The wait is over! According to Craig Custance of The Sporting News, Mike Babcock has prepared line combinations to start the 2008-2009 campaign. They are as follows:
Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Hossa
Franzen - Zetterberg - Hudler
Cleary - Filppula - Samuelsson
Maltby - Draper - Kopecky
Downey/McCarty/Helm/Abdelkader as the 13th
These lines absolutely make me salivate. I can't even predict what the PP units will be, because they would be ridiculous. However, I'm personally wondering what Mike Babcock is doing with Filppula being the pivot between Cleary and Samuelsson. The Red Wings' brass just signed Valtteri to a 5 year, 15 million dollar deal based on his potential to be a second line center. Though having Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Draper, and Filppula down the middle is pretty solid, Valtteri will never produce the amount of points being the center for Cleary and Samuelsson as he would for another pair. I would much rather see line combinations of:
Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Zetterberg
Franzen - Filppula - Hossa
With the tear Franzen was on in during the latter stages of the regular and post seasons, I believe Filppula will be more productive (points-wise) with these skilled players as opposed to Cleary and Samuelsson. But alas, I'm not a Stanley Cup winning coach, so I'll let Mike do his job.
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6 comments:
i agree
Hand Them The Cup Now.....WOOOOOOOOOOW
I agree with you, totally. Not too worried, though, as Babcock never sets it in stone. If he doesn't like how it's working, he'll switch it.
I'm more disappointed that Helm isn't anywhere. After his great performance in the playoffs, I'd have liked to see him instead of Kopecky.
thats just not fair...
Yeah, I mean he was playing so well that they didn't remove him from the lineup during the Stanley Cup playoffs, but now he's not good enough to make the regular season roster?
I still don't see why they're so high on Kopecky. He's a third-liner at best.
As you mention at the last part of the blog, Babcock will end up doing the right thing. I'd rather see the old Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Hank line than see Hossa go with them. It would give Franzen someone reliable to work with.
Also, you forgot Ville Leino, who is very well in the mix for at least a potential 13th man spot.
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