Since Elias Lindholm turned out to be a natural fit alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, the Flames haven’t had any problems with their first line. Their second line, though, has featured a rotating cast of right wingers – one that Michael Frolik seems to have laid a claim to, however long that lasts.
Matthew Tkachuk and Mikael Backlund are the undisputed regulars of the second line, but so far this season, they’ve also spent extensive time alongside Frolik (172:21 5v5 minutes), Sam Bennett (161:22), James Neal (75:19), and Austin Czarnik (71:07).
None of the four forwards have been able to solidify the spot as their right winger: Frolik has spent much of the season playing further down the lineup (when he wasn’t injured for a month, at least); Bennett has bounced around the middle six; Neal has been unable to land a spot in the top six, even though that’s where most would have thought he’d end up after signing with the Flames in free agency; and Czarnik, the original choice, has had a tough time regularly dressing in games to begin with.