Winning the Lottery in Chicago
Doran Libin
2015-07-20
Who gets the coveted open spot in Chicago’s talented top six? Libin investigates
Any time a top team has a spot open on one of the top two lines there is going to be a scramble to fill the void. There is generally an assumption that any player who lands the top-line gig will be in for a major bump in production. That is not always the case though as landing the gig does not always mean top unit power-play time. For many of the league's top scorers power-play points now make up 35-50% of their point totals. Therefore a player getting the top minutes without the top power play will not finish with the production that many expect from a first-line forward.
This summer Chicago, facing a cap crunch, traded Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad. That opened up two of the top three wing spots in Chicago this year. With a cap hit of $71.8 million and Marcus Kruger yet to sign we should expect yet another trade. That means that Kris Versteeg and/or Bryan Bickell will find their way out of town before the start of the year. As such there is potential for Chicago to ice two new wingers on their top two lines. It remains to be seen how much those spots are worth.
Artemi Panarin was brought over from Russia, in large due to the opportunities because of the Hawks' ensuing cap crunch. Many of the players coming over from Europe have needed time in the AHL to get used to the North American style of play, and the smaller ice. That puts Panarin in a tough spot to make the team, never mind land a wing spot on one of the top two lines right out of camp.
The decision likely comes down to a number of factors. The first being who else gets traded off the roster. Bickell and/or Versteeg are the most likely candidate to be moved. That means that as many as four wing spots could be open in the Hawks top nine. Assuming Bickell is moved that leaves Desjardins, Garbutt, Shaw, Kruger and maybe Tropp to fill out the bottom six. That means that the Coach Q needs one or two bodies he trusts to fill out the bottom six. The next factor is whether Versteeg stays. If Versteeg sticks around he is a good bet for that second line spot. That probably means Teravainen slots into to the top line. The sleeper here is Jeremy Morin, as he has the potential to fill something of a Patrick Sharp role as one of the team's primary goal scorers. If Versteeg leaves or if Teravainen ends up on the third line watch out for him on one of the top lines. That would mean likely also mean big power play minutes. For the time being though the safe money is on Tervainen and Versteeg but if you are inclined to swing for the fences go for Morin.
| Nashville's Other Top Six Forward | |||
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| Matt Beleskey and Mikhail Grigorenko | |||
| Mike Smith – Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde |
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