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Since the New Jersey Devils announced they'd be without Travis Zajac for the foreseeable future, there's been a lot of talk about who could and should replace him on the top line.
I recently wrote a post outlining Adam Henrique, Marcus Johansson, and Nico Hischier as three possible, and realistic, candidates to fill in on line one.
Over the last few days, I've been frequently asked why I didn't mention Pavel Zacha or even Michael McLeod. Allow me to explain.
To play on the top line, you have to be very good offensively or very good defensively, if not both. Zacha could be both down the road but, right now, he is neither.
He showed flashes last season and was very unlucky -- simply put, the puck wouldn't go in for him or his teammates when he was on the ice -- but I don't think an overly compelling case could be made to suggest a 24-point player deserves 18-20 minutes a night and a spot on Taylor Hall's line.
Will Zacha be better than he was a year ago? Yes. Will he be more productive? Almost certainly. But he still has a lot of growing to do and, while he deserves more minutes than the 14 he averaged last season, I'd be hesitant to put that much on his plate.
As for McLeod, I think it's quite safe to say he doesn't belong, and won't be, anywhere near the top line.
He had a solid season in Mississauga and was excellent during the stretch run, but he wasn't dominant at the level guys like Mitch Marner and Matthew Tkachuk, among others, were before making the jump, and they didn't start (or finish) their rookie campaigns on the top line.
Zajac's injury certainly helps McLeod's cause, but he isn't even entering camp as a lock to make the team. It's simply not realistic to expect him to earn a spot and play so well that John Hynes and co. elect to slot him in on the top unit over the likes of Henrique, Hischier, and perhaps Johansson (should the Devils test him out at center), among others. Zacha doing so is at least in the realm of possibility, although still unlikely.
When all is said and done, I expect Henrique to take on the burden and the kids to be insulated behind him.
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