Will Mathew Barzal play with Bo Horvat?
The New York Islanders wil be getting Mathew Barzal, Anthony Duclair, and Adam Pelech back, possibly as soon as Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Here's what a fully healthy lineup (minus Mike Reilly) could look like:
First Line: Without Barzal in the lineup, Bo Horvat has struggled to produce, and we know what the two are capable of. Add Maxin Tsyplakov to that line, a player who has a willingness to cut to the net and a rather strong I.Q., especially in transition, and this could be a rather dangerous line.
Second Line: Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri haven't been separated the entire year, and rightfully so. The reason to keep Anders Lee with them is because he's been exceptional while playing top-six minutes, leading the team with 13 goals, so it would be a tough sell to cut his minutes at this moment in time. Ideally, the Islanders run their top nine somewhat evenly, depending on who is going, but Lee has played well enough to stay with the top two lines.
Third Line: Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom have been a dynamic duo for the Islanders, coming off a dominant game against Chicago. Holmstrom had his first three-point game (one goal, two assists) while Pageau tied a career-high with three helpers. It may benefit Duclair, who is coming back from a lower-body injury, to play a bottom-six role. Also, Duclair and Pageau played together for around two years in Ottawa, so maybe they can rediscover that chemistry.
Fourth Line: Casey Cizikas has been a bit out of sorts this season, and putting him back with Matt Martin full-time might reignite the energizer bunny. Kyle MacLean has struggled, too, but this is a line that should be able to be strong on the forecheck and eat 40 seconds to give the other lines a break without being a liability.
First Pairing: While Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson will likely be a pair again in the future, Adam Pelech provides the strong defense that No. 8 needs. And with Dobson skating the puck up rather often lately, he needs a stay-at-home guy for his pairing.
Second Pairing: Romanov and Ryan Pulock have been a stable pairing that's held down the fort since the injuries. The two seem to complement each other rather nicely, and there's no real reason to split them up.
Third Pairing: With his uptick in play as of late, Dennis Cholowski has earned the final left defense spot. Scott Mayfield, being the stay-at-home defenseman that he is, will allow Cholowski to jump up on the play. When Cholowski was with Dobson, the two both jumped up which is not ideal.