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New York Islanders Projected Starting Lineup

Jan 6, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; The starting line up for the New York Islanders before the start of the first period against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 6, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; The starting line up for the New York Islanders before the start of the first period against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Forwards

  1. Ladd-Tavares-Parenteau
  2. Kulemin-Strome-Lee
  3. Bailey-Nelson-Prince
  4. Chimera-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

The top line is as most of us would expect it. Tavares leads the line with the two new free agent acquisitions taking his side.

An argument could be made that Parenteau perhaps isn’t a first liner and maybe could be dropped to the second line. Meaning that Lee could step up on that top-line role. It would certainly be a great way to get Lee back in the groove again. Stella needed a hunky Taye Diggs. Anders Lee might just need some sexy first line ice-time.

The second line down gets a little more difficult to predict. With comments made by Garth Snow recently, I’m going to read between the lines at say he wants Strome to take Nielsen’s place in the lineup, and that Capuano agrees.

Related Story: Strome Still Susceptible to Offer Sheet

Like Parenteau, Kulemin could easily be placed between the second and third line, but he’s performed well enough with Strome and in second line duties before.

The third line doesn’t have Casey Cizikas in the middle. I know that he’s just signed a crazy large contract. But does anyone else not see him as a fourth line center, regardless of how much he’s set to make? The bump in pay should correspond with increased responsibility, but this may just come in the form of specialty teams; i.e. increased penalty kill minutes.

Which leaves the third line. Don’t they feel like the land of misfit Isles players? By that I mean the players that complete the roster but just don’t fit the mold for the other three lines.

Bailey, Nelson, Prince. After drafting up the other three lines, they were the names I had left. I honestly could have thrown Quine in the mix, but I feel that Snow and Capuano keep him in the press box and throw him in there if any of those stumble out the gate.

Next: Defense

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