4 NHL Lineup Changes That Need to Happen ASAP
With every team in the NHL having played at least 10 games by now, they are starting to get a sense for what their rosters look like, what their strengths are and what their weaknesses are.
It might still be a little too early for teams to make major roster changes, but there could be some lineup tweaks that need to get made to maximize what some teams can do.
We are going to take a look at a few of those potential options early in the 2023-24 season.
Toronto Needs to Scratch Ryan Reaves
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One of the weirdest offseason signings happened when the Toronto Maple Leafs brought in in veteran tough guy Ryan Reaves on a three-year contract that pays him more than $1 million per season.
It just didn't make much sense at the time, and now that we have seen it playing out on the ice, it makes even less sense.
Especially as they keep playing him.
This is following the same script every Reaves experience runs through when he joins a new team.
He arrives with much fanfare about how he is going to hold opponents accountable for taking runs at their stars. Then opposing players still end up taking runs at their stars, Reaves never actually deters anything or makes an impact, and he does not really do much to improve the team from a goals for or against standpoint.
All of this happens while the media and fans in the city overanalyze his presence and what it means.
Here is what it means: When Reaves has been on the ice this season during five-on-five play Toronto has been outscored by an 8-0 margin and been absolutely dominated in terms of scoring chances and territorial play. All while teams continue to run wild on the Maple Leafs physically.
Eventually the Leafs are going to come to the same conclusion every other team reaches when it tries to bring in Reaves for protection, and that time should probably come sooner rather than later. Because it is basically making them a three-line team at best.
Put Kris Letang Back on the Penguins' Top Player Play
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When you look at the Pittsburgh Penguins roster on paper, you get the idea that they should have the most dominant power play in the NHL due to the presence of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jake Guentzel and even players like Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust.
But over the past two years, that simply has not been the case, as the unit has been maddeningly inconsistent, underachieved and simply failed to swing games in their favor.
If anything, it has done more to lose games at times.
The one big change the Penguins made to the unit this season was to add another future Hall of Famer by acquiring defenseman Erik Karlsson in an offseason trade with the San Jose Sharks.
The big question that came with that was how that would alter the Penguins' power-play usage, and which one of Karlsson or Letang would get the minutes on the first unit.
So far, the answer to that has been Karlsson, while Letang has been relegated to the second unit.
But here is a suggestion for the Penguins: Use both of them on the top unit.
While most teams typically go with a four-forward and one-defense alignment on their power play, there is nothing that says you can't use two defensemen. Especially when they are both as good, talented and productive as Karlsson and Letang are.
Crosby, Malkin and Guentzel are locks as forwards on the top unit, but the Penguins have not quite found a fit among Rakell, Rust and Reilly Smith as the fourth forward.
So why not scrap it and have Letang play that role along the wall, sort of similar to the role Phil Kessel used to play when he was helping the Penguins win Stanley Cups.
Letang has been a key part of that power play for years, and he is simply not getting enough minutes or getting an opportunity to make as much of an impact by getting just a handful of minutes with the second unit.
Between the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, there were 415 players who logged at least 100 minutes of power-play time.
Letang ranked 43rd out of that group in assists per 60 minutes, 32nd in primary assists per 60 minutes and 94th in total points per 60 minutes.
Find a place for that guy on the top unit.
Less Tony DeAngelo for the Hurricanes
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Tony DeAngelo does have some redeeming qualities on the ice as a hockey player, and that is why teams keep taking a chance on him despite his many shortcomings.
He will score goals. He will rack up points. And he will also frustrate the heck out of you defensively and in every other way that does not involve him holding onto the puck in the offensive zone.
That is exactly what is playing out in his second stop with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Only trouble is, the offense isn't even there to help make up for the defensive issues.
DeAngelo is the common denominator in Carolina's least productive and worst defensive pairings this season, as the team has been significantly outchanced and outscored when he is on the ice no matter who his partner is.
In his 55 minutes next to Brady Skjei, the Hurricanes have been outscored 2-1 and have an expected goals share of 47 percent.
In his 59 minutes next to Dmitry Orlov, the Hurricanes have been outscored 6-2 and have only a 46 percent share of the expected goals.
Of the seven defense pairings that have played at least 30 minutes together for the Hurricanes, the DeAngelo pairings are the only two with a negative goal differential and the only two with an expected goals share of less than 52 percent.
When Skjei and Orlov have played next to any other defender, their numbers and production have skyrocketed.
Next to DeAngelo they have cratered.
Golden Knights Find Winger for Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone
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It is really difficult to find much fault with the Vegas Golden Knights so far this season.
The defending Stanley Cup champions are off to an incredible start thanks to a deep offense and a goaltending duo of Adin Hill and Logan Thompson that has been spectacular.
Just about the only flaw you might be able to point to is they have been unable to find a regular linemate for Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone.
Paul Cotter has received the bulk of the minutes on their wing, and the results have not been encouraging. In 81 minutes with Cotter as their linemate, Stephenson and Stone have been outscored 4-1 and have managed only 34 percent shot-attempt share and a 26 percent expected goal share.
Of the league's most commonly used lines this season, they are one of the least productive as a trio.
That group had similar results together a year ago.
When Stephenson and Stone have played with any other winger that is not Cotter, their production, shot attempt and expected goal shares all double.
William Carrier has also received some looks in that spot, and while he has produced better results, he is probably not a long-term solution there either.
It is not a huge flaw, or one that is going to hurt the Golden Knights early in the regular season (obviously), but it is going to be something that they will need to address as the season goes on. In the short-term, they probably need more Carrier and less Cotter in that spot.
Advanced statistics via Natural Stat Trick unless otherwise noted.
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