VOORHEES, N.J. — It may be a surprise to some, but Brayden Schenn has spent two-thirds of his Flyers career in a position the club didn’t envision him being.
Mostly left wing, some right wing.
On Tuesday night against the Bruins, Schenn, for only the 116th time in his 336 games as a Flyer, was at his natural position — center.
His wingers were Chris VandeVelde and Roman Lyubimov.
That unit was formed Sunday night against Calgary and the line responded with two goals in a 5-3 win over the Flames.
Tuesday against the Bruins, his new line, plus every other Flyers line for that matter, did little during a 3-2 shootout victory in which Steve Mason was the ultimate difference.
Schenn was moved again Tuesday, this time between Matt Read and Dale Weise in the second period.
That was short-lived.
During Wednesday’s practice at Flyers Skate Zone, Schenn was between Travis Konecny and Wayne Simmonds.
“We’ll just try to play responsible at both ends of the ice,” Schenn said of this latest change with a tad of annoyance in his voice. “Both guys are capable of making a lot of plays.
“Hopefully, this gives us some more 5-on-5 scoring. I’m at the center spot and playing with two great wingers. Hopefully, the three of us can click and make it happen.”
This has become the “Schenn Shuffle.”
“Every day, you guys get to come and talk about it, eh,” Schenn said with a laugh. “It’s something to write about. It is what it is. I try not to change my game.”
Bottom line?
Schenn has been dropped down from Claude Giroux’s top unit. Most players would view that as a demotion. Yet in Schenn’s case, he’s playing where he’s most comfortable — in the middle.
“Center is a natural, comfortable position for me,” Schenn said. “It was a good adjustment to get me off the wing. It wasn’t working. I wasn’t moving my feet enough. Center gets me in the middle of the ice and moving around more.”
Flyers coach Dave Hakstol was blunt earlier this week in admitting why he had to make the change initially. He said Giroux had not been getting enough chances with the puck on his line with Schenn and Jakub Voracek.
Things worked well in the beginning of the season for the trio, but Giroux went seven consecutive games recently without a goal before Hakstol moved Schenn off the line.
“I wanted to move Brayden back to the middle,” Hakstol said. “I thought he, Luby and Vandy could be an effective combination.”
Hakstol said his latest lines Wednesday may or may not present themselves when the Flyers play in Ottawa on Thursday.
“We did a little re-arranging [Tuesday] during the game,” Hakstol said. “With Coots (Sean Couturier) out of the lineup over the next little bit, we’re still looking for ways to improve our group 5-on-5 and that’s one way we can look at.
“I haven’t made a final decision what our lineup will be yet. That’s a real legitimate consideration to have Brayden in that spot there.”
Hakstol changed his lines around in the second and third periods Tuesday, as the Flyers had no energy anywhere.
“We moved around all over,” Schenn said. “I spent the first period with Luby and VandeVelde and then with Reader and Weiser. The first period went well, but he was looking to change something up.”
Schenn remains diplomatic when asked whether he would prefer to be a winger on the first line or having his own line.
“I’m happy to be playing center,” he said. “It is what it is. You go out and do your job and not worry about anything else.
“Everyone has to buy in around here. As long as it results in wins, that is all that matters.”