As Alex Turcotte regains his health, the question lingers: Where does he slide back in? He's proven to be an excellent complement on the wing and a capable play driver down the middle.
LA will again have the option to plug players in and out at center or wing, particularly on the top line. This season, the Kings are finally showcasing the depth and promise of their forward prospects. They can ice Turcotte, Quinton Byfield, and Akil Thomas at either wing or center.
So, who will play next to Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe? It should come down to just two players. I'll state their cases here.
Turcotte hasn't played on the top line nearly as much as Byfield. As the last two seasons unfolded, Byfield became a mainstay on the top line, forming a trio that was one of the very best in the league. This season, however, his transition to center was made a top priority.
That didn't work out as planned early on. Byfield found himself back on the top line as a winger, and their numbers haven't been as elite as seasons past. In 55:28 minutes together at five-on-five, they've carried a 51.4 Corsi % and have outscored opponents 6-4 while being outshot 29-25.
Byfield has shown more promise being back at center next to Warren Foegele and the Kings' leading goal scorer, Alex Laferriere. They've posted excellent numbers prior to the Colorado Avalanche game. In that game, their overall numbers cratered. In 7:21 total minutes in that contest, they carried a 7.69 (!) Corsi % while being outshot 7-0.
Seeing a lot of Nathan Mackinnon will do that, as Jared Bednar used his home matchups to punish the Byfield line. Those numbers diluted what had been a productive line prior. The Byfield line had a tough night against arguably the best line in the entire league. They had carried play prior to that game and should stay together moving forward.
Turcotte has slightly better numbers on the top line as the winger. In 27:25 total minutes together, they have 52.83 Corsi %, outscoring opponents 2-1 and outshooting opponents 11-9. There is nothing elite here, just an above-average productive line.
So, being Jim Hiller, do you keep the team's previous course before the Turcotte injury, or send Samuel Helenius back down and put Turcotte back at center on the fourth line? Maybe Thomas gets a shot at the top line?
Keep a keen eye on practices moving forward, as they could reflect the plans once Turcotte becomes integrated into the lineup. Once set, the structure will be clear for the forward group.