Right Wing Left Wing only seems to be applicable in the d zone anymore and even there its man to man. In the offensive zone its F1 F2 and F3. I see Ov as often in the right side of the offensive zone as the left and Oshie as much on the left as right. Right?
As a byproduct of that defensive zone application it also factors in on rushes and zone entries, which is where I dislike it the most. Entering on the opposite wing changes so much about your shooting hotspots and puck protection tendencies that when it seems like a potent or desirable aspect of a player's game it should matter a little more for the top 6 at least.
Won't matter every rush, all game, but you're setting yourself up for certain statistical frequencies unless you plan around it. This all only matters if Mantha is a fairly pure RW, but it's sort of like Ovechkin on RW: talent finds a way but they have to re-learn a lot of what they thought they knew about how to find their shots on the rush if they're not equipped for it already.
just trying to recall what I saw from his highlight reel, I think he's more deferential on the left and less likely to just rip a shot or tuck his shoulder and go to the net. Maybe not by a lot, maybe just anecdotally, but that's another thing you can feel more pressured to do when your body is open to your teammates like that more often as well.
