ELMONT, N.Y. — Rookie Connor Bedard skated on the wing Saturday and will do so again Tuesday.
The Blackhawks don’t intend for this to be seen as a long-term position change, however. As has been the case with many Bedard-related storylines this season, his shift from center to wing is being analyzed more deeply than it probably should be.
Coach Luke Richardson simply wanted to put his top three even-strength goal-scorers — Bedard (with 18), Jason Dickinson (also with 18) and Philipp Kurashev (with 11) — on a line together, and Dickinson was the most logical choice to center the trio.
Then the Hawks routed the Flyers 5-1, giving Richardson no good reason to shuffle anything heading into the matchup Tuesday against the Islanders.
‘‘We just felt like [it was] three smart hockey players,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘It’s just to get a good look at it. I liked the result last game. Not only did they score a nice rush goal, they created a few other [rushes] that we showed this morning on video and were good in the [defensive] zone.
‘‘It’s not necessarily [a] long-term [thing] for Connor, being on the wing. It’s just sometimes where he starts out.’’
Assigned positions are most noticeable and cemented on faceoffs, and those are the situations where Dickinson’s presence should benefit Bedard most.
Dickinson has taken by far the most draws of any Hawks forward this season and has won 50.4% of them. Bedard, conversely, has won only 39% of his draws. Rookies universally struggle in this category, so Bedard’s poor percentage isn’t hugely concerning, but it does bother him.
‘‘It’s definitely something I need to get better at,’’ Bedard said. ‘‘There’s some games you feel good and some games you’re going 0-for-10. . . . It’s frustrating when you’re out there and you keep giving them possession.’’
Against the Flyers, Dickinson won eight of his 14 faceoffs; Bedard, meanwhile, didn’t take a single one for the first time all season. Because Bedard is a right-handed shot and Dickinson is a left-handed shot, however, they’ve been authorized to decide between themselves who should take faceoffs on the right side of the ice (Bedard’s strong side).
Dickinson’s defensive reliability also should help Bedard, who has been prone to miscues and breakdowns in his own zone, but that fact isn’t really related to their positions.
In the Hawks’ system, the first forward to get back into the defensive zone on the backcheck automatically assumes the ‘‘low man’’ role in their structure — whether that man is the center or not — even though that role traditionally is performed by the center. Then the second and third forwards back-protect the slot and provide support on the puck side, respectively.
Because Bedard often is occupied trying to make creative plays deep in the offensive zone, he’s rarely the first forward back, meaning he already is accustomed to assuming one of the defensive roles traditionally performed by wingers. That won’t change now. Having Dickinson as a linemate just covers for his weaknesses.
‘‘Dickinson makes it pretty easy,’’ Bedard said. ‘‘He’s one of the best players in his own end in the league. A lot of the time, I think we probably want him down there instead of me.’’
Positions in the Hawks’ system are similarly fluid on breakouts and rushes, so this switch also shouldn’t change things much
for Bedard in that aspect.
‘‘Connor lots of times has the puck, and we like our puck-carrying guy to be in the middle and distributing pucks either way, so that works out for him,’’ Richardson said.
Bedard and Dickinson have spent about 37 minutes of five-on-five time together this season, 11 of which came Saturday. They might remain attached for the rest of the season, or they might get separated this week. Nothing about this experiment appears to be permanent.
