Quoting: Can_Fan
My opening night lineup:
Drouin - Suzuki - Caufield
Hoffman - Dvorak - Gallagher
Toffoli - Evans/Poehling - Anderson (based on training camp, I would put the one with the most offensive upside)
Lehknonen - Evans/Poehling - Armia
Paquette (if one of Evans/Poehling has a poor camp, I would put Paquette on the 4th)
Perreault
Edmundson - Petry
Romanov - Savard
Chiarot - Wideman (if Wideman is disappointing, Kulak - Chiarot)
I think the only problem i have with this is Toffoli in the bottom 6. I get that he would be great with one of the young centres, but maybe you put Gallagher there instead. He knows his role, he's (hopefully) not gonna get pissed about less ice-time bc he knows his role within the team. This also gives poehling/evans a (still) good player on their wing, and then if you do this, you move Anderson to LW
Quoting: Kotkaniemi15
So the opening night roster should look exactly like what you have above. (With the top 9 forwards being interchangeable on the lines)
When Byron comes back, if the habs are 100% healthy (which likely won’t be the case) they’ll likely waive either Paquette or Byron. Lines would likely be the same, but who knows, because with injuries and how everyone plays so much can change until then.
The PK is likely:
Dvorak - Armia
Evans - Lehkonen
Edmundson - Savard
Chiarot - Romanov
Petry and Romanov are a toss-up for the 4th D. Toffoli, Poehling, and Suzuki will also get semi-regular PK time, and Byron & Paquette when they’re in the lineup.
My guess for the PP is:
Gallagher
Caufield - Dvorak - Suzuki
Petry
Anderson/Poehling
Toffoli - Armia/Perreault - Hoffman
Drouin
Anderson will likely get PP time, no matter how much I dislike him playing there. Poehling may or may not be able to play his way into the net front position if he has a good preseason offensively. Armia or Anderson can play bumper on the 2nd unit. Perreault will play bumper on the 2nd unit when he’s in the lineup.
Didn't know Dvorak could PK, which is why I put Suzuki there... good to know for the future.
Surprised that you think that Petry will be a toss-up. I personally think that Petry will have a spot with Edmundson, and Chiarot will be with Savard. And like you said, Toffoli, Suzuki, Poehling, Byron, Paquette get time sometimes.
The sole problem I have with our 2nd PK unit is that we don't have someone to really take faceoffs. Armia/Perreault aren't exactly centres
Quoting: ZachHymanForTheHart
I’m a Leafs fan but one of close friends is a Habs fan, so I have actually put some thought into this.
Armia/Lehkonen - Dvorak - Gallagher
Toffoli - Suzuki - Caufield
Hoffman - Drouin - Anderson
Poehling - Evans - Lehkonen/Armia
OR
Hoffman - Dvorak - Gallagher
Toffoli - Suzuki - Caufield
Lehkonen - Drouin - Anderson
Poehling - Evans - Armia
the d-pairs being:
Chariot - Petry
Romanov - Savard
Edmundson - Wideman
extras are Paquette, Perreault, and Kulak
That’s just what I would do personally, but aside from the disappointing playoff series I don’t really watch a ton of Habs hockey.
I simply don't like Lehkonen or Armia on the top line. Plus the top line is WINGER - Suzuki - Caufield