Robert Bortuzzo Is Practicing As A Forward

Buoyed by his one game of success with the Magnus Paajarvi Experiment, it looks like Ken Hitchcock is getting more avant-garde with his line configurations. Unable to regularly work Robert Bortuzzo into the line-up on defense, Hitch is doing what any of us would do.

Bort's been practicing as a forward.

From Jeremy Rutherford's Bluenotes:

"He’s got some quickness moving forward and he’s a pretty smart player," Hitchcock said. "I told him (Tuesday) to start taking some shifts (in practice), take some of the action that a right winger does."

These are the players that the Blues have available regularly at right wing: Dmitrij Jaskin, Ryan Reaves, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Scotty Upshall. Out of those, Bortuzzo would most appropriately replace Reaves in the line-up, which means get ready for Jaskin sitting Saturday against Dallas*.

Is this just Hitchcock messing around with stuff for shits and giggles? Does he legitimately feel that Bortuzzo would be well utilized at right wing? Does he think that the Blues' crop of right wingers has someone who is less capable at that position that Bort? Is Hitch serious? Is he desperate?

Or is he just screwing with everyone?

*I'm being sarcastic, but admit it - you can see this happening.