How Zach Hyman’s Return to Action Will Affect Toronto Maple Leafs Lines

When Zach Hyman returns to the Toronto Maple Leafs, it will raise questions on where he fits into their lineup and what it might mean for his teammates.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have started the season 2-1-1, but they could be 4-0-0 if not for some costly errors. It highlights the value of the missing member from their top line.

Zach Hyman remains on the IR, working his way back into the lineup. He is recovering from a torn ACL, an injury that became public after the Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs year. Hyman had his knee repaired via surgery and has been working on returning to the ice since the summer.

Hyman was expected to make his return in late October. That timeline may still be intact based on Mike Babcock’s recent comments. The coach told Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun that Hyman is a few weeks away from getting into game action.

The question remains: when Hyman is back in the lineup where does he fit?

Hyman Should Remain on Top

Hyman might be the missing ingredient to the Leafs top line operating at full force. In Hyman’s absence, the Leafs deployed Kasperi Kapanen. He has been playing with John Tavares and Mitch Marner.

So far this year, Kapanen has yet to record a point despite playing with two of the most talented players in the NHL. He is also an incredibly disappointing -4. There were high hopes for the 23-year-old who collected 44 points including 20 goals in 78 games last season.

Kapanen has also been guilty of some obvious blunders including throwing his broken stick at puck carrier Jeff Petry during Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. Because he did it in the defensive zone, it resulted in a timely penalty shot for the Habs.

That action alone could be deserving of a demotion from the team’s top-six forwards. If true, it opens the door for Hyman to take back his prominent position in the lineup. And with Babcock a fan of the 27-year-old’s gameplay, it is almost certain that that is where Hyman will be slated.

When he does return, Hyman will attempt to build upon his career season. He had his best total, scoring 21 goals and 20 helpers in 71 games.

Where Does that Leave Kapanen?

It is difficult to predict where Kapanen will find himself when Hyman is back. The Leafs other top line is comprised of Andreas Johnsson, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander. That group has been impressive and could arguably be the team’s number one line. There is little chance that Babcock will want to mess with their chemistry.

Barring injury, this just leaves the third or fourth lines. The problem for Kapanen is how well the third line has also performed. This line features Ilya Mikheyev, Alexander Kerfoot, and Trevor Moore. Babcock might be willing to tinker here, which would likely mean that Moore loses his spot. However, it is not out of the question that Kapanen falls all the way to the fourth line.

Though it would mean less playing time, working the wing of veteran Jason Spezza might actually help Kapanen grow as a player.

Time will tell what the Toronto Maple Leafs decide to do once Hyman is finally ready to compete.