Pavel Dorofeyev
Dorofeyev is a summer-trade addition who struggled early and was moved to the top line on October 30, so for now he has a top-six, first-power-play-unit role that he still has to prove he can hold.
Role
Daily Faceoff's line page (fetched November 1 to 2 update) lists him on the first line at left wing with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière, and on the first power-play unit with Lafrenière, J.T. Miller, Zibanejad and Adam Fox. Forever Blueshirts (checked today) dates the move to Friday, Oct. 30, when Gabe Perreault dropped to the third line. Before that he bounced between the top two lines through the first 13 games, then dropped to the third line for the Oct. 26 loss to the Kings. The second line is Tye Kartye, Miller and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Perreault, Bjorkstrand, Will Cuylle and Eeli Tolvanen are the nearest competition for top-six or power-play work. I did not find ice-time figures for the new line.
Sullivan said it was the one top-six combination he had not tried with Dorofeyev, and he indicated that a third-line role was not a long-term fit for a player whose skill set belongs in the top six (Yahoo Sports). Optimists see a high-skill scorer now paired with Zibanejad and Lafrenière on the first power-play unit, a setup like the one the club talked about at camp. Earlier coverage, from before the season, compared his fit with Miller to the way Eichel and Marner created space for him in Vegas.
He has 3 goals in 14 games (Yahoo Sports) and had been moved around the lineup all season, including a drop to the third line on Oct. 26. Sullivan acknowledged he had waited to move him because the top unit was playing well, so Dorofeyev is a newcomer replacing a working piece, and Perreault is waiting just below him. Sullivan has changed lines repeatedly, and the team has been slipping defensively, so the spot is not guaranteed. Frozen Pool's card (Oct. 26) showed 42 shots and 3 power-play points through 14 games, so he is producing chances but not points.
Where analysts split
The open question is whether the top-line left-wing spot holds. Sullivan is on his third or fourth attempt at a fit for Dorofeyev, and the slot only opened because Perreault was bumped down. I found no analyst commentary arguing either side since the move, so this reflects the lineup history rather than a stated debate.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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