Speculation: With Zajac Back, The Unofficial ILWT Reader Proposed Line Combos
He's not back just yet, but #19 is eyeing a return within the upcoming weeks. In the season prior to his injury, Zajac had surpassed Ken Daneyko and set the Devils ironman record for most consecutive games played. He's a great playmaking, defensively responsible center, and I'd imagine Chico would refer to him as "the peanut butter" to Parise's "jelly". Or something along those lines.. With that being said, how would you structure our forward combinations upon Zajac's return. It's certainly possible that variables may change before #19 laces up for a game, but given the season thus far and the players currently in the organization (try to also mind the salary cap), what would be the lines you'd try first if you were Lou/PDB?
6 months ago
NJallDay
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Reference
For reference sake, here’s a list of players you’d likely want to choose from.
C: Elias, Zubrus, Henrique, Zajac, Carter, Mills
LW: Parise, Kovy, Tedenby, Pelley
RW: Clarkson, Sykora, Palmieri, Zharkov, Janssen
Injured: Boulton, Josefson
Parise – Zajac – Clarkson
Kovy – Elias – Sykora
Tedenby – Henrique – Zubrus
Mills – Carter – Zharkov
Pelley/Mills can potentially alternate. Janssen/Boulton could potentially be given the occasional spot in the lineup so that they’d be ready for rival games.
I wouldn’t split up the zubrus, elias, sykora line.
"Its the letter D"
by Rory B. Bellows on Nov 25, 2011 11:39 AM EST up reply actions
I would split up that line — while it would hurt Sykora, I think Zubrus and Elias are the two guys carrying that unit. Plus, I’d rather have one of my superstar wingers skating on Elias’ left side, so Patty can get him going.
My lines:
Kovalchuk – Elias – Zubrus
Parise – Zajac – Tedenby
Sykora – Henrique – Clarkson
Carter – Mills – Zharkov
If/when JJ gets healthy and there are no other injuries, I put him at center on the third line, shift Henrique to left wing, and drop Sykora to the 4th line (likely in place of Brad Mills).
I also don’t give it an immense period of time to see if Tedenby can handle the wing position with Parise and Zajac…. if he’s not demonstrating consistent effort after three games or so, I drop him down and figure out a new right wing for that group…. maybe even something like this would be my second effort in that case for the top lines:
Kovalchuk – Elias – Zharkov
Parise – Zajac – Zubrus
We HAVE TO split the elias line. Its either that, or putting Parise or Kovalchuk on the 3rd line. And we all know that that shouldn’t, and wouldn’t happen.
They could try the ZIP line again…
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by DownGoesAvery on Nov 30, 2011 12:14 PM EST up reply actions
I know, it’s no doubt hard to do. I just think from what I’ve seen so far that Henrique’s abilities may not be fully utilized as a center for Kovy. Personally, and I don’t know how unpopular it is, but I seriously wouldn’t mind putting Carter as the center for Kovy and having someone like Zharkov be the RW.
Parise-Zajac-Zubrus
Kovalchuk-Elias-Sykora
Tedenby-Henrique-Clarkson
Zharkov-Carter-Palmieri
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by Matthew Ventolo on Nov 25, 2011 1:15 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I like that line up, but I don’t know how the 2nd line would be able to get chances to be honest.
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
I wouldn’t be worried about the ability of a Kovalchuk-Elias-Sykora unit insofar as getting chances. I would be worried about them defensively, however. Elias is a terrific two-way player, no doubt about it…. but Kovalchuk is average at best defensively, and Petr Sykora is one of the few forwards employed at the NHL level by this team who isn’t ever trusted on the PK and often isn’t on the ice in close, late-game situations.
Add to that a third line that would also be defensively deficient, and I could see a lot of problems arising with this scenario.
If the Sykora – Elias – Zubrus is still producing at the current pace:
Parise – Henrique – Clarkson
Kovalchuk – Zajac – Tedenby
Sykora – Elias – Zubrus
Mills – Carter – Zharkov
If not I break them up:
Parise – Henrique – Sykora
Kovalchuk – Zajac – Clarkson
Tedenby – Elias – Zubrus
Mills – Carter – Zharkov
Parise-Zajac-Tedenby/Palmeiri/Clarkson
Sykora-Elias-Zubrus
Kovalchuk-Henrique-Tedenby/Palmeiri/Clarkson
Doubleshift a Left Wing-Carter-Tedenby/Palmeiri/Clarkson
Dress a 7th defenseman. Take turns doubleshifting Parise and Kovalchuk on the 4th line. Rotate through the RW’s until something sticks. Keep the Elias line together. Re-evaluate when/if Josefson comes back.
As a safe bet I’d agree with Acasser’s lines up there, otherwise I’d be curious to watch those lines:
Parise-Zajac-Henrique
Kovalchuk-Elias-Zubrus
Sykora-Carter-Clarkson
Tedenby-Mills-Zharkov
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Nov 25, 2011 9:29 PM EST reply actions
I’d go with
Parise – Zajac – Sykora
Kovalchuk – Elias – Zubrus
Tedenby – Carter – Clarkson
Boulton – Carter – Mills / who cares?
by undersuspicion426 on Nov 25, 2011 10:58 PM EST reply actions
Henrique as a third line center… woops
by undersuspicion426 on Nov 26, 2011 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
I’d like to see
Parise-Zajac-Tedenby
Kovy-Elias-Zubrus
Sykora-Henrique-Clarkson
Carter-Mills-Zharkov
Parise with Zajac is a no brianer for me. And i think tedenby’s skill and board play would fit in with their cycle game. He could hold on to the puck and either dish it when someone gets open, or shoot it and Parise’s great in front of the net for rebounds.
I know it sucks to break up the Sykora/Elias/Zubrus line but the alternative is have Zach or Kovy on a 3rd line. Elias and Zubrus have chemistry and are good defensively which I feel like would compliment Kovy.
Sykora could be interchangeable with Tedenby based on chemistry, but I don’t like Clarkson on a top 2 line. I believe it was pointed out on this site before that he shoots the puck too often to play with Parise or Kovy. I like him on a 3rd line with guys like Henrique and Sykora/Tedenby who can either get him the puck to shoot, or create chances with him in front as a screen.
The fourth line Carter and Zharkov have been good defensively. If the 4th line could just hold their own and occasionally chip in with a goal I’d be content
Actually, I like this more than mine.
by undersuspicion426 on Nov 26, 2011 1:06 PM EST up reply actions
My combos
Kovalchuk-Zajac-Zubrus
Parise-Elias-Sykora
Tedenby-Henrique-Clarkson
Mills-Carter-Zharkov
Ive been saying this even before Zajac was coming back
But for the sake with Zajac coming back..
Parise-Zajac-Tedenby
Kovy-Elias-Sykora
Clarkson-Henrique-Zubrus
Zharkov-Carter- Jannsen/Sesito
I think Tedenby on the top line will get him going even right now with Henrique as the center, Kovy is lost with 2 guys that grind out pucks thats why he needs to be on the Elias-Sykora line as they are always passing and moving the puck instead of carrying the puck in and trying to make something happen. Zubrus has been great on this line but if you can still have that kind of production on your 3rd line especially with the way Clarkson has been playing this just might be the offensive combo that helps the devils not roll those 2 lines and look like a peewee team in the 3rd periods lately. As for the 4th line i just liked keeping Jannsen in there as a energy enforcer as he has been playing alot better than what we are used to from him. Plus he’s always laughing it up when he makes a huge check. He just loves the game even if its for 6 minutes a game.
Let me know what you guys think about this
Parise and Henrique are so similar the way they play, it would be interesting to see how they continue to play.
Parise-Zajac-Henrique
Kovalchuk-Elias-Zubrus
Sykora-Carter-Clarkson
Tedenby-Pelly/Mills-Janssen/Boulton
by Marty's Better #30 on Nov 26, 2011 10:08 AM EST reply actions
without being on the elias/zubrus line sykora’s numbers would plummet, that line is playing above themselves right now and as long as it continues in my mind you can’t move em. Split Kovy and Parise, have zajac center parise, henrique kovy… and then i’d say fill in the gaps at coaches discretion based on how the other players are playing at the time
Would you rather have Sykora’s numbers plummet or Kovy’s continue to plummet? I’d rather adjust the lines to fit Kovy than to fit Sykora.
by undersuspicion426 on Nov 26, 2011 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
If the Devils are that heavily dependent on Sykora “maintaining his numbers”, the franchise is in deep doo-doo. If everyone on this team were to be completely healthy, Sykora might be your 7th best forward (after Parise, Kovalchuk, Elias, Zajac, Zubrus, and Henrique) …. and he might be even further down the pecking order depending on who else you favor.
Its not about Sykora “maintaining his numbers” its about all three maintaining their numbers. If the line is still on fire you don’t break them up.
The line isn’t “on fire”. The offense isn’t “on fire”. The team as a whole wanders between “mediocre” and “atrocious” offensively. The Devils have scored four goals in the last three-plus games, against teams who are defensively deficient.
Beyond that, this is about the team, not about one player or even one line. If moving Sykora to the third or fourth line to make room for Ilya Kovalchuk (or Zach Parise) alongside Elias and Zubrus is beneficial to the offense as a whole, then it’s a move you make regardless of how much (perceived) success a Sykora-Elias-Zubrus line is having.
Three of Sykora’s goals have come directly off a face-off — that’s something that just happens, independent of how the line is playing as a unit. A fourth came on the PP the other day when Elias wasn’t even on the ice, so you can’t credit the line for that. I wouldn’t count on Sykora remaining a productive (i.e. goal scoring) member of the Elias line any more than I’d count on Adam Henrique to continue to get three breakaway goals a month.
My opinion is that Petr Sykora isn’t providing enough production at even strength to justify reserving a slot for him with Elias and Zubrus. Once Zajac returns, and the Devils have enough quality depth down the middle to start playing around with things (such as splitting up Kovalchuk and Parise), I don’t see an overwhelming reason to keep Sykora where he is.
That’s not something that just happens, because that line clearly practices that. That line is on fire, because they still put up numbers against other team’s top lines, leaving the Kovalchuk line to go against weaker competition, it’s not the Elias’s line fault that the team isn’t scoring.
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
The offense up untill the last two games was on a 3.0+ gpg clip. So maybe not on fire. But doing fairly well. The Elias line has been on fire.
If moving Sykora to the third or fourth line to make room for Ilya Kovalchuk (or Zach Parise) alongside Elias and Zubrus is beneficial to the offense as a whole, then it’s a move you make regardless of how much (perceived) success a Sykora-Elias-Zubrus line is having.
There is nothing perceived about it and if It continues you don’t change it. If not then I agree the lines won’t stay like they are. But like I stated above. The real question is, Who is going to play RW? If I was coach I’d like to get Kovy back to the left side and Sykora back to the right.
Three of Sykora’s goals have come directly off a face-off — that’s something that just happens, independent of how the line is playing as a unit.
So? Goals are going to come somehow (hopefully). It was a set play exicuted with success? Whats wrong with that?
I wouldn’t count on Sykora remaining a productive (i.e. goal scoring) member of the Elias line any more than I’d count on Adam Henrique to continue to get three breakaway goals a month.
Why not? Sykora is on pace for about 20 goals which is exaclty what he is expected and capable of.
Henrique could be on our top line all year the way he has been playing.
My opinion is that Petr Sykora isn’t providing enough production at even strength to justify reserving a slot for him with Elias and Zubrus. Once Zajac returns, and the Devils have enough quality depth down the middle to start playing around with things (such as splitting up Kovalchuk and Parise), I don’t see an overwhelming reason to keep Sykora where he is.
Your right about the depth. But wrong about Sykora’s production. He has been playing well.
It’s difficult to come up with lines while splitting up the Elias line.
I would probably go with:
Parise-Henrique-Clarkson
Kovalchuk-Zajac-Palmeri
Zubrus-Elias-Sykora
Tedenby-Carter-Mills/Pelly/Boulton/Janssen
I’m not sure exactly who should be the right wings for the top two lines. I mean, we have options, but I don’t know who would click. The Kovy-Zajac-Palmeri line had success last year under Lemaire, so it might be wise to try to reunite them.
I do like Parise and Zajac, but after some consideration, I think that Kovy needs him more than Parise. Parise is playing well with Henrique, and I’d be curious to see how it would develop between them.
If I had my way with it, I would keep a Tedenby-Carter-Clarkson line together, especially since Carter and Clarkson play well together, Teddy just has to get the points that he can very well get on the line, as he plays extremely well.
Why break up the Zubrus, Elias, Sykora line when it’s playing so well together.
Kovy-Elias-Zubrus
Parise-Zajac-Tedenby
Palmieri-Henrique-Clarkson
Pelley-Carter-Sykora
(or for the 4th line… whomever).
Because after tonite's whooping at Colorado, there are no sacred cows.
The Sykora-Elias-Zubrus line has played well and all, but in part that’s due to those Sykora face-off goals.
Patty needs more power on his line, either Kovy or Parise. I’m going with Kovy because the natural Parise-Zajac pairing we’re all hoping for.
Kovy-Elias-Zubrus
Also, I just like that fact that it’s a European line. A Russian, a Czech, and a Lithuanian who lived in the Ukraine in his early years. Somehow I think they could work out their kinks and communicate in a way – in English, Russian, whatever – to make all three shine.
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