Vanes isn't a 4th liner and Duclair isn't any better than Vatrano IMO. Why trade for another left handed winger?[/quote

Why does everyone still look at the 4th line in a negative light? Today's nhl is getting rid of that version on the old school 4th line. They can't fight anymore. Hell, i mean, when was the last time you saw a big hit that didn't result in a penalty or discipline? How many teams have 4th liners anymore?/quote]

Our team has 4th liners and this is my point. Look at Accari and Kuraly and Blidh and tell me they don't throw big hits and create energy without taking a penalty. Beleskey gets 2 hits a game too, so he's a suitable player there. Vanek had like half a hit a game, he's not an energy guy he's not even good defensively. He's a scorer who doesn't belong on the 4th line or he'll never get the puck. He doesn't create by himself and I hope you're not naive enough to think Matt Freakin Beleskey or Noel Flipping Accari is going to be setting him up with one timers lol. That'd be a state of delusion I have yet to see on here.

Point is, with the exception of a select few players (Bergeron, marchand, krejci) everyone in this lineup is interchangeable.
While I agree some players can bring energy by making hits, it is not leaned on as it was with the merlot line. In today's nhl you cannot hit too hard either without a penalty. Think about it, when was the last clean bone crushing hit not called a penalty for roughing or charging?

I'm telling you Accari has 1 bone crushing hit every game. Blidh did too while he was up and Kuraly was an absolute beast in the playoffs. Add in Beleskey's 2 hard hits per game and you've got yourself an "old time hockey 4th line" which gives us an advantage. We don't need a twerp that can't make his own offense on a line that's just going to chip and chase all game. You chip the puck into Vanek's corner and he's just going to bump the guy slightly and go fishing with his stick. He'll normally fail to get the puck and then we're back on defense, where he's been known to loaf. I've been being kind to you about this, but it's going to get worse from here I think. The biggest part is that our 4th line next year will be more physical than the old Merlot line. Paille didn't hit much at all and Campbell + Thornton are smallish players for their roles. Beleskey Accari and Kurally would be way more intense than the old Merlot line was and if you add in Blidh for Beleskey it gets amplified. That's what we need to become a greater team, more energy added at home games and the ability to take the energy out of the crowd on the road.

I understand what you are saying about wanting to be more physical and taking opposing crowds out of the game and whatnot. I also don't think that will happen. The big bad bruins are no more, yes I'd love for them to play like that but the nhl has changed and is changing.

Blidh should play over belesky but belesky won't make that contract from the 9th floor. Oh and Thank you ever so kindly for being kind to me about this, God forbid we have a disagreement about how a team plays without a keyboard warrior coming out.