Joined: May 2016
Posts: 8,221
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Rossi needs time to adjust the the speed and physical game of the NHL. Start him in a sheltered, bottom-6, o-zone start role so he can get that learning curve with the least amount of pain.
The team can't afford Kap and Boldy together. Boldy is due a new contract and with the dead cap they can't afford him riding Kap's coat tails to a huge season. A ~$4mish x2 bridge deal works for the team, an $8m x 8 doesn't.
Keep the Kap/Hartman/Zucc line together. MN needs Kap to carry the team and they can't afford him starting slow (for him) like he's done the last 2 years.
Boldy with Foligno and JEE would be something to consider. Greenway is drives the GREEF line in the o-zone with his puck possession abilities, he's nothing of note in the d-zone. That is a role Boldy might be able to step into better than anyone else in the lineup. He lacks the physicality of Greenway, but he's a better shooter and passer. It might be a somewhat even tradeoff for that line's +/- numbers.
It leaves a Rossi/Freddy G/Jost 3rd line; which is meh to me. But Jost it's now or never for Jost to show why he was a high draft pick. Yes Rossi on wing, to get acclimated to the NHL game, make his mistakes with a lesser impact, and free him up to focus more on the o-zone game than the d-zone game.
4th line of Duhaime/Dewar/AHL plug. It's a 4th line, play them limited minutes and hope they play even hockey. I hope that Chaffee makes a push to fill that last roster spot, but it could be a few different FWDs. I think Petan is the new Rau for the team and he'll end up filling that spot or be the pressbox guy when the season starts.