Sums it up pretty well. In order to make sure our top scorers got more ice time we play them together.I think you are right about that. One of the reasons though that KFC is stapled to Scheif that people I think miss, is that Bones wanted them to both play 20 mins a game. If they are on different lines and given the way that Bones played Lowry's line, KFC would be closer to 15 minutes a game if he were on the "second line". He "had" to play them together to get them the minutes he wanted.
Now, perhaps Arniel roles the line in a more conventional way and the Lowry line plays 14 mins a night like other teams third lines,, then you could spread the wealth on the top two lines and have them both play 17-20 mins on separate lines. Bones only cared that 55-81 play a lot and that 17's line play the hard minutes. Perhaps Arniel sees more priority in getting 27 and 91 and even 93 more ice and doesn't see the need to get Apples out so much.
Unfortunately, the result of that is a bottom 5 top line in the NHL...