konecny (good)
*Pitlick-Hayes-Laughton
Raffl-**Bunnaman-NAK (dull/positive)
*Hayes-Laughton were average-ish with Farabee, so here's hoping Pitlick doesn't break anything.
**Frost?
