Strong individual performances are one thing to get you noticed during Training Camp and preseason, but the ability to serve in different roles that can help the team moving forward could wind up playing a bigger factor in winning a player a spot on opening night.
You need goal scorers and playmakers to be successful in this League, but you also require role players who can be effective on the penalty kill or thrive in a bottom-six deployment. Knoblauch is keenly interested in keeping the players who fill a need, because there’s plenty of offensive weapons on this squad that’s been to two straight Stanley Cup Finals.
“There are going to be difficult decisions to make,” he said. “A lot of guys are playing really well, and you've got roles and responsibilities to think about. One player might be a little bit better five-on-five, but if the other player serves more of a purpose, whether it's face-offs, penalty kill, physicality, speed, whatever we need a little more of, then maybe you go with that.
“But I think we've got a lot of difficult decisions coming up, and we're early on in the pre-season schedule right now, and it usually plays out and you get a better feel because usually one guy or somebody that you're not expecting very much out of has a really strong game.
“But you want to see that over several games rather than just making that rash decision because things are going to get a little more difficult, things are getting a little faster, and then we'll see if they're ready for the regular season.”
