Two annual constants - Auld Lang Syne on New Years Eve and the Blues threatening to move Backes to the wing - got me thinking. Anyone know of recent players to successfully make that switch? I know Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich came into the league as centers and were developed for the wing, but I'm at a loss for anything recent.

Backes has already played RW for extended periods of times during his NHL career.

I'm aware. My question was more about recent NHL history, not just Backes.

Yeah, I think Backes broke into the league at RW and then developed as a center instead of the way you described it. I can't think of any recent case scenarios but I'm sure they're out there.

Oshie and Steen.

I believe Scott Fartsmell and Phil Kessel came into the league as a centers. Could be wrong though.

It's a tough question to ask because it's not something people really notice unless you're following the specific team.

It's not like other sports where a guy goes from a pitcher to a hitter or a QB to WR.

Flyers are thinking of moving Ganger to RW.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=7736 ... l:topheads" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fred Garvin wrote:I believe Scott Fartsmell and Phil Kessel came into the league as a centers. Could be wrong though.

It's a tough question to ask because it's not something people really notice unless you're following the specific team.

It's not like other sports where a guy goes from a pitcher to a hitter or a QB to WR.

Great point.

I always thought it was a mistake to use Lindros as a center. A lot of his shortcomings could have been mitigated as a W, possibly even prolonging his career.

I remember a few years back the Blackcocks moved Kane to Center and rolled with that for a little while. They obviously moved him back to wing.

Demitra did well at both. Point is, there are a LOT of centers that make the switch to wing at the NHL level, not so for the opposite. Backes is actually the very rare exception.

Stan Mikita did okay moving from wing to center IIRC

SickMittsRomKnee wrote:Two annual constants - Auld Lang Syne on New Years Eve and the Blues threatening to move Backes to the wing - got me thinking. Anyone know of recent players to successfully make that switch? I know Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich came into the league as centers and were developed for the wing, but I'm at a loss for anything recent.

I'm late to the party so I do apologize if this has been discussed already.

But where did you read this/hear about this?

Not calling you out, genuinely curious

Ozzies09tc wrote:

SickMittsRomKnee wrote:Two annual constants - Auld Lang Syne on New Years Eve and the Blues threatening to move Backes to the wing - got me thinking. Anyone know of recent players to successfully make that switch? I know Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich came into the league as centers and were developed for the wing, but I'm at a loss for anything recent.

I'm late to the party so I do apologize if this has been discussed already.

But where did you read this/hear about this?

Not calling you out, genuinely curious

Hitch told JR in an article in the paper that "Backes will be playing wing more than he ever has in my time here."

UMSLBlues12 wrote:

Ozzies09tc wrote:

SickMittsRomKnee wrote:Two annual constants - Auld Lang Syne on New Years Eve and the Blues threatening to move Backes to the wing - got me thinking. Anyone know of recent players to successfully make that switch? I know Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich came into the league as centers and were developed for the wing, but I'm at a loss for anything recent.

I'm late to the party so I do apologize if this has been discussed already.

But where did you read this/hear about this?

Not calling you out, genuinely curious

Hitch told JR in an article in the paper that "Backes will be playing wing more than he ever has in my time here."

Thank freaking any higher power!

UMSLBlues12 wrote:

Ozzies09tc wrote:

SickMittsRomKnee wrote:Two annual constants - Auld Lang Syne on New Years Eve and the Blues threatening to move Backes to the wing - got me thinking. Anyone know of recent players to successfully make that switch? I know Bobby Hull and Frank Mahovlich came into the league as centers and were developed for the wing, but I'm at a loss for anything recent.

I'm late to the party so I do apologize if this has been discussed already.

But where did you read this/hear about this?

Not calling you out, genuinely curious

Hitch told JR in an article in the paper that "Backes will be playing wing more than he ever has in my time here."

Did he say it like he came up with that all by himself? I'd like to think our voices were finally heard.

Man in the box wrote:

UMSLBlues12 wrote:

Ozzies09tc wrote:

I'm late to the party so I do apologize if this has been discussed already.

But where did you read this/hear about this?

Not calling you out, genuinely curious

Hitch told JR in an article in the paper that "Backes will be playing wing more than he ever has in my time here."

Did he say it like he came up with that all by himself? I'd like to think our voices were finally heard.[/quote]

This is the full-er quote:

The Blues have toyed with the idea of playing Backes at right wing more often for many years and not followed through on it. They have the same intentions going into next season, but it will be predicated on the readiness of a few prospects.

“We’re certainly thinking about it,” Hitchcock said. “I think where we play David now depends on (Dmitrij) Jaskin, (Ty) Rattie and (Robby) Fabbri. How they do in camp and what level of play we think they can arrive at will determine how much we play David on the right wing.

“I can tell you right now, (Backes) is going to play more right wing than he’s played since I got here. Whether he’s a full-time player there or not, we don’t know yet. That depends on those three young kids.”

UMSLBlues12 wrote: This is the full-er quote:

The Blues have toyed with the idea of playing Backes at right wing more often for many years and not followed through on it. They have the same intentions going into next season, but it will be predicated on the readiness of a few prospects.

“We’re certainly thinking about it,” Hitchcock said. “I think where we play David now depends on (Dmitrij) Jaskin, (Ty) Rattie and (Robby) Fabbri. How they do in camp and what level of play we think they can arrive at will determine how much we play David on the right wing.

“I can tell you right now, (Backes) is going to play more right wing than he’s played since I got here. Whether he’s a full-time player there or not, we don’t know yet. That depends on those three young kids.”

Think about all that for a minute. Hitch kind of painted himself in a corner here. The only way Backes should be centering a line based on the above criteria is if one of Jaskin, Rattie, and/or Fabbri make it in the top six group of forwards. But why can't one or more of those young guys play on the third line while keeping Backes as top 6 RW? That really also hinges on how well the new guys fit in - Brouwer and Brodziak. Sort of unfair to set the expectation that high that any of the kids can just jump right into that sort of ice time being handed out. Let's be realistic here.

Putting Backes as a Top 6 winger while our third line rolls with Berglund, Brouwer, and Jaskin seems pretty lopsided and leaves us top heavy on the first two lines. I think I'd rather put Jaskin as a Top 6 guy and let Backes stay at center with Berglund and Brouwer. That'd be a beast of a "third" line to play against, and you're maximizing Jaskin's scoring chances by putting him with better players.

I'm skeptical of Rattie and Fabbri looking ready. Fabbri I think gets the full 9 game tryout and maybe stays up until the WJC just practicing with the big club. Rattie is a big question mark, as is MPS for that matter. Not sure where they fit unless Jaskin falters or Berglund is moved.

But without another roster move I'd probably run these lines:

Steen / Lehtera / Tarasenko
Schwartz / Stastny / Jaskin or Brouwer
Berglund / Backes / Brouwer or Jaskin

When you really want to put your best offensive foot forward in key moments then you can move Backes up with Stastny and Schwartz and use Berglund as the 3C.

never leave your wingman.

bluetuned wrote:Putting Backes as a Top 6 winger while our third line rolls with Berglund, Brouwer, and Jaskin seems pretty lopsided and leaves us top heavy on the first two lines. I think I'd rather put Jaskin as a Top 6 guy and let Backes stay at center with Berglund and Brouwer. That'd be a beast of a "third" line to play against, and you're maximizing Jaskin's scoring chances by putting him with better players.

I'm skeptical of Rattie and Fabbri looking ready. Fabbri I think gets the full 9 game tryout and maybe stays up until the WJC just practicing with the big club. Rattie is a big question mark, as is MPS for that matter. Not sure where they fit unless Jaskin falters or Berglund is moved.

But without another roster move I'd probably run these lines:

Steen / Lehtera / Tarasenko
Schwartz / Stastny / Jaskin or Brouwer
Berglund / Backes / Brouwer or Jaskin

When you really want to put your best offensive foot forward in key moments then you can move Backes up with Stastny and Schwartz and use Berglund as the 3C.

Brother, think the world of ya, but couldn't disagree more. The Cardinal Rule in hockey coaching is surround your centers with like skill, or with skill that compliments their playing style. We have a 70pt center in Paul, a 60+ point LWer in Jaden, so IMO there is no way we put a 60pt, top 5 NHL power forward on the 3rd line, and settle a 30pt kid on the RW. Not saying Jaskin couldn't be up to the challenge, but I would wait until he puts in 40+ points on the 3rd line before I even consider it.

I look at it this way, Paul and Jaskin had a long stint this last season, and the kid did well scoring 13 goals, but Paul had an off year, partially due to injury, but also due to the fact that Dimitri just wasn't capable of sustaining offensive pressure, as he's still learning how to be a power forward. IMO, if we're spending $7 million for a top center, give him the tools to be just that. Besides, playing on a line with Brouwer and Berglund will only help the kid understand how to keep possession (Berglund and Brouwer), and maximize his physical capabilities without being a liability (Brouwer).

blueslifer wrote:

UMSLBlues12 wrote: This is the full-er quote:

The Blues have toyed with the idea of playing Backes at right wing more often for many years and not followed through on it. They have the same intentions going into next season, but it will be predicated on the readiness of a few prospects.

“We’re certainly thinking about it,” Hitchcock said. “I think where we play David now depends on (Dmitrij) Jaskin, (Ty) Rattie and (Robby) Fabbri. How they do in camp and what level of play we think they can arrive at will determine how much we play David on the right wing.

“I can tell you right now, (Backes) is going to play more right wing than he’s played since I got here. Whether he’s a full-time player there or not, we don’t know yet. That depends on those three young kids.”

Think about all that for a minute. Hitch kind of painted himself in a corner here. The only way Backes should be centering a line based on the above criteria is if one of Jaskin, Rattie, and/or Fabbri make it in the top six group of forwards. But why can't one or more of those young guys play on the third line while keeping Backes as top 6 RW? That really also hinges on how well the new guys fit in - Brouwer and Brodziak. Sort of unfair to set the expectation that high that any of the kids can just jump right into that sort of ice time being handed out. Let's be realistic here.

I really, really think (yes, two really's) that Hitch is just letting David know that he better get used to the idea of playing RW. David prides himself on his pivot play, but unless one of Fabbri or Jaskin scores double digit goals in preseason play, I just don't see it happening.

The bigger battle will be on the 3rd line, as Brouwer will be on that line, but I don't rule out a kid beating out Berglund on that left side. We could very well see Brouwer with two kids, OR Brodziak with Brouwer and a kid.

Hockey Pete wrote:

bluetuned wrote:Putting Backes as a Top 6 winger while our third line rolls with Berglund, Brouwer, and Jaskin seems pretty lopsided and leaves us top heavy on the first two lines. I think I'd rather put Jaskin as a Top 6 guy and let Backes stay at center with Berglund and Brouwer. That'd be a beast of a "third" line to play against, and you're maximizing Jaskin's scoring chances by putting him with better players.

I'm skeptical of Rattie and Fabbri looking ready. Fabbri I think gets the full 9 game tryout and maybe stays up until the WJC just practicing with the big club. Rattie is a big question mark, as is MPS for that matter. Not sure where they fit unless Jaskin falters or Berglund is moved.

But without another roster move I'd probably run these lines:

Steen / Lehtera / Tarasenko
Schwartz / Stastny / Jaskin or Brouwer
Berglund / Backes / Brouwer or Jaskin

When you really want to put your best offensive foot forward in key moments then you can move Backes up with Stastny and Schwartz and use Berglund as the 3C.

Brother, think the world of ya, but couldn't disagree more. The Cardinal Rule in hockey coaching is surround your centers with like skill, or with skill that compliments their playing style. We have a 70pt center in Paul, a 60+ point LWer in Jaden, so IMO there is no way we put a 60pt, top 5 NHL power forward on the 3rd line, and settle a 30pt kid on the RW. Not saying Jaskin couldn't be up to the challenge, but I would wait until he puts in 40+ points on the 3rd line before I even consider it.

I look at it this way, Paul and Jaskin had a long stint this last season, and the kid did well scoring 13 goals, but Paul had an off year, partially due to injury, but also due to the fact that Dimitri just wasn't capable of sustaining offensive pressure, as he's still learning how to be a power forward. IMO, if we're spending $7 million for a top center, give him the tools to be just that. Besides, playing on a line with Brouwer and Berglund will only help the kid understand how to keep possession (Berglund and Brouwer), and maximize his physical capabilities without being a liability (Brouwer).

I agree with Pete wholeheartedly.

Another point, it's not really fair to a player to ask them to keep switching roles throughout the season. OK, so David, this week we need you centering the "yellow" line and play shut-down center against the other teams top line. Next week, you're going to be creating offense, net-front presence, and physicality off the wing. Then when you settle into that role we'll switch it up again. That's a good way to get a mediocre performance from someone who is capable of much more. Put the player in a defined role and you'll get the most out of them.

Hockey Pete wrote:

blueslifer wrote:

UMSLBlues12 wrote: This is the full-er quote:

The Blues have toyed with the idea of playing Backes at right wing more often for many years and not followed through on it. They have the same intentions going into next season, but it will be predicated on the readiness of a few prospects.

“We’re certainly thinking about it,” Hitchcock said. “I think where we play David now depends on (Dmitrij) Jaskin, (Ty) Rattie and (Robby) Fabbri. How they do in camp and what level of play we think they can arrive at will determine how much we play David on the right wing.

“I can tell you right now, (Backes) is going to play more right wing than he’s played since I got here. Whether he’s a full-time player there or not, we don’t know yet. That depends on those three young kids.”

Think about all that for a minute. Hitch kind of painted himself in a corner here. The only way Backes should be centering a line based on the above criteria is if one of Jaskin, Rattie, and/or Fabbri make it in the top six group of forwards. But why can't one or more of those young guys play on the third line while keeping Backes as top 6 RW? That really also hinges on how well the new guys fit in - Brouwer and Brodziak. Sort of unfair to set the expectation that high that any of the kids can just jump right into that sort of ice time being handed out. Let's be realistic here.

I really, really think (yes, two really's) that Hitch is just letting David know that he better get used to the idea of playing RW. David prides himself on his pivot play, but unless one of Fabbri or Jaskin scores double digit goals in preseason play, I just don't see it happening.

The bigger battle will be on the 3rd line, as Brouwer will be on that line, but I don't rule out a kid beating out Berglund on that left side. We could very well see Brouwer with two kids, OR Brodziak with Brouwer and a kid.

The way I see it, barring any more moves, the third line will be Berglund and Brouwer penciled in as regulars, with Jaskin, Rattie, Fabbri, and even MPS all fighting for the last wing position on the third line. Everything else is probably already set in stone. Top 6 is set (Steen, Lehtera, Tarasenko, Schwartz, Stastny, Backes), fourth line is set (Ott, Brodziak, Reaves). Jaskin is clearly the front-runner for the last spot if he picks up where he left off. Rattie didn't really progress much last year so I expect to see him going back to Chicago for another full season or injury callup. Fabbri is the one who should make for a difficult choice to be made. MPS can be an extra or in Chicago, either way. If Berglund can be moved this all changes, but so far that hasn't worked out.