NHL Line Combinations for 2016-17 (Pacific Division)
NHL Line Combinations: Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter (77) celebrates with center Anze Kopitar (11) and right wing Tyler Toffoli (73) after scoring a goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Line Combinations for 2016-17 – Training Camps are Coming to a Close as Teams Face Those Final Crucial Roster Cuts. Now, With Only 4 Days Until the New NHL Season, Depth Charts Begin to Take Form. Projected Lines/Defensive Pairings in the Pacific Division
Moving on with the season preview, we continue with our NHL line combinations for all 30 teams. Since we’re only four days away from a brand new season, prospective opening night rosters are becoming much clearer. At this point, most teams are making those final decisions and rosters should start to take shape in the final couple preseason games.
Finishing up in the Western Conference, next we look at the Pacific Division. The Anaheim Ducks finished atop the standings with 103 points (same as third-place Chicago in the Central), but fell four games short of the Blackhawks in ROW (wins excluding shootouts). Los Angeles (102 points) and San Jose (98 points) also managed to claim a playoff berth – and as we now know, the Sharks went the deepest with the second-worst record in the Western Conference. It was a lottery year for the Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Edmonton Oilers, but each of those teams made strides to get better in the summer. It should make for an intriguing division battle in 2016-17.
*It’s worth noting these are simply early NHL line combinations for how things might shake up on opening night/early on in the season.
NHL Line Combinations in 2016-17 (Pacific Division)
Feb 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes left wing Anthony Duclair (10) celebrates with center Max Domi (16) and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) after scoring a goal in the second period against the Calgary Flames at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona Coyotes
Max Domi – Martin Hanzal – Anthony Duclair
Tobias Rieder – Dylan Strome – Shane Doan
Jamie McGinn – Christian Dvorak – Radim Vrbata
Jordan Martinook – Brad Richardson – Ryan White
xs: Laurent Dauphin
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Michael Stone
Alex Goligoski – Connor Murphy
Klas Dahlbeck – Luke Schenn
xs: Kevin Connauton, Zbynek Michalek
*Assuming Michael Stone will be ready for the season opener
Even though Radim Vrbata has seen time in the preseason on that top line with Domi and Hanzal, we don’t expect him to stay there. After all, Canucks GM Jim Benning couldn’t even give the veteran winger away at the trade deadline. He’s a proven sniper, but battles with inconsistency disappearing for stretches at a time. Even though the most success in his career came down in the Desert, there’s no reason to believe he’ll suddenly re-establish himself – Radim is past his prime.
If Yotes management is impressed with their rookies early in the season (Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak), it could open the door to trade 2017 UFA Martin Hanzal before he potentially walks for nothing. At that point, Strome would slide up to the top line and allow Dvorak to step into a top-six role.
Jan 7, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (23) skates against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Arizona Coyotes won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve got Arizona carrying eight defensemen to open the season. It may seem a little strange, but that bottom pairing could see a lot of tinkering until they find the right duo. Michael Stone is also a little banged up heading into 2016-17, so it wouldn’t hurt to carry that extra body in case he needs a night of maintenance.
Lastly, the goaltending should be concerning. Yotes fans have virtually convinced themselves that Louis Domingue is the next big thing. He won Rookie of the Month honors back in January upon initially joining Arizona, but his play eventually began to trail off.
You know who else wrote a similar script? Garret Sparks in Toronto. You don’t see Leafs fans or management with unrealistic expectations for the first goaltender in Leafs history to record a shutout in their debut. That’s much more impressive than playing a solid month of hockey.
So, don’t be surprised when GM John Chayka finally comes to the realization at some point that his goaltending needs to be upgraded. At that point, they could look at more of a short-term option such as Ondrej Pavelec, or look for more reliability in veterans like Marc-Andre Fleury or Ben Bishop.
Oct 6, 2016; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring a goal in the first period against the Winnipeg Jets during a preseason hockey game at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Edmonton Oilers
Milan Lucic – Connor McDavid – Jordan Eberle
Benoit Pouliot – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Jesse Puljujarvi
Drake Caggiula – Leon Draisaitl – Iiro Pakarinen
Patrick Maroon – Mark Letestu – Zack Kassian
xs: Kris Versteeg, Matt Hendricks
Oscar Klefbom – Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera – Mark Fayne
Darnell Nurse – Kris Russell
xs: Brandon Davidson
Hey, Oilers fans, why don’t you ask those in Leafs nation what happens when management makes boneheaded decisions giving away top draft picks for virtually nothing. It’s a recipe that usually ends in disaster. The only potential saving grace here is phenom superstar Connor McDavid – but even that’s a lot to put on the shoulders on one individual.
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There’s a chance that Leon Draisaitl could start the season playing alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the second line. If that’s the case, Finnish rookie Jesse Puljujarvi slides down to the third to play with Drake Caggiula. Yes, that’s right, the same guy fans ridiculed at the time of the signing, calling him a similar element to what Edmonton already had plenty of in their system. As we predicted, Caggiula is turning heads already.
Having the mix of Milan Lucic on the top line and Patrick Maroon, Zack Kassian, and Matt Hendricks lurking in the bottom six is the perfect blend of grit and physicality to help protect the Oilers young stars who have been oft-injured in recent years.
Looking to the blue line, it seems the top pairing is set with Klefbom and Larsson. The addition of Kris Russell gives coach Todd McLellan a bit of versatility with his defensive group. Likely serving on the right side (as a left-handed shot), Russell has the ability to log extra minutes alongside Andrej Sekera for a nice defensive-minded duo.
He could, however, be the perfect candidate to play alongside Darnell Nurse on that third pairing. They asked the rookie defender to do too much in his own zone in 2015-16, so it makes sense to give him a more defensive minded presence which may allow him to get a little more involved in the offense. He can take a few extra risks pinches, join the rush, or even carry the puck out himself more often with Russell hanging back.
May 7, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski (8) is congratulated for scoring a goal against the Nashville Predators during the second period in game five of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
San Jose Sharks
Patrick Marleau – Joe Thornton – Joe Pavelski
Mikkel Boedker – Logan Couture – Joonas Donskoi
Nikolay Goldobin – Tomas Hertl – Joel Ward
Matt Nieto – Tommy Wingels – Melker Karlsson
xs: Chris Tierney, Michael Haley
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Brent Burns
Paul Martin – Justin Braun
David Schlemko – Dylan DeMelo
xs: Brenden Dillon
Martin Jones – Aaron Dell
*Timo Meier expected to be out 3-4 weeks
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Some folks are slotting Mikkel Boedker in on the top line, pushing Marleau down to the second. He wasn’t a first line talent in Arizona or Colorado and isn’t about to be in San Jose whether you give him stud linemates or not. At $4 million dollars/year, he’s a decent second line LWer that would likely serve as a depth scorer on the third in a Stanley Cup winning environment.
It wouldn’t actually be all that shocking to see rookie Nikolay Goldobin surpass Boedker on the depth chart before the end of the season. His knack for scoring goals and creating offense screams top-six material.
Figuring out the opening night roster/lines shouldn’t be overly difficult. Things could get interesting in a month from now when top prospect Timo Meier returns from illness (suffering from Mono). The left-handed shooting right winger is another rookie that could have a big impact in 2016-17 (assuming he sticks around).
If even one of these guys emerges as expected, it could force GM Doug Wilson to shed a contract via the trade market. Fans have pointed at names such as Tommy Wingels, Matt Nieto, and Chris Tierney as potential trade candidates if things get too crowded.
Looking to the blue line, we’ve opted to keep Dylan DeMelo and Brendan Dillon. That leaves promising prospect Mirco Mueller on the outside looking in. Selected 18th overall in 2013, Mueller is still only 21-years-old and could be two or three years away from having a significant NHL impact.
Mar 19, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) and center Jeff Carter (77) talk during the third period against the Boston Bruins at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Kings won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Kings
Tanner Pearson – Anze Kopitar – Tyler Toffoli
Adrian Kempe – Jeff Carter – Teddy Purcell
Dwight King – Nick Shore – Trevor Lewis
Kyle Clifford – Andy Andreoff – Devin Setoguchi
xs: Jordan Nolan – Michael Latta
Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty
Alec Martinez – Tom Gilbert
Brayden McNabb – Matt Greene
xs: Kevin Gravel
*Marian Gaborik out until mid-to-late November, disregarding two-game suspension for Tanner Pearson
Likely a few surprises to Kings fans here. So-called Kings experts deemed Adrian Kempe unlikely to crack the NHL roster heading into training camp. We knew otherwise. Then again, we also wrote that Calvin Pickard was NHL ready before stepping up last year. We did the same thing with Matt Murray and Joonas Korpisalo. Heck, this writer was screaming for Oliver Bjorkstrand to be called up in Columbus. One late call-up later, he finished the NHL season on a four-game point streak and went on to capture Calder Cup MVP honors for Cleveland.
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It goes to show you how very little these beat writers and "insiders" actually know about anything aside from NHL talent that stands in front of them. All of a sudden, proclaiming Kempe and Purcell suitable replacements for Milan Lucic doesn’t look so absurd.
On a side note, Devin Setoguchi seems to be making the very most of his professional tryout offer (PTO). At this point, it looks as though he could earn a contract and be on the roster opening night.
As per usual, there’s a big drop-off beyond the top three defensemen. That’s become a norm in LA since the Slava Voynov debacle. Finding a replacement for the Russian defender on that second pairing has proven difficult. There aren’t exactly any up-and-coming right-handed shots that are poised to fill the void anytime soon either. For now, it might be aging veteran Tom Gilbert to start the year.
The Kings might think about adding another quality defender at some point this season, or it could be a lottery draft finish in 2016-17.
Nov 3, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano (5) celebrates his goal with center Sean Monahan (23) and left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) and defenseman T.J. Brodie (7) and left wing Jiri Hudler (24) in the third period against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. The Avalanche defeated the Flames 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Calgary Flames
Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Michael Frolik
Matthew Tkachuk – Sam Bennett – Troy Brouwer
Micheal Ferland – Mikael Backlund – Alex Chiasson
Lance Bouma – Matt Stajan – Brandon Bollig
xs: Hunter Shinkaruk, Lauri Korpikoski
Mark Giordano – Dougie Hamilton
T.J. Brodie – Dennis Wideman
Jyrki Jokipakka – Deryk Engelland
xs: Nicklas Grossmann
*Assuming Johnny Gaudreau signs before opening night
It’s beginning to look like Michael Frolik will begin the year on the top line (whether Gaudreau re-signs or not). That leaves new addition Troy Brouwer to play with Sam Bennett. Those two could end up swapping spots on the depth chart as the year goes along.
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The biggest surprise thus far in training camp (to some perhaps) is 2016 6th overall pick, Matthew Tkachuk. He already had the skill-set and size to contribute, all he needed to do was put it all together in his first training camp. Safe to say, he should at least get a nine-game tryout to stick around (and could easily spend the entire year in Calgary chasing the Calder Trophy).
Instead of pairing Mark Giordano with T.J. Brodie, we think the Flames would be wise to split up their two top defenders (both are left-handed anyways). Dougie Hamilton went through some growing pains in his first year with Calgary, but he might be ready to step up and play a larger role in 2016-17.
Lastly, we’re assuming Nicklas Grossmann earns an NHL contract now that Tyler Wotherspoon was sent to the minors. He could either serve on the bottom pairing or sit in the press box ready to fill in for injuries.
Oct 6, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin (22) celebrates his goal during the second period during a preseason hockey game at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Vancouver Canucks
Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Loui Eriksson
Anton Rodin – Brandon Sutter – Jannik Hansen
Sven Baertschi – Bo Horvat – Jake Virtanen
Emerson Etem – Markus Granlund – Derek Dorsett
xs: Brendan Gaunce, Jack Skille
Alexander Edler – Chris Tanev
Ben Hutton – Erik Gudbranson
Luca Sbisa – Philip Larsen
xs: Nikita Tryamkin
It seems not many people are giving the Canucks much of a chance in 2016-17. Let’s not be so quick to underestimate the subtle moves by GM Jim Benning. There were some question marks heading into training camp, one being a hole in Vancouver’s top-six forward group. That was answered by Anton Rodin with an outstanding preseason performance so far. Playing alongside a healthy Brandon Sutter and consistent veteran Jannik Hansen, the Canucks have a legitimate top-six that can put the puck in the net.
We don’t expect Canucks fans to be overly impressed seeing Luca Sbisa on that bottom pairing. There have been rumors that he could be waived, but with Olli Juolevi headed back to junior, there’s just not a better upgrade ready to step up at this point. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Vancouver force Sbisa into the press box as much as possible, but it seems fans will have to put up with him for at least one more season.
The most intriguing storyline to watch on that blue line will be the brand new pairing of Ben Hutton and Erik Gudbranson. Erik is an extremely underrated stay-at-home defender who should allow for Hutton to blossom in his sophomore season. This is a perfect match that could stay together for years to come.
April 16, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) celebrates the goal scored by center Ryan Getzlaf (15) against the Winnipeg Jets during the third period in game one of the first round of the the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Anaheim Ducks
Antoine Vermette – Ryan Getzlaf – Corey Perry
Nick Ritchie – Ryan Kesler – Jakob Silfverberg
Andrew Cogliano – Rickard Rakell – Mason Raymond
Ryan Garbutt – Nate Thompson – Jared Boll
xs: Joseph Cramarossa, Chris Wagner
Hampus Lindholm – Sami Vatanen
Cam Fowler – Kevin Bieksa
Simon Despres – Josh Manson
xs: Korbinian Holzer
John Gibson – Jonathan Bernier
*Assuming Lindholm/Rakell Contracts are worked out
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When Anaheim vowed to change after an early exit from the playoffs, we expected a little more than re-hiring an old coach and signing a few free agents. Cam Fowler is still on the roster, which has forced Shea Theodore to start the year in the AHL (terrible move by GM Bob Murray) and there’s still a gaping hole at left wing (especially in the top-six).
On a side note, if you want to have a great laugh, try finding the last top-six left-handed shooting LWer to dawn a Ducks jersey. You’d be shocked how long they’ve been plugging centers/right wingers into those spots.
Some are projecting Rickard Rakell to slide to the right wing, giving way for Antoine Vermette to serve as the third line center. We think otherwise. There’s a lack of LH shots as is, and there’s perhaps no better candidate to assume top line duties with Getzlaf and Perry than the 34-year-old veteran. He’s not a first line talent, but he’s the next closest thing with Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg serving on the second line.
Next: Projecting Lines/Defensive Pairings (Central Division)
One of the biggest surprises early in training camp was the recent waiving of D Clayton Stoner. Burying his $3 million dollar plus contract in the minors will help open a bit of extra cap space. It still doesn’t leave much room to re-sign RFAs Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm. Anaheim needs to shed Fowler’s $4 million dollar cap hit, acquire that missing top-six left winger, while at the same time making room for Shea Theodore so he can stake his claim on the Calder Trophy.
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