What if the doctors said Seidenberg and McQuaid were ready to play?

Lose Remerswaal

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I'm enjoying Napkin's topic, but more realistically, one or both of these guys could suddenly become available for the B's lineup.  Who do you deactivate if McQuaid or Seidenberg (or both) returns?
 
I think Bartkowski is first to go -- you need Krug and Hamilton on those power play units.  Not sure who would be second out, Miller?
 

PedroSpecialK

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Chara - Hamilton
Seidenberg - Boychuk
Krug - Miller
 
I'd keep McQuaid benched until Miller falters, and Bartkowski would be the next to go for me.
 

Titoschew

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I don't deactivate anyone for McQuaid.  He's probably played his last game in black and gold.
 
Seidenberg, probably only Bart.  Miller maybe, but he's played solid thus far, a just freshly repaired ACL Seids < Miller at this juncture.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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I hadn't considered that as an option for McQuaid.  He's been part of the rotation so long that it just seemed obvious he'd go back in, but I think you're right, he goes next to Meszaros on level 9.
 
Regarding Seidenberg's health, the assumption is that he's 100% ready to go, no rust or anything.  Obviously this wouldn't be the case, and we all seem to agree it's Bartkowski who is out.  Just curious if anyone has them ranked otherwise.
 

TheoShmeo

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I recognize that there's violent agreement among the posters thus far that McQuaid wouldn't move Miler to the bench.  I agree with that and would go a little further.  Before the playoffs started and ignoring Miller's flu, I would have ranked Miller as the Bs' third best defensemen overall (behind Chara and Boychuck).  In his own zone, he's not that far behind Boychuck.  The man just does almost everything right there.  Now Dougie and Krug both played quite well thus far, and of course both do more offensively, but Miller is so solid defensively that he's simply essential in my view.  He seems to win every one on one battle and just erases offensive players with consistency.  He reminds me of Soderberg in the offensive zone. 
 
My point is that Miller has come so far that he's not even in the conversation regarding McQuaid.  Seids for Bart is a move you have to make if Seidenberg is ready to go.  The latter seems highly unlikely, as noted by all, but what a high class problem that would be.  I might consider McQuaid for Bart, too.  I don't feel as strong either way on that one.  Bart's propensity for brain farts can't be fully ignored; mistakes in the playoffs can be very unforgiving.
 

Wave em in Wendall

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TheoShmeo said:
I recognize that there's violent agreement among the posters thus far that McQuaid wouldn't move Miler to the bench.  I agree with that and would go a little further.  Before the playoffs started and ignoring Miller's flu, I would have ranked Miller as the Bs' third best defensemen overall (behind Chara and Boychuck).  In his own zone, he's not that far behind Boychuck.  The man just does almost everything right there.  Now Dougie and Krug both played quite well thus far, and of course both do more offensively, but Miller is so solid defensively that he's simply essential in my view.  He seems to win every one on one battle and just erases offensive players with consistency.  He reminds me of Soderberg in the offensive zone. 
 
My point is that Miller has come so far that he's not even in the conversation regarding McQuaid.  Seids for Bart is a move you have to make if Seidenberg is ready to go.  The latter seems highly unlikely, as noted by all, but what a high class problem that would be.  I might consider McQuaid for Bart, too.  I don't feel as strong either way on that one.  Bart's propensity for brain farts can't be fully ignored; mistakes in the playoffs can be very unforgiving.
+1 to all of this. 
 
Bart is a very good skater, has been pretty trustworthy in terms of positioning in his own zone, and has the occasional great rush up the ice, but when he has the puck in the defensive zone and needs to make a outlet pass or go up the walls with it, I hold my breath. Seids would be a huge improvement and McQauid might too.
 
Not serious, but since we're in the world of hypotheticals, what are people's thoughts on sitting Caron/Thornton and dressing Krug as a power play specialist?
 

PedroSpecialK

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I would definitely scratch Caron (or Thornton if Paille's back) in the event Seidenberg returns, at least for the first couple of games. You don't want to throw him into 20+ minutes of playoff hockey off the bat.

Having Krug skate the odd d-shift alongside Miller and some 4th line wing time while Seidenberg gets re-acclimated w/ a majority of offensive zone starts would be a great luxury. If Seidenberg gets re-injured or isn't 100% you're no worse off.
 

Eddie Jurak

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TheoShmeo said:
I recognize that there's violent agreement among the posters thus far that McQuaid wouldn't move Miler to the bench.  I agree with that and would go a little further.  Before the playoffs started and ignoring Miller's flu, I would have ranked Miller as the Bs' third best defensemen overall (behind Chara and Boychuck).  In his own zone, he's not that far behind Boychuck.  The man just does almost everything right there.  Now Dougie and Krug both played quite well thus far, and of course both do more offensively, but Miller is so solid defensively that he's simply essential in my view.  He seems to win every one on one battle and just erases offensive players with consistency.  He reminds me of Soderberg in the offensive zone. 
 
My point is that Miller has come so far that he's not even in the conversation regarding McQuaid.  Seids for Bart is a move you have to make if Seidenberg is ready to go.  The latter seems highly unlikely, as noted by all, but what a high class problem that would be.  I might consider McQuaid for Bart, too.  I don't feel as strong either way on that one.  Bart's propensity for brain farts can't be fully ignored; mistakes in the playoffs can be very unforgiving.
 
I think calling him "third best overall" is a stretch, given that offense is part of "overall", and Krug and Hamilton are way ahead of him in that dimension.  He's better defensively, but it's not as if Krug and Hamilton are chopped liver (i.e. Kaberle) out there.
 
That said, where McQuaid was a steady, reliable third pair guy, Miller already seems like much more than that.  
 
I agree that if Seids were 100% (including not at risk to reinjure) he goes in for Bartkowski, and McQuaid would slot in at #8/#9 either behind or ahead of Meszaros.
 

Eddie Jurak

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PedroSpecialK said:
Having Krug skate the odd d-shift alongside Miller and some 4th line wing time while Seidenberg gets re-acclimated w/ a majority of offensive zone starts would be a great luxury. If Seidenberg gets re-injured or isn't 100% you're no worse off.
I think Krug is wasted up front.  Offensively, where Krug's value lies, defense vs. forward is a whole different game. As an offensive defensmen, he can pick and choose his spots.  A forward can't play like that.  Moving him up front, especially on the 4th line, would expose him as "not a good forward" while removing much of his abilty to create offense.
 
If Seidenberg did come back, dressing 7 defensemen at first would be a good idea.  But if I had to pick one of the 7 to take shift with the 4th line, it would be Bartkowski, who is bigger and faster than Krug but overall less valuable if Seidenberg is in the lineup.
 

PedroSpecialK

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That's fair - Bartkowski's game is certainly heavier, and with Seidenberg back he would likely become redundant. Krug and Miller have turned into an even better pairing than I'd hoped Krug would form with McQuaid, so there's another reason not to break that up.
 

veritas

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Eddie Jurak said:
I think Krug is wasted up front.  Offensively, where Krug's value lies, defense vs. forward is a whole different game. As an offensive defensmen, he can pick and choose his spots.  A forward can't play like that.  Moving him up front, especially on the 4th line, would expose him as "not a good forward" while removing much of his abilty to create offense.
 
If Seidenberg did come back, dressing 7 defensemen at first would be a good idea.  But if I had to pick one of the 7 to take shift with the 4th line, it would be Bartkowski, who is bigger and faster than Krug but overall less valuable if Seidenberg is in the lineup.
 
I don't know, in their own end I'd rather Bart. Krug gets overwhelmed a lot down low. I'd trust either of them with a handful of 5-on-5 minutes at F on the 4th line to just not screw up.
 
I really like the idea though, they could give Krug all of his minutes on D off o-zone faceoffs. Seidenberg could get some shifts vs the 3rd and 4th line to get his feet wet. And Bart/Krug could each take a few shifts on the 4th line at wing