Where in the world is J.P. Dumont?

by Dirk Hoag on Feb 3, 2010 3:53 PM EST

Besides providing further information on the roster shuffling on defense, John Glennon's afternoon update today includes a look at some new lines at practice today:

Not too much else going on today for the Predators, aside from a little line tinkering. Preds coach Barry Trotz reunited one trio that was effective earlier in the season - Jordin Tootoo, Marcel Goc and Martin Erat. Here's what the lines looked like at practice today:

Sullivan-Arnott-Hornqvist

Smithson-Legwand-Ward

Tootoo-Goc-Erat

Jones-O'Reilly-Dumont

My question is, what has J.P. Dumont done to deserve getting dumped further and further down the depth chart like this?

J.P. Dumont

#71 / Right Wing / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-1

Weight: 219

Born: Apr 01, 1978

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - J.P. Dumont	47	9	24	33	10	16	1	1	3	0	73	12.3

Despite nearly identical basic stats as Steve Sullivan, for example, Dumont hasn't had a chance to play regularly alongside Jason Arnott for a long time.

Take a look at how J.P.'s Total Ice Time and Power Play Ice Time have gone this season on a game-by-game basis in the chart below. It appears that both are on a downward trend in recent weeks:

Given that J.P. is the #2 player on the team in terms of Points per 60 minutes of 5-on-4 play, and 4th on the team in Points per 60 minutes in 5-on-5, shouldn't he be playing a more prominent role? At the very least, I'm struck that we haven't seen more of the Sullivan-Arnott-Dumont line which carried the team in the 2nd half of last season.

Is anybody else surprised by Dumont's freefall through the lineup lately?

UPDATE: In Thursday's night's win over Colorado, Dumont got only 8:45 of ice time, his lowest since the first game of the season, when he got knocked out of the game in the 2nd period. Playing on that line with O'Reilly and Jones, J.P. got just 4 shifts in each of the first two periods, and 3 in the third. Very odd stuff here...

Poll

Should J.P. Dumont be moved back to a prominent offensive line?

No

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Yes

100 votes

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Comments

Interesting Point

While Barry is known to mix up his lines with the hope of finding some chemistry, this is slightly ridiculous. Maybe Barry’s just trying to give the young guys a chance to play with a vet, but to decrease the playing time of a guy who is tied for the scoring lead that significantly looks to me like Barry knows something we don’t…I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
-Matt B

by Predfan14 on Feb 3, 2010 5:13 PM EST reply actions

The only reason I can see for not having Dumont on the top line is that Trotz wants Horny in the right winger slot.
I think that he could produce on the line that he’s currently on if O’Reilly and Dumont can ditch the pass first mentality. The line has potential because both those guys have decent shots and Jones is happy to stand in front of the net for rebounds. My gut says that line exists because Trotz has no reason to punish Dumont, but he also doesn’t want to significantly alter the other three lines.

I also look at that line-up and wonder where Wilson fits in the overall scheme of things.

VP of the Coalition to Bench Arnott

by 3DLink on Feb 3, 2010 5:42 PM EST reply actions

The Reason

the reason that he isn’t producing is because we have him on the third line. For some reason, Trotz seems to think there is more chemistry between Sully and Arnott, even though Sully missed 2 years of action while Arnott and Dumont were constantly working together. Now, without Arnott-Dumont chemistry, neither players are producing. Try and reunite the top line Sullivan-Arnot-Dumont and see what happens.

by Samourai on Feb 3, 2010 5:48 PM EST reply actions