Given the clear approach of the Hurricanes organization to go with its younger players,  I created a series of potential forward lines to see how the retention of Samsonov, the departure of Whitney, and the retirement of Brind'Amour affected the line combinations.  I did not include Jeff Skinner in the combinations for the 2010-2011 season.  I also postulated what would happen if Samsonov, Cole, and Kostopoulos were traded at the trade deadline.  I did not include Nash or Matsumoto in the combinations. I also did not include a variation in which LaRose was traded at the trade deadline.  Given the direction of the team and the fact that LaRose is not mentioned as an "untouchable," that possibility exists; but rather than creating a firestorm, for these lines I left off that variation.  When Skinner, Nash, and Matsumoto start entering the discussion, obviously some of the forwards on these lines are affected.  We'll know more about Skinner's readiness for the NHL this week when he comes to the prospects camp.  Boychuk came close to making the team out of training camp his first year.  Skinner will get a long, long look as well.

    Although the line combinations show how young the team is at forward,  I was struck by the increase in speed of the forward lines.  Additionally, other than Samsonov,  all the other forwards have a physical element to their game, or at minimum a strong degree of desire to get to the net with feisty element to their game.

 

 

Version 1:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Cole

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 2:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Cole

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 3:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Cole

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 4:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Cole

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

 

Version 5:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Ruutu

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 6:

 

LaRose/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 7:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Jokinen

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

Version 8:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

LaRose/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

 

 

Version 9:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samsonov/Dwyer/Kostopoulos

 

 

 

POST TRADE DEADLINE LINES

 

[KOSTOPOULOS AND SAMSONOV TRADED]

 

 

Version 1:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Tlusty/S

utter/Cole

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 2:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Cole

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 3:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Cole

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 4:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Cole

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 5:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/

Sutter/Ruutu

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 6:

 

LaRose/Staal/Cole

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 7:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Jokinen

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

 

Version 8:

 

 Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

LaRose/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 9:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Jokinen

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/D

wyer/Osala

 

 

 

POST TRADE DEADLINE LINES

 

[KOSTOPOULOS, COLE AND SAMSONOV TRADED]

 

 

Version 1:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Tlusty/Sutter/Boychuk

 

Bowman/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 2:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Bowman

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 3:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Bowman

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 4:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Bowman

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 5:

 

Boychuk/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Tlusty

 

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Osala

 

Samson/Dwyer/Bowman

 

 

Version 6:

 

LaRose/Staal/Ruutu

 

Jokinen/Sutter/Boychuk

 

Bowman/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

Version 7:

 

Ruutu/Staal/Cole

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Jokinen

 

LaRose/Dalpe/Bowman

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

 

 

Version 8:

 

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

LaRose/Sutter/Bowman

 

Boychuk/Dalpe/Tlusty

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

Version 9:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

Bowman/Dalpe/LaRose

 

Samson/Dwyer/Osala

 

 

 

 

 

Version 10:

 

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Tlusty

 

Bowman/Dalpe/Osala

 

Samson/Dwyer/LaRose

 

 

 

Version 11:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Bowman

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/Osala

 

Samson/Dwyer/LaRose

 

 

Version 12:

 

Jokinen/Staal/Ruutu

 

Boychuk/Sutter/Osala

 

Tlusty/Dalpe/Bowman

 

Samson/Dwyer/LaRose