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It’s up to Horvat to win the draws, but maybe he gets cut some slack if he doesn’t quite line up properly or his hands are moving because of his courteous manner.

“I’m getting respect, and I know the majority of them say hi and you try to stay on their nice side so they give you a little bit on an advantage,” said Horvat, laughing.

“That relationship is pretty important; linesmen are more worried about where you put your stick at the beginning, and your feet are the most important thing. They get pretty frustrated when you try to cheat and try to get that leverage over guys.”

Q: You initially struggled to supplant the injured Brandon Sutter as the second-line centre. You had a 27-game goalless streak, rallied for 30 points in your final 40 games for a 40-point season, yet your plus-minus was second-worst in the NHL at minus-30. What do you take from last season?

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A: The plan was to ease me in to being a second-line guy and Sutter gets hurt twice. I’m put out for defensive-zone faceoffs and going against all the top guys. For the majority of the time, I had rookies on my line and it definitely wasn’t easy, but I’m better for it. I learned a ton and got more comfortable and the weight was off my shoulders in the second half. I just went out and played. And that’s when I played my best.

Q: Brandon Sutter will probably be pencilled in as the second-line centre because he’s a veteran presence. What are your expectations for next season?

A: I want to be the guy the team knows will play well and a guy that everybody relies on. Whether that’s playing well defensively and shutting down a big line or contributing offensively, I obviously want to be a No. 1 centre some day, but Hank (Henrik Sedin) and Sutter are doing a great job. I’m just going to keep pushing the pace and push them as well.