For Trevor Murphy, it was the opportunity to find new ways to contribute while stepping into a situation that’s worked for him before.
For Kevin Ekman-Larsson, it meant going from regular scratch to everyday player.
And for the Tucson Roadrunners, it was a way to stay within striking distance in the AHL’s Pacific Division.
Over the last month, the Roadrunners have found themselves understandably short on bodies up front, thanks to a combination of call-ups and injuries. They’ve lost the combined 19 goals and 48 points from Mario Kempe, Conor Garland and Michael Bunting, all who were called up to the NHL. David Ullstrom and his six goals have been sidelined since Nov. 25.
That’s where Murphy and Ekman-Larsson come in. Defensemen by trade, both spent a decent amount of time at forward as the Roadrunners (16-8-3-1) went on their most successful streak of the season, and then, most recently, fought back into the win column after losing three straight.
“The biggest difference,” Ekman-Larsson said with a laugh, “I’ve been practicing my entire life to skate backward. Now I need to skate forward all the time.”
Joking aside, Ekman-Larsson said that playing forward versus defense is “different, but fun. You forecheck, you hit the (defensemen). You get a better chance to score.”
Garland, Bunting and goaltender Adin Hill have been recalled to the NHL’s Coyotes, then reassigned to Tucson, then recalled, reassigned and yet again recalled. It’s probable, then, that the Roadrunners will be without their services when Tucson takes the home ice Friday and Saturday for a pair of matchups with the Stockton Heat (13-3-3-0).
That means the time up front for Ekman-Larsson, in particular, will probably continue at Tucson Arena when the puck drops both nights at 7:05.
Kevin Ekman-Larsson is one of two Roadrunners defensemen to spend time at forward due to a barrage of injuries and call-ups to the NHL.
The second-year Roadrunner said he’s certainly happy to help the team in any way he can; but he also knows that in order to showcase his own skills for an organization where his family name already carries so much weight, he’s got to be on the ice.
After 25 appearances a year ago but just one this season before the change-up, the younger brother of NHL All-Star and Coyotes’ captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson has played on the wing in eight straight outings.
“You want to get all the time you can get out there, of course,” said Ekman-Larsson, who made his North American professional debut with Tucson last season after four years with Tingsryds AIF in his home country of Sweden.
In Murphy’s case, the move forward was hardly unique. He had success playing up front on occasion with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, and the idea in Tucson may just have been his own.
“We were going on three or four games rolling with seven (defensemen) and 11 forwards, and I just kind of threw it out there: ‘You know, you can put me up there if you want,’” he said. “It was more of a little joke at first, and then one day (head coach Jay Varady) said, ‘Hey Murph, you can play forward.’
“And it just kind of went from there.”
Murphy certainly plays the role of the offensive-minded defensemen during his regular blueline gig. He has five goals and 13 points so far this season, and scored eight times for 26 points last year. When he’s at forward, though, it’s the opposite mentality that stands out.
“Having a defensive mindset playing as a forward (is a plus),” said Murphy, who was paired with scoring threats like Laurent Dauphin, Adam Helewka and Nick Merkley in his four games at forward.
“We had quite a good stretch there,” Helewka said of Tucson’s recent streak of eight straight games with a point earned. “I played a few with Murphy … he was a huge part of that. They both were.”
Murphy said that while he enjoyed the challenge, he’s happy to have moved back to his natural spot on D, where he’s been lining up lately alongside fellow defenseman Jordan Gross.
“I wouldn’t look too far into it,” he said, shooting down the likelihood of any kind of long-term switch. “I played in the (NHL) as a defenseman last year, and that’s what my goal is still today.
“But it was a good little change. We had some fun with it, and got some wins out of it.”
