Obligatory + Josefson Line Combo Thread
by dkball7 on Jan 1, 2012 9:54 PM EST
Email
Print
With the recent news of our own resident Mr. Glass, Jacob Josefson, returning as soon as next week (according to TG), what do you all think the line combinations should/will be when he comes back? I have no idea what the team will make of the logjam at center (boy isn't that nice to have!). Furthermore, I don't know if there will be emphasis placed on maintaining the Parise/Kovalchuk combo, how willing they are at putting Josefson right into a 3rd line center role coming off his injury, or where Henrique fits in when Josefson comes back (1st line RW? 3rd line C?). I want to know what you all think. I'll post my combos after I see the consensus on here.
All FanPosts and FanShots are the respective work of the author and not representative of the writers or other users of In Lou We Trust.
39 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I personally want to see scoring depth over the 3 first lines, with a few points that are important to me: Keeping Parise and Henrique together, same for the Elias line and Josefson, when ready, centering Kovalchuk.
Zajac would center the Parise and Henrique to make our 1st line ready to compete against the toughest competition as often as possible. Elias line ready to take over each time needed. The Josefson/Kovalchuk with the most of the offensive-zone start, protected minutes,etc, etc.
Parise-Zajac-Henrique
Sykora-Elias-Zubrus
Kovalchuk-Josefson-Clarkson
Tedenby-Carter-Zharkov
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Jan 1, 2012 10:11 PM EST reply actions
Although I would like the top line you proposed, I think that Kovy is going to need a top center like Zajac. I would love for Kovalchuk to play with Josefson, but I would put him with somebody who has more of a scoring touch first, especially since Josefson is just coming back.
I have to say, with Josefson coming back, we really have four solid centers. Five if you count Carter. I know I read somewhere that when Josefson comes back, that Pete would move Elias back to wing. That’s why in my proposal, I put Elias on the wing. However true, it might be better to play Josefson with Tedenby, and Zajac with Elias if Kovy remains on a line with Parise and Henrique.
One of us is misremembering because I seem to recall him saying that he wouldn’t move Elias from Center.
I don’t remember Deboer saying something about that already, you could both be wrong.
Elias answered to Chere he would prefer to stay at center on the other hand.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Jan 1, 2012 10:46 PM EST up reply actions
Well, Josefson’s got the best skillset of a playmaking center after Elias on that team, if Josefson performs in the league it will be as a 2 way playmaker. So IMO, on paper there’s no doubt Ilya and Jacob should get a shot, once Jacob will be ready sure. hough, He was fine with Kovy at the beginning of the season already and he’s got some important room for improvement.
I don’t expect Elias to be moved from center position. He doesn’t want to move, he leads the team in total points and he’s been our most consistent player since he plays that position.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Jan 1, 2012 10:38 PM EST up reply actions
Though not hough
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Jan 1, 2012 10:41 PM EST up reply actions
I was leaning towards this exact combination of lines minus Zharkov plus a 7th defenseman (Taormina or Foster). I just didn’t think it was responsible putting Josefson with Kovalchuk right after coming back from injury. I’m also not too sure how Kovy and Clarkson would do together.
Ah, this brings up a lot of tough decisions.
Two options, we keep the Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk line together, or we return Kovalchuk back to his natural left wing.
1.
Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk
Zubrus-Elias-Sykora
Tedenby-Zajac-Clarkson
Carter-Josefson-Mr. Energy/Boulton/Janssen
2.
Parise-Henrique-Zubrus
Kovalchuk-Zajac-Clarkson
Elias-Josefson-Sykora
Tedenby-Carter-Mr. Energy/Boulton/Janssen
I prefer having two top lines, rather three considering Elias’s line is pretty good.
I am pretty sure I read DeBoer wants to keep Elias at Center.
Since the 4th line is getting hardly any minutes anyways I like the Idea of putting him on the 4th line at least for a few games. I would rather see him with Jansen over Sestito or Boulton. I feel like Jansen wouldn’t let anyone target him.
Right now, the Devils are playing well. When Josefson is ready to come back, he should go with something like:
Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk
Zubrus-Elias-Sykora
Tedenby-Zajac-Clarkson
Carter-Josefson-Janssen
Ease Josefson into the lineup at first. If he needs to start shuffling things (if the team isn’t scoring or just isn’t playing well in general), I would like him to move Henrique to LW in place of Teddy, move Zajac up to the top line, and slot Josefson as the third line center. Something like this:
Parise-Zajac-Kovalchuk
Zubrus-Elias-Sykora
Henrique-Josefson-Clarkson
Tedenby-Carter-Janssen
Henrique played LW last year, with Josefson at center in the AHL, and they played pretty well together. No harm in trying that out. Henrique is also a shoot first kinda guy, which would work perfectly at LW.
I think this makes a lot of sense in terms of not rocking the boat much, in the short and mid term. I’m still skeptical about Parise and Kovalchuk working well in the long run, though, and when the team eventually hits a cold streak I think we’ll see a reshuffling to something like:
Parise – Elias – Sykora
Kovalchuk – Zajac – Zubrus
Henrique – Josefson – Clarkson
I’d like to see this:
Parise – Zajac – Henrique
Kovy – Elias – Zubrus
Tedenby – Josefson – Clarkson
Sykora – Carter – Janssen
by undersuspicion426 on Jan 2, 2012 1:34 AM EST reply actions
For me it's:
Parise – Henrique – Kovalchuk
Elias – Zubrus – Sykora
Carter – Zajac – Clarkson
Tedenby – Josefson – Bruiser
We’re playing well with the current top two lines flowing the way they are. This would give us a 4th line that could even create some real offensive pressure. I think with these four you can expect a strong shift with whoever is out on the ice.
I think you’re all forgetting how well Zajac and Parise play together. You can’t teach chemistry and I thin Zajac really thrives when playing alongside Zach. My take is this for the lines:
Parise-Zajac-Henrique
Kovy-Josefson-Clarkson
Sykora-Elias-Zubrus
Teddy-Carter-Janssen/Boulton
Parise, Zajac and Henrique are do-it-all players who could create a truly special line. They all play two-way hockey with the ability to create as well as put the puck in the net. Give Henrique a little bit of time to get acquainted with Zajac and this line could fortify The Rock for years to come.
Though he should be eased back at first, I think Josefson should eventually center Kovalchuk with Clarkie on the right. Kovalchuk has been most effective with a creative centerman and utilizing the cycle. Josefson offers dynamic playmaking ability and a great understanding of the game for a player that young and has already shown flashes with Kovalchuk when healthy. With Kovy and JJ, Clarkson will have extra space to set up for shots or get into the dirty areas.
With Sykora not being the same player he used to be, I think he needs to have Elias with him in order to be effective. They have years of successful history together and they really bring out the best in one another. Zubrus adds to this veteran line by winning one-on-one battles, forechecking effectively, and chipping in on the scoresheet once in awhile.
I think Teddy should eventually take Sykoras spot when he leaves or retires, but he needs to play better in our end before getting 2nd line minutes. He has quick hands and great vision, but we need him to be a two-way player.
I think the future is just as important as the present for this team and building on, and creating new, long term chemistry will keep this team in contention for years to come.
I don’t think anyone has forgotten how well Parise and Zajac work together, but Parise generally gives you a lot of options because he works well with Henrique and Elias as well.
Kovalchuk, on the other hand, has a track record of working well with Zajac and Henrique, but not with Elias. Though it would make sense for Kovy to be paired with Elias, our best passer/playmaker/2-way threat, they just have never clicked despite spending extended periods of time together.
Josefson has yet to prove that he has enough offense in him to be paired with a Parise or Kovalchuk type sniper. I like his basic skillset a lot, and he’s shown flashes that he can grow into that role – a slicker but smaller version of Travis Zajac. But he’s not there yet and especially with the emergence of Adam Henrique, who has a couple of years and a quantum leap of offensive instinct on him, it’s not necessary to put Josefson under that kind of point-producing pressure. That said, I would move Henrique to the wing rather than Josefson when the team is fully healthy – Henrique will have more offensive opportunities from the wing position than he did at center.
Kovalchuk, on the other hand, has a track record of working well with Zajac and Henrique, but not with Elias.
Say what? Have you forgotten the last two months of 2010 after the big trade? Kovalchuk and Elias were paired for pretty much the entire time (most often with Jamie Langenbrunner, sometimes with Dainius Zubrus), and Ilya put up 27 points in 27 games. Elias also was close to a point-per-game pace during that time (22 in 26, iirc). Kovalchuk ended up as our leading scorer in the playoffs that year, too.
John MacLean didn’t have Elias and Kovalchuk together very much during his brief tenure. Lemaire left the lines unchanged once things got rolling, more-or-less, and that meant Kovalchuk with Zajac and Palmieri.
While it isn’t a particularly wonderful metric by which to judge, Elias and Kovalchuk seem to work very well together on the PP from opposite sides of the ice. If they have chemistry there, I don’t see why they wouldn’t retain some amount of it at even strength…. especially considering how Patrik Elias seems to have chemistry and raise the play of anyone on his line.
Kovalchuk was charged up by the trade to the Devils, and was playing with an extraordinary amount of energy, the likes of which we haven’t seen on a consistent basis. I wasn’t particularly impressed by any chemistry exhibited by Elias and Kovy together during that time.
As far as the PP goes, the cross-ice pass between Elias and Kovalchuk is part of the design of the PP, and the threat has to be there. I wouldn’t say anyone has any chemistry with anyone on our atrocious PP.
Maybe the Kovalchuk-Elias combination never got enough of a chance…I’ve certainly yet to see any player not play better with Elias as their linemate. If it works, it could be dynamite, but my personal impression has always been that it’s a combo that works better in theory than it has in practice.
2 combos
1-
Parise, Henrique, Kovalchuk
Elias, Zajac, Sykora
Clarkson, Josefson, Zubrus
Teddy, Carter, Janssen/ Boulton
You could brake up Kovy and Parise but they seem to be working well so i am gonna leave them.
2-
Parise, Zajac, Henrique
Kovalchuk, Josefson, Clarkson
Elias, Zubrus, Sykora
Teddy, Carter, Janssen/ Boulton
Clarkson (poor mans Lucic????) is having a great year, and I have a feeling that putting him with Kovalchuk will benefit Kovy. Clarkson is a great digger and wins most of the battles, Josefson is a great play maker and adding Kovy in there to finish things off would be ideal. Also for the Parise line, we all know that Zach and Zajac have great chemistry, and it is starting to look more and more like Henrique and Parise have great potential together.
Honestly i like combination 2 better just because this way Parise is with Zajac and stays with Henrique, and i really like the idea of Kovy and Clarkson together
I think Josefson should be sent down to the AHL.
Yes, he’s ready to play in the NHL. But, he’s coming off a big injury and we have the depth this year that he won’t be getting prime minutes. Send him down until something happens. Hopefully he’ll be hungrier than ever and he could possibly jump-start Teddy’s game
Why wouldn’t Teddy be the one to be sent down? I love what Teddy brings in the offensive zone but it’s clear DeBoer doesn’t trust him to protect a lead at the end of the game. When Sestito takes your place on the third line in crunch time, it’s not a good sign.
Josefson can play the PK and play at the end of the 3rd. I doubt DeBoer will choose to send him down and keep Tedenby around.
Thats actually what I would propose too. Hes not better than Henrique, Elias or Zajac. Period. I wouldnt shift any of those guys to the wing, either. Carter is a solid 4th line center, and I think JJ has potetial to be 3rd or 2nd line. Get him minutes, otherwise youre holding him up.
by Chris Calabrese on Jan 3, 2012 6:42 PM EST up reply actions
Right now, there’s no reason to break up either of the top two lines. It doesn’t matter what you think Josefson’s role should be, and it doesn’t matter how much chemistry Zajac and Parise have…. it ain’t broke, so there’s no reason to fix it right now. Barring a lengthy stretch of general ineptitude or another injury, this is how I’d put the lines together when JJ is ready to play:
Parise-Henrique-Kovalchuk
Sykora-Elias-Zubrus
Carter-Zajac-Clarkson
Tedenby-Josefson-(random winger)
I’d like to see (random winger) be Vladimir Zharkov, but I suspect there’s a better chance for world peace and bipartisan political cooperation in the calendar year of 2012. I’m not particularly fond of Ryan Carter on the third line with Zajac and Clarkson, but I’d like to take advantage of the chemistry Tedenby and Josefson showed last season. I also think it’s the safer alternative to Tedenby at Albany, which is the next step considering how little PDB seems to like and trust #21.
….
If I’m going to completely scramble everything, here’s how I’d look at things, however:
Parise-Zajac-Zubrus
Kovalchuk-Elias-Henrique
Tedenby-Josefson-Clarkson
Sykora-Carter-(random winger)
You could flip Zubrus and Henrique in this scenario, but I’d prefer to have a better finisher with #17 as to cash in some of those terrific passes that Kovalchuk makes when he’s leading the rush.
Tedenby and Josefson show decent chemistry, but Josefson and Henrique put up a good number of points together in the AHL last year. We didn’t get to see it, but that combo has more experience together than Tedenby-Josefson. Also, I don’t see why Carter should get arbitrarily promoted to play with our top center, Zajac, just to preserve 4th line chemistry.
I like the scrambled lines a lot
There is no doubt that those Top 9 are the Devils most talented 9 forwards, however, the line of Sykora-Elias-Zubrus has played very well together. Splitting them up would be fixing something that ain’t broke and keeping them together just complicates everything.
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton
by LaserVortex888 on Jan 2, 2012 11:05 PM EST up reply actions
I think everyone can agree that it’s nice to see three lines that can score and have offensive depth.
by Martin Greenberg on Jan 2, 2012 2:10 PM EST reply actions
of course
Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field? ~Jim Bouton
by LaserVortex888 on Jan 2, 2012 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
I’m thinking of moving him to the wing. My lines would look like
9-14-17
15-26-8
16-19-23
21-20-Zharkov/ENERGY/Napalm
Or if Kovy gets moved back to LW, just swap him with Zubrus on the 2nd line.
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Everyone has more goals than Scott Gomez
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 2, 2012 2:26 PM EST reply actions
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I view Josefson as being severely overrated on here, and the fact that many posters here consider him to be a number 2 center is actually baffling. Josefson never showed anything which would warrant placing him on the second line, and the addition of Henrique only amplifies this in my eyes. This team is deep, and I’m not a fan of separating any of our lines in order to squeeze a mediocre at best Josefson back into the lineup. My desired lines upon his return would be as follows:
Parise – Henrique – Kovy
Sykora – Elias – Zubrus
Carter – Zajac – Clarkson
Tedenby – Josefson – Zharkov
The usage of these lines would provide us with enough depth to run four consistent lines for at least 10 mins a game. The third and fourth line aren’t necessarily any different in terms of classification or time on ice, as I anticipate both lines playing a similar amount of time per game (10-12 minutes).
Josefson never showed anything which would warrant placing him on the second line
Josefson is only 20 years old, he’s played less than 50 NHL games so far. Once he was back to his natural position under Lemaire, Jacob was a pretty good 3rd line center. He’s poised and responsible and could be trusted to play PK at anytime moreover. With Kovy, until his injury, he was doing more than ok. I know it’s not a top line player yet, everything may happen when kids are that young, but I think it’s crazy to not be optimistic about his game.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Jan 2, 2012 10:46 PM EST up reply actions
He was being fairly protected and I think the team has better options on the first two lines at this point with Henrique, Elias and Zajac, but Josefson was having a pretty good, not mediocre year up until his injury.
Small sample size warning, but his stats weren’t bad at all.
He is behind only Zharkov (oddly) in Offensive Zone starts at 72.7% and only finished his shifts in the correct zone 48.8% of the time, but he led the team with a 23.5 Relative Corsi.
His Points/60 were 1.11, behind only the usual suspects (top 6 plus Clarkson and, oddly, Palmieri).
When he was on the ice the team scored 2.23 goals/60 and gave up 1.11/60. When he was off the ice the team scoring dropped to 1.44/60 and goals against rose to 3.24/60.
Granted, the team save percentage when he was on the ice was a team high .941, which helped his PDO sit at a probably unsustainable 1010, but he was only shooting at 6.9% which would most probably improve as the season wore on helping to balance out the inevitable drop in on-ice save percentage.
He may be overrated by some as ready for 2nd line time at this point, which I don’t think he is, but I actually feel he’s a bit underrated by many because he wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard. In any event, he appears to be light years better than Carter and his return gives DeBoer options, which is a good thing.
Forget line combonations, I wonder who will get sent down once Josefson returns. I would think it has to be Sestito, Janssen, Tedenby or Josefson himself.
The roster now in the regular season doesn’t have to be the same as the roster in the playoffs. With that in mind, I think Janssen will be around for now and once the playoffs start he wont dress nearly as often.
Josefson and Tedenby are both first round picks. You can make the argument that either one needs a little more development therefore they should be playing big minutes in the AHL instead of protected minutes in the NHL.
With that said, I think it will be Sestito that will be sent down. The guy works hard, but he’s a stiff.
But with Lou, who can say for sure?
Kovy-Elias-Sykora
Parise-Zajac-Henrique
Zubrus-Josefson-Clarkson
Tedenby-Carter-Zharkov
by MattiasTedenbyFlyingCircus on Jan 5, 2012 12:33 PM EST reply actions
1A Parise Henrique Josefson
(Parise and Henrique play too well together to split up)
1B Kovy – Zajac – Palmieri
(This line played really well together second half of last year)
1C Sykora-Elias-Zubrus
(This line needs no reasoning)
4 Tedenby-Carter-Clarkson
(Physical line with Clarkson and Carter, but can also score goals. Tedenby and Clarkson also seem to have good games when playing together.)
This gives us 4 lines that are a threat to score, you also get an ‘energy line’ out of that 4th line. I also think that 4th line wouldn’t be the liability our current 4th line is. And if we need a little more tough guy presence for a game here or there let one of our worthless ‘tough guys’ come in for a game.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on In Lou We Trust
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- NHL Playoff Beard Watch: Blood, Sweat and Beards of unsung unshaven heroes
- Devils guarantee they’ll downplay 1994 conference finals for Game 6 vs. Rangers
- Dodger Stadium Winter Classic; 10 worst NHL fans; ‘While The Men Watch’ debate (Puck Headlines)
- Lightning GM Yzerman suggests he won’t be trading for Luongo, strengthens position for Luongo trade
- Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio: Ron Hextall, Luke Richardson and Rangers/Devils
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Shawinigan wins, advances to Memorial Cup semifinal
- Cataractes romp to 6-1 win, eliminate Oil Kings from Memorial Cup
- Despite loss, Phoenix Coyotes build solid foundation in the desert with run to West finals
- Coyotes finish off best season ever
- Maple Leafs sign defensive prospect Petter Granberg to entry level deal
