Brayden Schenn feeling more comfortable now that he's back at center

Brayden Schenn circled around the ice Wednesday morning at practice when his coach approached him.

Bench boss Craig Berube gave Schenn an appreciated demotion – if there ever were such a thing – Tuesday night. The 23-year-old forward went from top-line left wing to third-line center. The middle of the ice is where Schenn would prefer to be.

"Yup. Straight-up answer. Yes," Schenn said. "I feel comfortable, feel natural. I guess you're around the puck a little more. I felt good the two periods playing center (Tuesday) night."

Berube wanted to make sure Schenn was feeling good about his new role after predominantly being the top-line left wing for much of the season.

"Brayden's played in the middle before, played the middle most of his life," Berube said. "He feels comfortable there and I've got no problem putting him there."

Schenn, Jake Voracek and center Claude Giroux had no shots in the first period. With Michael Raffl replacing Schenn, the line had seven shots on net in the final two stanzas.

"I think (Raffl) got us going (Tuesday)," Voracek said. "I'm not saying it was Schenner's fault, but we didn't play well enough together. That's why we got split up. I think Brayden got going well (afterward)."

Schenn eventually had three shots and was 3-for-4 on faceoffs. The Flyers have been looking to get the line going and Berube even admitted he's thought about breaking up Giroux and Voracek, one of the league's most dynamic duos this season. Schenn has been one of many Flyers who have a history at center to be moved to the wing in hopes of getting a line with more offensive punch.

"I obviously enjoy playing with Jake and G," Schenn said. "Those guys are unbelievable to play with, but at the same time, it's maybe a good thing. You go back to the middle, get the confidence back. Actually I wouldn't say that. The confidence isn't gone, but to go back to the middle and a more natural position, maybe feel the puck a little bit more and get my game back a little bit."

Meanwhile Raffl goes back to the wing, where the Flyers had originally scouted him in Sweden. When they found him playing overseas, he was on the wing, not fully aware that for the first 18 years of his live he played the pivot.

"I was small and tiny," the Austrian said. "Then I had to play against the grown-ups and they would push me around in my own end. They put me on wing and ever since then, I've always played wing. Even in Sweden I never played center."

There's generally more skating at the center position, but fewer battles along the boards. It allows the centerman more room to skate and make plays with the puck. The two other guys on the top line have that last part covered.

"When I can play wing with G and Jake, that's a nice thing," Raffl said. "If I play center, I play center. I don't mind it really.

"I'll center G and Jake if they want me to," Raffl joked, motioning to his left with his thumb, "Hey G…slide over, bud."

Um…the Flyers won't be asking Raffl to replace one of the game's best centers anytime soon. The new role for the second-year pro is simple.

"Go to the net," Berube said. "That's it. Go to the net."

• Schultz gets 2-year extension: Nick Schultz has worked himself from a seventh defenseman to a top-pair blueliner in 55 games. The Flyers rewarded the 32 year old with a two-year extension worth $4.5 million.

Schultz, a former second-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, came to the Flyers having already played 880 NHL games. He signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal in July, has been arguably the Flyers' most consistent defenseman this season and it has nothing to do with his 13 points.

With the Flyers, Schultz is averaging 19:08 of ice time per game, his highest average since 2011-12 when he split time with the Wild and Edmonton Oilers. With Schultz under contract, the Flyers have committed $64.454 million in cap space to 19 players with next year's salary cap expected to be roughly $73 million.

• Empty netters: Ray Emery will get the start for the Flyers against the lowly Sabres. He is 13-6-1 in 21 games against Buffalo with a 2.93 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. … Starting goalie Steve Mason, recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, spent a half hour on the ice working on stickhandling with goalie coach Jeff Reese before the team practiced. Mason skated Tuesday with no pads. … Buffalo has a league-worst 5-20-2 road record.

Reach Dave Isaac at disaac@courierpostonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @davegisaac.