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Lars Eller Ready for Third Line Center Role with Penguins

Originally posted on FanNation Inside The Penguins
By Nick Horwat | Last updated 7/12/23

Ever since being hired as the president of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas has been working long hours to redesign the Pittsburgh Penguins bottom-six configuration.

After almost two weeks of free agency, the Penguins have a completely new outlook for the third and fourth lines, but are they any better?

Despite all of the changes and additions, it can be argued that Dubas did not get a perfect candidate for the third-line center position.

Without any additional movements, Lars Eller is slated to play as the Penguins’ third center, but he’s ready for the challenge.

Welcome to the team, @lellerofficial! pic.twitter.com/Lfpp1oWkXX
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 11, 2023

With 14 years of experience in the NHL, Eller never struck people as a standout offensive producer, but he knows the importance of the position.

When asked about playing behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Eller said it’s important for him and his peers to support the team with secondary scoring.

Eller plans on being a competitive player on both ends of the ice and during all situations of the game, and that’s exactly how Dubas and head coach Mike Sullivan view him, as well.

The Denmark native noted that Dubas and Sullivan believe Eller can be a useful depth center; he’ll play on the third line, as well as the penalty kill, and possibly power play if necessary.

Over his 954-game career, Eller has recorded a total of 371 points (163G-208A); it isn’t a guarantee that Eller can produce offense as the third-line center, but everyone involved has high hopes for his 2023-24 season.

This article first appeared on FanNation Inside The Penguins and was syndicated with permission.

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