1) Being on the same steel for 7 years i was comfortable in my head with what I had, but by no means did i feel as good as I do now. I'm just a 44 year old, good ( not great ) skating men's league player and I am noticeably more agile and stable on my skates in almost every situation.
2) I play D about 75% of the time now, but I am an active D man who like to make the quick move in the corner to shake a forechecker and take that next stride or two to break out or make the outlet play. I'm 6'4 230 lbs, so I am by no means a quick little agile D man.
3) Mostly a north south skater when I play D or O, but I've been incorporating some more east west over the last year or two. I've always used my size, length, reach and stride to create my opportunities or make a play, but again, i just feel more mobile and stable in most situations regardless of what I am doing now.