I've been impressed with Raffl at center and am at least willing to keep experimenting with him there. G is going to produce no matter where you put him IMO.
- mochoson

Giroux has won 56% of his faceoffs this year. I'd leave him at center.

G on wing would be good to try since we have Schenn who seems to struggle on wing. They could try

Read-Couturier-Giroux
Simmonds-Schenn-Voracek
Cousins-Laughton-Raffl
VandeVelde-PEB-White
- JAKEw1234

I don't think Schenn is a bad winger honestly. He's just really, really slow. I'd prefer him to be more of a shoot first center, but he's not going to excel in that role with Berube as the coach.

Giroux has won 56% of his faceoffs this year. I'd leave him at center.
- jmatchett383

Giroux playing wing has nothing to do with him taking faceoffs. Teams do it all the time.

They can certainly try to earn playing time. Ideally? I think Morin and Ghost at least start the year in the AHL. I think Morin should spend most of the year down there, I could see Ghost splitting time. Sanheim should go back to Junior and play in the WJC, but after next season he may be ready to step right in. He might be good enough now, because IMO he should be in the AHL next year with the rest of them.

I foresee Hagg being the fist of any of these guys to see significant time. He's quitely having a pretty good 1st year on NA ice and will have the most accumulated pro experience come next training camp. Very excited about him and Cousins next year.
- mochoson

I could see that. I remember he wasn't really a standout last training camp, but hopefully a full year in NA will make it's mark next training camp. Nick Cousins seems very close to NHL ready. Putting up those kinds of numbers for someone his age is fairly impressive.

Giroux playing wing has nothing to do with him taking faceoffs. Teams do it all the time.
- mochoson

So you want him to take faceoffs and then fade to the wing after the faceoff?

Its also hypothetical to say, "If the team becomes stronger" too. I understand you're of the opinion that Giroux needs to play consistently well for the team to have success, whether the team is as mediocre as it is now or better or worse. I agree with the sports cliche that team's best players need to consistently be their best players. But I think you began to mix your contexts up from current situation to hypotheticals. That's what caused the confusion. I think it is contradictory to say that it doesn't matter if the team is good or bad in one sentence and then say that if they were a stronger team it would promote the success of Giroux's play.
- kellyblaise7

I didn't mix hypotheticals up. I responded to posts that discussed the hypothetical of the team getting better and stronger in the future. My opinion on this conversation was about Giroux's level of play on the current team.
It's not contradictory to say that if the team is good or bad in terms of looking at what kind of attention and checking Giroux is going to see in games, as the team's best player. It's just the way it is in the NHL.

Boy has the first PP gone stale.

They seem to be so deliberate, and take forever to get a shot off. By the time the shot comes the PK has guys blocking the path to the net.

Live and die by special teams. Mostly dying this season (at least on the road).

I voted for Streit.

The fact that Schultz and MDZ are in the running for best defenseman tells you all you need to know about the D this season. A huge hole at the top.

Haha that Gamestop comment tho.
- JAKEw1234

read the description...fits it to the T

I've been impressed with Raffl at center and am at least willing to keep experimenting with him there. G is going to produce no matter where you put him IMO.
- mochoson

The team's strength in the future is down the middle with Giroux, Couturier, and Laughton. I think Raffl is the same player at wing or Center.

read the description...fits it to the T
- PhillaBully

What context should I be reading it in?

There is a rule against goalies wearing the "C".
- johndewar

Thank you for your help. Any reason behind the rule?

I don't think Schenn is a bad winger honestly. He's just really, really slow. I'd prefer him to be more of a shoot first center, but he's not going to excel in that role with Berube as the coach.
- mochoson

I think the last stretch of games have proved that Schenn is a better player as a center, is a myth.

Boy has the first PP gone stale.

They seem to be so deliberate, and take forever to get a shot off. By the time the shot comes the PK has guys blocking the path to the net.

Live and die by special teams. Mostly dying this season (at least on the road).

I voted for Streit.

The fact that Schultz and MDZ are in the running for best defenseman tells you all you need to know about the D this season. A huge hole at the top.
- Marc D

It'll come back. They've scored once in their last 14 PP attempts, but this is still the 4th ranked PP in the league.

Dubs again

G on wing would be good to try since we have Schenn who seems to struggle on wing. They could try

Read-Couturier-Giroux
Simmonds-Schenn-Voracek
Cousins-Laughton-Raffl
VandeVelde-PEB-White
- JAKEw1234

I personally would not move Giroux to wing under any circumstances.

I think the last stretch of games have proved that Schenn is a better player as a center, is a myth.
- MJL

He never stays in one position/line long enough for any definitive conclusion to be drawn.

I think the main issue in regards to "leadership" is that this is a different season for these core guys than what they are used to. of course we struggled, but we did have a shot at the playoffs, we picked up our play and we got x amount of points in the last x amount of games, then the deadline comes, and we ship out two veteran defensemen. And we all know, we are not a better club without Kimmo and Coburn. I think this was a slap in the face for Giroux. we all know how big of a competitor he is, but when your team is pulling through together and getting points, and then basically get a message from management through those trades that we aren't a playoff team, when they do have a shot, thats a kick in the balls and has to frustrate players some way. Of course, this is excluding the games against lesser teams that we lost, because i think those losses point to Berube more than our players' play. Leadership being questioned tho, i mean Giroux earned that C imo. Simmonds is a great vocal and physical leader. and Streit we all know he's a great leader, guy was also a former Captain himself.
- arichardson22

I personally would not move Giroux to wing under any circumstances.
- MJL

I think that's dramatic. He'd be fine at wing. He's awesome at faceoffs, but we have other decent faceoff guys, and I think that the overall value of winning more faceoffs than the other team has been overrated. It's more about winning the important faceoffs, which they could still put him in for.

He never stays in one position/line long enough for any definitive conclusion to be drawn.
- Tomahawk

I disagree. In my opinion, you can see the strong points of Schenn's game. In my opinion, he is better suited to the Wing. He's clearly not a better player at center that has been stated in the past.

I disagree. In my opinion, you can see the strong points of Schenn's game. In my opinion, he is better suited to the Wing. He's clearly not a better player at center that has been stated in the past.
- MJL

He's really tearing it up on LW. Unstoppable.

I think that's dramatic. He'd be fine at wing. He's awesome at faceoffs, but we have other decent faceoff guys, and I think that the overall value of winning more faceoffs than the other team has been overrated. It's more about winning the important faceoffs, which they could still put him in for.
- JAKEw1234

My opinion wasn't based on that he wouldn't be fine at wing. I want Giroux carrying the puck and working the middle of the ice.

He's really tearing it up on LW. Unstoppable.
- Tomahawk

He isn't tearing it up anywhere. Look at his skill set. It screams wing in my opinion.

He isn't tearing it up anywhere. Look at his skill set. It screams wing in my opinion.
- MJL

- Tomahawk

Stop dont you know youll never win a argument against a woman lol

G needs to find a way to do better at even strength. Over half of his points (and goals) this season have come on the powerplay. He's the only player in the top 30 point scorers this season who can say that, and only a couple others have half of their goals from the PP (Voracek, Pavelski)