Here are what I guess will be the defensive line combinations for the Stingrays next season:
Defencemen
Line 1
Troy Neumeier (C)-Pavel Gomenyuk
Line 2
Jonathan Bernier-Stuart Kerr
Paul Moran Rotating/Replacing for both forwards and defencemen.
Line 1
Troy Neumeier (C)-Pavel Gomenyuk
Line 2
Jonathan Bernier-Stuart Kerr
Paul Moran Rotating/Replacing for both forwards and defencemen.
As the forward lines fit together perfectly, the defensive options look slightly more jumbled and a little weaker than they have been in recent years. The reason behind that? The departure of three up and coming British players. And whilst the reasons for the non-re-signing of Stevie Lee (to gain top line experience in the EPL), Luke Boothroyd (occasional slips on defence) and Dave Phillips (unable to compete with Belfast and the perks of playing for a top 4 side) are generally accepted, it does leave the Rays with a worrying lack of depth.
The Stingrays have historically (if 5 years can be classed as history) gone with a lot of depth in defence, however Rick Strachan seems to have ditched those ideas for the season, replacing Lee, Phillips and Boothroyd with just Paul Moran. As a result the Rays have just two and a half lines of defence as opposed to the three (and sometimes even three and a half).
Troy Neumeier will almost certainly be the top line defenceman, with the C, playing top line minutes at the age of 38. Who he plays with is pure guesswork, but Strachan knows exactly what Pavel Gomenyuk will give him and so expect Neumeier to play the defensive defenceman role with Gomenyuk there to rack up points similar to his 22 points in 53 games in 06/07 with the Rays. An out and out offensive defenceman in the mould of Kevin Young or Craig Minard seems to be the most obvious omission in the Stingrays squad at this point, so for the time begin Gomenyuk will have to take that slot.
The second line D could go one of two ways. With Jonathan Bernier expected to be the most active fighter on the Stingrays, Paul Moran may begin on the 2nd line with Stuart Kerr. Either that, or Bernier and Kerr will be paired up until someone (most likely Bernier) gets sent to the box, at which point Moran will replace them. However, another capable British defenceman in the shape of Richie Thornton, or someone similar, wouldn't go a miss.
