Quoting: OldNYIfan
What about Neal-McDavid-Chiasson, Draistaitl-Nugent Hopkins-Puljujarvi, Granlund-Khaira-Archibald, Nygard-Haas-Kassian? That way, opposing teams can't simply line up against the first trio.
I think, with Lucic gone, Holland is hoping that Kassian can continue to have success with McDavid and Draisaitl. Certainly Kassian is one of the few pugilists who has enough speed to keep up with those other two, and he does have some offensive flair (he managed to score 15 last season, and with a far more realistic shooting percentage than Chiasson enjoyed). It makes sense to me that the GM will want some decent protection for the Crown Jewels, and if that tough guy has the potential for 15-20 goals then life is great.
Neal, in my opinion, is a calculated gamble on Holland’s part. It serves the team well if Neal plays the left side with Nugent-Hopkins, and I think Holland is hoping Chiasson and Gagner compete for the 2RW. If Puljujarvi signs, he will start on the 3rd line, unless he completely dominates through October and November.
I don’t know what to expect with the bottom six, but it should be better than last season’s group. If Holland can’t bring in an experienced guy to center the third line, maybe Marody and Haas compete for the 3C. At this point in his career, Gagner is a right wing, and either he or Chiasson will be needed on the 3rd line to support a rookie center. Khaira is far more effective along the boards, Granlund has struggled down the middle, and Brodziak is either the 4C or headed for waivers.
My guess, the early season line-up might look something like this:
Draisaitl/McDavid/Kassian
Neal/Nugent-Hopkins/Gagner
Nygaard/Marody/Chiasson
Khaira/Haas/Granlund/Archibald