Playing on their off side can turn out to be the right side for some blueliners
Rasmus Dahlin is comfortable feeling slightly uncomfortable.
The Buffalo Sabres all-star defenceman actually enjoys it.
A left-shooting Swede, Dahlin has staked his claim to the right side of the ice on his club's top pair the last few seasons.
It was an adjustment — and a move that isn't for everyone.
“If you're on a team with a lot of lefties someone's got to do it, right?” he joked. “But I like it. When you have the puck on your forehand on the right side, you see the whole ice.”
Dahlin's point is well made on available personnel. Most NHL coaches prefer an even lefty-righty mix on the blue line, but that's often not possible.
For whatever reason, the majority of hockey players shoot left instead of right.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, dressed six left-shooting defencemen Tuesday because of injury against Vegas.
The Golden Knights, meanwhile, had five of six blueliners on their natural sides, with the offensively gifted Shea Theodore the only outlier for the defending Stanley Cup champions as a lefty on the right.
The blue-line balance discussion takes up a lot of oxygen, but what are the potential benefits and pitfalls on the off side?
“It's challenging,” said Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly, who volunteered to slide over Tuesday with Toronto in a bind. “It has pros and cons. In the offensive zone, it's a bit easier to walk the blue line. But if the puck comes up the boards ... you've got to take it on your backhand.
“It's just how your body position is compared to the rest of the ice.”
Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar shoots right and plays on the right, but enjoyed time on his off side in junior.
“I like the transition game,” said the 2022 Norris Trophy winner. “Especially as a young kid coming up, it's so important to not just play one side. Whether it's the pivoting, opening the hips or that vision to see both sides of the ice.
“A huge key in today's game is versatility.”
The reality is, however, many defencemen stick to one side, while forwards tend to have an easier time flipping positions.
And the defensive zone — especially when quick decisions with the puck are required — is where things can get hairy for a player not accustomed to that mirror-image perspective.
“You have to get it to your forehand or you have to manage real tough situations where you're on your backhand,” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Any time the puck's along the boards, it's certainly more challenging.”