COMRIE’S ROLE UP IN THE AIR

Don’t assume that Mike Comrie was signed to play wing alongside either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. It could happen, but Comrie is also a strong possibility to center the third line.

Other moves being considered are:

*Malkin and Jordan Staal will play together, but Malkin will be the one moving to wing, specifically right wing. Matt Cooke may round out that line, the better to maximize possession down low and create space for Malkin. Malkin operates well out of scrambles.

*Eric Tangradi is being mooted as a third-liner at the start of his NHL career. I believe that would be a mistake. Yeah, it worked with Jaromir Jagr. But it didn’t work with Aleksey Morozov. Morozov spent so much time playing on the third and fourth lines, he ultimately became a third- or fourth-liner. His style morphed, and not for the better. Talent-wise, Tangradi is a lot closer to Morozov than Jagr. Stylistically, Tangradi has a lot more grit than either.