Toronto Maple Leafs: Will Marner and Matthews Make Magic?

To the Toronto Maple Leafs, the fact of the matter is, Mitch Marner is magic.

Anyone on the 21-year old winger’s line has found quick success this season. The recent slump that has been affecting the whole team, but perhaps most notably trusted goal scorers Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Nazem Kadri, who have all been uncharacteristically quiet in the last thirteen games.

Mitch Marner, however, continues to produce at a consistent pace, continuing to post an average of a point per game over the 13 game stretch.

John Tavares is changing the league’s perception of free agency after his blockbuster move to Toronto this season has seen him post numbers that put him on pace for a career-best season. This is no small feat for one of the league’s best forwards; from his debut in 2009 to his debut with the Leafs in October, John Tavares had scored more goals than any of his contemporaries excluding Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, and Corey Perry.

Since arriving in Toronto, however, Tavares is on pace to shatter his former record of 38 goals and 86 points in 2015-16, already sitting at 30 goals and 53 points with 48 games played. A huge contributing factor for his unprecedented success since his arrival in Toronto is the presence of his linemate, Mitch Marner, who has been by his side for all 48 games thus far.

Until Now.

Many people speculated that part of Babcock’s unwillingness to separate the two phenoms (aside from his well-documented obstinance) was an agreement that was made during Tavares’ negotiations. Whatever the case may have been, Monday’s practice saw the two collaborate on a line with Patrick Marleau.

It’s time to face the music; the Leafs are sucking. Certainly, no one, Tavares included, would protest a change that could potentially get one of the Leafs’ stars going again, which the team sorely needs.

Of all the stars who are underproducing, the Leafs undoubtedly miss Auston Matthews the most. I’m sure that sentiment was behind Babcock’s decision to make a move that is uncharacteristic of Babcock, who has stood by the philosophy that two strong lines (or power play units) is better than one stacked one, and for this first time in their NHL careers, tonights face-off with the reigning champion Washington Capitals will see the debut of a five on five lineup featuring the pairing of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Wednesday night will be the first time the two 21-year-olds have played five on five hockey together since their debuts in 2016.

It only makes sense to unite the most productive player on the team, who is among the NHL’s elite playmakers, with an underproducing superstar in the hopes of getting things going. In all honesty, I’m surprised its taken Babcock this long to try this out, what with all the line shuffling lately.

Babcock’s attempt to equally distribute offensive might on the power play units was a short-lived endeavour, and while the sentiment of balance and equality is nice, maybe that’s just not how the modern game is played. Think about two of the teams who recently gave the Leafs a smackdown; Colorado and Boston. Both teams have their best players play together, creating an unstoppable first line that tows most of the team’s weight.

With so much of the team underproducing, this might be a strategy worth trying. I have faith that proven assist-machine Mitch Marner can get Matthews rolling again. Rather than just a short term fix, however, I think this should be given real consideration as a strategy going forward.

The top-heavy line structure is a demonstrably effective strategy and one that Babcock hasn’t tried yet. At this point, I think both players and fans are ready to experiment a little if it means reinvigorating the slumping team.

Stats from: http://www.nhl.com/stats/