Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
It does look like he's got more jump in his step after being put back to center.
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Oh, I agree - he definitely likes it better. I will say it again, I thought he'd handle wing OK (look how he scores his goals - busting off the wing). And I thought his defensive play would approximate what Lindholm adds. But he always seemed to be getting in Monahan's way - playing too close to the middle.
I guess, unlike Lindholm, Backlund has been playing C non-stop since before the NHL. Lindholm was often a wing in Carolina IIRC. In fact, IIRC, the notion was that he was underused there because of that.
Anyway, it's nice. And like I said in before, if certain players enjoy a resurgence, it's almost like doing a good trade deadline deal. Traded meh Backlund for good Backlund. Think about the possibilities if Gio and Hamonic come back refreshed? Or if JG and Monahan explode. Or even if Jankowski and Bennett start to play to potential.