Erik Erlendsson of LightningInsider.com stops by to answer a few questions on Brian Boyle in wake of the trade to Toronto.
Erlendsson has been the go-to beat reporter for all things Lightning since 2001-02, first at the Tampa Tribune and now over at his own site, LightningInsider.com (support Erik here).
How much time has Boyle spent at center versus the wing? How has his role morphed throughout the season? It looks like he’s spent a lot of time on Filppula’s wing.
Erlendson: He’s played left wing when on Filppula’s line; a combination that was sort of thrown together around December, with Drouin playing right wing, as the injury bug really started to hit the forward group. Boyle started the season pretty much at center in a normal penalty kill rotation as a third-fourth line center, but has been locked in at wing pretty much since December. He has gone from a role player to a legitimate top-nine forward who can play in any situation, including being a net-front presence on the powerplay.
At which position did you prefer him?
Erlendsson: He’s more natural at center, where he doesn’t have to endure so many starts and stops.
Did you get a sense the team put a lot of effort into a contract extension?
Erlendsson: I’m told there were some discussions on this front in recent weeks, though I’m not sure how far along they were able to get in that process.
What was his role on the powerplay? How did he look there?
Erlendsson: He was the net front presence, and with his big frame proved very effective. One of the area he doesn’t get a lot of credit for is how good his hands are around the net. He’s pretty good at tipping pucks and has some quick hands around the net for retrievals and rebound chances.
At 53% in the faceoff circle, was he somebody Jon Cooper relied on for key draws, even when playing a regular shift on the wing?
Erlendsson: When he and Filppula were on the ice together, Filppula often took the draws, but he is a key guy for defensive zone draws, particularly on the penalty kill.
Boyle is a player who has put a tonne of work into his skating to get here, specifically with current Leafs skating coach Barb Underhill. How has it held up the past few seasons as he’s aged into his 30s?
Erlendsson: He’s been able to play on a line with Jonathan Drouin for good stretches of the season. There’s probably no better endorsement for his skating than that.
What was your sense of how influential of a leader he was in the dressing room during some of the Lightning’s deep playoff runs? They were a fairly young team overall much like the Leafs.
Erlendsson: One of the reasons he was brought to Tampa was for his leadership abilities. He has periodically worn an A, something the coaching staff has rotated for most of the past three years, so that’s what they thought of his abilities there. But this season they really came through in the absence of Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan for most of the season. He may not have been one of the primary leaders, but his voice carried weight in the room.
