When will Olli Maatta return, and how should the top 6 be constructed?
Olli Maatta is someone I hope would be able to return as soon as possible.
Based on the minutes played since Justin Schultz became a lineup regular, it’s become pretty clear that, despite all the great things that the coaches and upper management like to say about him and his partnership with Ian Cole, they aren’t going to be trusted to play more than 12-15 minutes a night. That number could be even less as the intensity ramps up.
As a result there’s an increased burden placed on Kris Letang‘s shoulders, but it would also mean more minutes for the others in the top 4. One of those is currently Ben Lovejoy, who (as I’m sure we all remember quite well from last year) didn’t exactly handle a big increase in his time on ice late in the season and into the playoffs.
I also fear a potential burn-out from Trevor Daley. Daley has been a tremendous boon to the team since his trade from Chicago but has traditionally not been a great possession driver and does have some holes defensively. When Maatta is able to return I would leave the third pairing alone while returning the top two lines to the way they were before Maatta left the lineup.
That would put him paired with Letang, and Daley with Brian Dumoulin. Lovejoy and Derrick Pouliot would then make for very strong 7th/8th defensemen.
Next: Dethroning The King