he's been playing this well since January and has played that way in the past going back to his St Loo day's, the big man plays an important role, not only on the PK but with his physicality breaking up cycles and as you said a keen hockey sense.....there is no corsi that measures his contribution, but his team-mates get it and appreciate it.
LeaFlanders who have had the knives out all season for this guy and mostly undeserved, accusing him of all kinds of nonsense, may have noticed his excellent play of late, but have so far decided not to acknowledge it, so as not to(as the hippies used to say) blow their own trip!
Either way, the coach who apparently knows nothing about hockey, systems or team development has been proven right in Polaks usage and has molded this team and installed a system that lends itself to a pretty good brand of hockey.