Upon being recalled from Manchester this month, Teddy Purcell was given a cushy spot on the first line next to Anze Kopitar and Patrick O’Sullivan. It didn’t last long though. After three games, Oscar Moller moved up to take that spot, and after Moller left to join Sweden for the World Junior Championships, recent call-up Trevor Lewis moved into the first-line right-wing spot. Purcell slipped to a fourth-line role and didn’t play in the third period of Saturday’s loss to Detroit. In his first three games, Purcell had one goal, two assists and a plus-3 rating. In his last three, he hasn’t recorded a point and he’s minus-2. Here’s what Terry Murray said about Purcell’s development…

MURRAY: “With Teddy Purcell coming up, in his first two games I liked what he was doing. Clearly he has a lot of talent, he sees the ice very well to make plays and he can score goals. He showed that in his first couple game. I thought that in the game against the Rangers, he had a tough time and he didn’t look comfortable, so I made a change and put Moller up there with Kopitar. Now it just seems to have carried over with Lewis here. It’s kind of the same scenario. I had this conversation with Purcell just yesterday. It’s a great opportunity for him to be here, but he has to play a total and complete game in all areas. You have to play the game the right way, in all siutations. He clearly understands that, but for now he will continue to play as a center iceman in that fourth-line role.”