With Matthews and Knies looking like they're back on saturday, but with McMann probably out, it'll be interesting to see which forward gets left out of the lineup.
Knies - Matthews - Nylander
XXXXX - Tavares - Marner
Lorentz - XXXXX - XXXXX
XXXXX - XXXXX - XXXXX
Drop 1 of these 7: C: Dewar 25, Holmberg 25, Minten 20 / W: A.Nylander 26, Steeves 25, Robertson 23, Grebenkin 21
Here's how each has played over the past 3gms (i.e. since minten/grebs were called up):
C
Holmberg (25): 3gms, 5v5 13:07 (-12.7dzs%), 60.9xgf%, 0.00ap/60 -- 5v4 0:20, 0.00ap/60 --- 4v5 3:03 --- 37.9fo%
Dewar (25): 3gms, 5v5 12:20 (+9.3dzs%), 67.0xgf%, 0.00ap/60 ------- 5v4 0:05, 0.00ap/60 --- 4v5 2:16 --- 47.1fo%
Minten (20): 3gms, 5v5 10:39 (+2.6dzs%), 35.9xgf%, 1.88ap/60 ------ 5v4 3:18, 6.06ap/60 --- 4v5 0:25 --- 47.6fo%
W
Robertson (23): 3gms, 11:22 (-8.5dzs%), 42.6xgf%, 0.00ap/60 -------- 5v4 2:01, 0.00ap/60 --- 4v5 0:11
Steeves (25): 3gms, 9:48 (+4.4dzs%), 56.4xgf%, 0.00ap/60 ------------ 5v4 0:03, 0.00a/60 ---- 4v5 0:00
Grebenkin (21): 3gms, 9:04 (-5.1dzs%), 57.9xgf%, 0.00ap/60 --------- 5v4 0:43, 0.00ap/60 --- 4v5 0:00
Nylander (26): 2gms, 7:46 (-10.5dzs%), 59.9xgf%, 0.00ap/60 --------- 5v4 2:40, 0.00ap/06 --- 4v5 0:00
To be honest I don't expect Dewar to come out any time soon. He's doing really well in the 4C spot and that entire line is going great right now even though they have much responsibility than the previous 4th line did when we were healthy. He's doing everything Kampf did and more. I really want Kampf gone.
For the 3C spot I think Berube probably sticks with Minten while he has the opportunity to. Holmberg has had bigger minutes than him but in much more offensive usage - Minten hasn't been getting kid glove treatment, and while he hasn't been awesome he's shown enough to be legit interesting. In last practice Matthews already bumped Holmberg to the wing, and Berube's mentioning of faceoffs the other day when talking about mitch maybe at C makes me think this is a priority for him and Holmberg might not be hacking it in that department. Thing is if Holmberg isn't a C then i don't know that he has any real value. But to be fair he's playing pretty well lately and probably deserves to stay in.
I doubt Steeves comes out just because that Lorentz-Dewar-Steeves line has been so effective. Though i guess i could see grebs getting a try on a potential 4th line given his skillset. But then again I could see Grebs being given a chance in McMann's slot too.
Alex hasn't been great but he's been decent in tiny usage - i don't know that they want to waive him without giving him any real opportunity at all.
The plain fact i think is that the guy who probably deserves to sit is.....Little Nicky. Which is pretty sad given that there half the forwards are injured. I don't know what to say about Nick anymore. It's literally painful to watch him - everything looks so hard for him out there right now. I still think we'll get burned if we lose him for nothing but I can't make a good argument to keep him in the lineup over any of the borderline youngish forwards right now.
I don't know that Berube will actually sit him yet though. I think they are trying to get some trade value on him at least.