So some of my recent posts have highlighted some of the new additions to the team. However, we haven’t had many subtractions. It doesn’t take a mathematician to realize we might have to many players on our roster. (Note: Right after my last post, Carcillo signed a new deal with the team.) No trades, no RFA’s signing elsewhere, prospects coming in: this all makes for some tough coaching decisions. So let’s go through the line-up and make some guesses.
When did we sign Your Name?
I’m going to using ESPN.com for the positions. Some might be a bit off, but whatever.
Centers
Blair Betts
Daniel Breire
Jeff Carter
Ian Laperriere
Mike Richards
Definitely cannot sit any of these guys on the bench. They all play crucial roles on the team, and we need every one of them in the line-up every night. Betts/Lappy can play on one line, and Briere needs to play center. He sucks on the wing, just look at his numbers in the playoffs when he shifted to center.
Right Wing
Arron Asham
Claude Giroux
Scott Hartnell
David Laliberte
Andreas Nodl
Nikolai Zherdev
Asham is a RFA, and they’ll probably let him go and take whatever compensation they get. Zherdev was just signed, so he probably makes the cut unless he’s terrible. Laliberte probably doesn’t have too solid of a grasp on his spot, especially with Betts/Lappy having to move to wing. There’s a lot more left wings on the roster, so most likely one of them will play on the right. He’ll also have to battle against any rookies looking to make a name for themselves. Nodl hasn’t exactly secured a spot either, so he’s in the same boat as Laliberte.
Left Wings
Dan Carcillo
Riley Cote
Simon Gagne
Jon Kalinski
Ville Leino
Darrol Powe
Jody Shelley
JVR
Cote was a constant scratch for most of the year, and Shelley was signed to replace him. Gagne might be waiving his no-trade clause so we can get a goalie. If not, he’s definitely staying in the line-up. Carcillo is a pain in the ass that still acts like a fool sometimes, but he’s also a spark plug. I don’t think he’ll see 82 games of action, more like 30-40. They haven’t given up on JVR, but he’s got a lot to prove this season. He stayed in college longer than they wanted him to, now he need to show us he was worth waiting for. Leino proved his worth in the playoffs, so he’s a keeper if he can play at a decent pace throughout an entire regular season. Powe hangs around because of speed and work ethic. Still, his lack of skill might push him over the edge, especially if Mike Testwuide, the prospect I wrote about a few days ago, earns a surprise spot on the team. This is definitely the most volatile position on the team, with the most questions.
Note: Patrick Maroonis also listed on ESPN, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing much of him unless we face a bunch of injuries.
Defense
ESPN list a bunch of guys in this spot, but I can safely say these are the top 6:
Matt Carle
Braydon Coburn
Andrej Meszaros
Sean O’Donnel
Chris Pronger
Kimmo Timonen
Once in a while, in case of injuries or fatigue, Danny Syvret or Oskars Bartulis will make an appearance. Everyone else, good luck.
Goalies
Brian Boucher
Michael Leighton
Leighton starts, Boosh is the back-up. Cut and dry….until we trade for a real goalie. Then Leighton drops back, Boucher is out the door (or in the minors), and I’m happy. If Ray Emery is 100% healthy and not at high risk of recurring injury, I’d sign him. I haven’t heard anything like that, however, so I guess that won’t be happening.
So, looking back, we’ve got 5 centers, 3-5 right wings, 3-6 left wings, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies. Peter Laviolette: good luck!
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