A quick look at Brett Howden on the wing

One of the first big coaching decisions coach David Quinn has made with his young roster is to move Brett Howden from center to wing. This first happened in Game 35 against the Ducks, and Howden has stayed there since. It’s a move that I had speculated needed to happen over the summer, and with his struggles defensively, taking away some of that burden was the smart move.

Since that move 11 games ago, Howden has visually appeared better and more comfortable. He’s certainly less noticeable in the defensive zone, which is a compliment all things considered. His xGF% on a game-by-game basis has fluctuated wildly from a high of 83.86% against Anaheim in that first game to a low of of 1.05%…