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New Practice Lines and what they likely mean


Commandant

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Defence practing as

Markov - Emelin

Gorges - Subban

Gill - Diaz

St. Denis - Weber

PP units

Cammalleri-Desharnais-Cole-Markov-Subban

Pacioretty-Plekanec-Kostitsyn-Weber-Diaz

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What it means

1) Gionta is off the PP for now, unless Patches is suspended

2) Markov is likely playing either Wednesday or soon after

3) Weber is likely to be playing forward to help the PP, and as insurance for extra D minutes as Markov probably needs to be eased into the lineup and can't handle 20+ minutes per game.

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Glad Emelin is being given a real shot now. I think he deserved it personally.

Although I can;t stand the idea of Weber on the 4th I admit that I like it alot more so than Gomez or Palushaj playing those minutes. With Markov returning I am guessing that Palushaj is sent back down?

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1) Gionta is off the PP for now, unless Patches is suspended

2) Markov is likely playing either Wednesday or soon after

3) Weber is likely to be playing forward to help the PP, and as insurance for extra D minutes as Markov probably needs to be eased into the lineup and can't handle 20+ minutes per game.

1) Probably just a "shot across the bow" for Gionta's -9 in 3 games.

2) My food suddenly tastes better. Colours seem more bright and lush.

3) I dunno if Weber plays D outside of the PP. I'd rather just give Markov soft minutes with Diaz than have that shuffle. If there is an injury mid-game however, I like having Weber there to fall back.

With Markov returning I am guessing that Palushaj is sent back down?

St Denis?

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1) Probably just a "shot across the bow" for Gionta's -9 in 3 games.

2) My food suddenly tastes better. Colours seem more bright and lush.

3) I dunno if Weber plays D outside of the PP. I'd rather just give Markov soft minutes with Diaz than have that shuffle. If there is an injury mid-game however, I like having Weber there to fall back.

St Denis?

St. Denis and Palushaj probably go down once the Habs know the Pacioretty situation, and the Markov situation. Might be sent down today or might travel with the team out west, but are returned when the team gets back to Montreal.

For 3... thats what I was thinking... he's there in case someone goes down. Having 6 defencemen and giving Markov 15-18 minutes is fine. The worry is if you get into a situation like the Buffalo game where Spacek went down in the second period. Suddenly you are down to five, and one of those 5 can't handle huge minutes due to his stamina. Now you're in trouble. Thats what I was getting at in my first post but didn't explain it well.

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If Emelin can continue his progression - particularly with Markov by his side - to a point where he's a legit #4 guy, does that give us our best top four since the 90's? When was the last time we had a solid top-3 like Markov, Subban, and Gorges, for that matter?

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It is amazing how much better this team looks when Markov has his name penciled in the lineup. It's been so long since he's been a regular, it is easy to forget that he is our best and most important skater. I can't effing wait!

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07-08 Markov, Komisarek, and Hamrlik was a pretty good top 3.

Komisarek was a very good D, who never recovered from being injured/humiliated by Lucic.

Which is better. I mean Markov 3 years ago is better than Markov today for sure. Bu the other guys are kind of opposite. Size and experience versus versatility and youth.

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Diaz and Weber are the same defenseman. Diaz is probably better overall, Weber has a better shot. With the defenseman coming back, you can't really play either of those guys alot of minutes. there isn't any reason to.

Emelin is the one who will stay in the lineup.

Trades or Diaz being sent down are the options when Spacek comes back. Weber will probably be the 12th forward,

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Ya, like Colin suggests. I have this vision of Emelin and Markov being magic together. Markov can mentor him, Emelin can handle the rough stuff that I want fragile Markov to steer clear of. And maybe, just maybe, Emelin can be a top 4, with 79, PK, and Gorges. It would also help us forgot about the insanity of including McDonaugh in the Gomez fiasco.

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Can Emelin be a regular on the right side though? I know he played there occasionally in the KHL but playing on the wrong side in the NHL means even less time again to make decisions. Can be rough for him.

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haha. you guys sure do dream big eh?

Markov will be lucky to make it to the all star break without 'going down awkwardly' again

Not sure how much mentoring he'll be capable of from the IR...

No way of telling that. Wisniewski had the same surgery 3 times and he was fine last season. Key is for it to just be strong enough.

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It is amazing how much better this team looks when Markov has his name penciled in the lineup. It's been so long since he's been a regular, it is easy to forget that he is our best and most important skater. I can't effing wait!

Amen, brother. I've been dismayed at our blueline from the get-go. But slip Markov in there and suddenly we have a legitimate top-4, especially with Gorges playing the way he is. When Campoli comes back we'll be even stronger.

Once Markov rounds into form - assuming he does - we can be pretty confident that Emelin will start looking very impressive. I remember when gainey replaced Claude Julien; the first thing he did was put Komsarek with Markov and Higgins with Koivu, and both player immediately blossomed. We now know that was partly smoke and mirrors, but the point is that high-quality veteran partners can massively improve a player's overall effect.

EDIT: YeahBud's pessimism is salutary. But like I say, Markov is the Great Hope for this team to become really good - and maybe our only chance of contending in the near-to-medium term. That may be a frail reed on which to pin our hopes, but short of a massive coup by Gauthier it's - as Princess Leia said - our only hope.

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Amen, brother. I've been dismayed at our blueline from the get-go. But slip Markov in there and suddenly we have a legitimate top-4, especially with Gorges playing the way he is. When Campoli comes back we'll be even stronger.

Once Markov rounds into form - assuming he does - we can be pretty confident that Emelin will start looking very impressive. I remember when gainey replaced Claude Julien; the first thing he did was put Komsarek with Markov and Higgins with Koivu, and both player immediately blossomed. We now know that was partly smoke and mirrors, but the point is that high-quality veteran partners can massively improve a player's overall effect.

Many are confident Campoli is dealt with Spacek rounding out the top 6. Do you think Spacek or Campoli fills that hole?

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Many are confident Campoli is dealt with Spacek rounding out the top 6. Do you think Spacek or Campoli fills that hole?

Beats me. I've barely seen Campoli play. And I don't think there's much per centage in dealing either at the deadline if it looks like w have a chance to do playoff damage. I believe in quality depth, not trading away depth, heading into the playoffs - provided, again, you look like a strong club.

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Beats me. I've barely seen Campoli play. And I don't think there's much per centage in dealing either at the deadline if it looks like w have a chance to do playoff damage. I believe in quality depth, not trading away depth, heading into the playoffs - provided, again, you look like a strong club.

Campoli looked like a top 4 in Chicago so hopefully he can maintain that play. Imagine 3 players of Diaz, Weber, Campoli on the sidelines. Gauthier has gt to move at least one of them.

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Campoli looked like a top 4 in Chicago so hopefully he can maintain that play. Imagine 3 players of Diaz, Weber, Campoli on the sidelines. Gauthier has gt to move at least one of them.

Send Diaz down to the minors, that's all.

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Send Diaz down to the minors, that's all.

Understood just saying I wish we would trade one of them for 4th line help. I find we are not the same team without White in the line-up so I cringe at the thought of not having a guy like Moen. I'd love to see gauthier reinforce that bottom 3 since we have nobody in Hamilton capable of doing 4th line duty.

Or if not trading a player, trading a low pick for someone. Just a plugger you know.

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Understood just saying I wish we would trade one of them for 4th line help. I find we are not the same team without White in the line-up so I cringe at the thought of not having a guy like Moen. I'd love to see gauthier reinforce that bottom 3 since we have nobody in Hamilton capable of doing 4th line duty.

Or if not trading a player, trading a low pick for someone. Just a plugger you know.

Yep. With Markov back and playing up to form, and remaining healthy (fingers crossed), we'd have a very solid blueline.The attention could then shift to two weaknesses:

1. Bad fourth line

2. Tons of quantity but little proven quality in the 2nd-line C position.

Shore these up and there's little doubt in my mind that, barring huge injuries, we can contend. Of course that's easier said than done.

You can probably scoop up 4th-line players at the deadline for middling picks. But you're right that we've sacrificed an awful lot of these in recent years. It's a tough choice, and I'd say that if we look really strong down the stretch I might be prepared to deal Spatches for that plugger. But I guarantee you that we'd need all these defenders over the course of a Cup run. So you've got me there.

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The fourth line is fine IMO... especially when White is healthy.

Moen - Noko - White

with

Darche in the Pressbox

is a fine fourth line. Though an extra depth guy wouldn't hurt, i wouldn't sell the D for him either. Should be able to get one for a middling prospect. (similar to the Brock Trotter/Noko move).

I'm more concerned with the second line C spot

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I think we also have assume health, that Emelin can be a top 4 d-man, that Campoli can play the right side. I mean right now we have 3 right handed D-man but when Spacek or Campoli comes back then we are back down to only 1.

Alot of ifs regarding that D-core yet alot of potential.

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