So, after another disappointing loss, the internet is now filled with "McDavid can't do it himself" and whatnot. While I absolutely don't watch EDM every night or extremely often, I remember looking at the roster in the offseason and thinking, "Hey, they've finally got some depth now!" But, anytime I checked back with the depth charts or caught a game, they crammed all their depth in the top line. Why can't McDavid play without Drysaddle or the Nuge for a game? I don't understand. It makes so much more sense to split them all up and have depth? "People" keep saying there is no depth... but, there is? The question then lies in, why don't they use it, to which, who knows...
If McDavid wants to be McJesus, and a winning centerman like Crosby (who didn't play on a line with Malkin or Kessel) or Toews (who didn't play on a line with Kane every game), he's just got to figure out a way to play with lower tier wingers. He just does. You can't handcuff a team both by your cap hit, and on the depth charts. I'm sorry, I understand he got 105 points in arguably the easiest division this year, and it is insane, but there's just no excuse for being swept by WPG, and no way you're ever going to win by putting all your players on one line... and, in the case of EDM, I just don't see a reason to ever do that. Only 4 forwards on EDM had over 16 minutes ATOI last season... that's just not good enough. Tippett is a good coach from my knowledge, so I'm not sure if there's something else at work here that's forcing the lineup to all play on the top line.
Switch Ennis and Kassian on the first line based on who's hot. McJesus got Kassian paid, so now he's gotta play with him. But to me, Ennis makes some more sense to play there. I'm not saying that the bottom 6 is the best in the league, but it's certainly better than what they were dressing before. At least, on paper. But with no playing time, I guess it's hard to gain any traction. Putting the Nuge down there should get the third line more minutes.
(Also, yes, this was only for "this" year and I know it's too late. I'm just wondering why they never tried it. Given ATOI, it seems it was never even a thought)
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