One fateful night in late March, after everyone thought he was a Boston Bruin, an event occurred at approximately 1 AM that I will never forget. Jarome Iginla became a Pittsburgh Penguin. I spent months convinced that the trade was going to happen, and when it finally did I couldn't contain myself. Let's just say that I'm glad that no one saw the embarrassing dance I performed upon opening my laptop the next morning.
The Pensblog expertly and hilariously covered the event here, here, here, here, and here.
However, since his arrival, coach Dan Bylsma has insisted on playing him almost exclusively on the left wing of Evgeni Malkin. Iginla already is a surefire first ballot hall of famer for his 17 seasons played at wait for it..... the right wing.
While this might not seem like that big of a deal, it is extremely noticeable on the ice. The few games he played on the right wing being centered by either Sidney Crosby or Jussi Jokinen have shown, despite what Iginla may say to the contrary, him playing a much more comfortable game.
This all leads to the main point of this post. Dejan Kovacevic over at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote an excellent article asking the question many, including myself, are thinking at this point - If the Penguins aren't going to play Iginla at his natural position, why did they even bother trading for him at all?
It's a very well written article and definitely worth checking out at the Trib's website.
UPDATE: After scoring two goals in last night's game, Jarome Iginla can play wherever he wants. Just keep scoring.
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