Projecting the Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Lines to Start the Season
Line 2
The second line will continue to feature the other members of the Core Four, John Tavares and William Nylander. Having played together for years, this is one of the easier combinations to predict. It makes far more sense to keep the pair together and slot in others than to shift the cornerstones of the Leafs forward group.
Tavares and Nylander, like everyone on the top line, will maintain their regular positions. That just leaves the left wing position to fill. This should be done by either Max Domi or Knies.
Domi could fill the position as a player with pedigree who has proven he can score in the NHL. In 2018-19 he recorded 28 goals and 44 assists. While he hasn’t returned to that level of production, last season the second generation talent put together a 20 goals and 36 assists campaign.
Had Knies not played with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs, the spot would have most likely gone to Domi. After-all, the third line is where Knies was initially debuted in the NHL under Sheldon Keefe.
As the playoffs went on, Knies became too integral to team success to play in the bottom six. Keefe moved the Hobey Baker finalist up the lineup to join Tavares and Nylander.
Knies’ offense was too valuable to be stifled by third line minutes. The trio produced a great deal of scoring chances and looked comfortable together. They can be expected to stay together and hope there is still magic to be found as a line once again.
Matthew Knies (LW) – John Tavares (C) – William Nylander (RW)
Line 3
With Knies occupying a position on the second line, Domi slots down onto the third. While some may worry he is wasted in the bottom six, this is actually an ideal position for Domi. It takes away a great deal of pressure.
Having bounced around the league, (the Toronto Maple Leafs are his seventh NHL club) there will be great scrutiny by fans trying to figure exactly who the 28-year-old is as a player. Playing on the third line allows Domi to play his game without trying to do too much. He remains a notable name, but without the expectation or requirement for him to be a star.
Domi could easily be the team’s third line center. However, that spot seems to be firmly planted in the hands of David Kämpf.
Kämpf has spent the last two seasons playing a full complement of 82 games, nearly all of which as the Leafs third line center. At this point, he is a lock for the spot. It’s where he’s best deployed. If Kämpf is playing up the middle, then it means Domi will move to the other position he’s played in the NHL, left wing.
That just leaves right wing. Luckily, Calle Järnkrok can and has played on both wings as needed last season. He also moved up and down the lineup.
With the current group ahead of him, Järnkrok will start in a role more suited for him in the bottom six. With his versatility, there’s a chance that the 31-year-old finds himself in a different position as the season rolls on, but to start the campaign, he will be the team’s third line right-winger.
Max Domi (LW) – David Kämpf (C) – Calle Järnkrok (RW)
Line 4
This is where things get interesting.
Sam Lafferty and Ryan Reaves will both take up residency on the fourth line. They will need a partner to join them.
Barring a free agent signing, one of the current prospects within the organization should take the final position. Bobby McMann and Pontus Holmberg are surely in direct competition for the spot. Both of them can and have played center and left wing, just like Domi.
Holmberg likely has an edge over McMann. Not only is better, but he’s younger and has played a handful more NHL games.
It’s also important to note that Holmberg’s going to be under team control for a lot longer. According to CapFriendly, McMann becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of this upcoming season. Holmberg will be a restricted free agent (RFA) after two years. Even if the pair’s abilities were equal, the better investment for the Leafs would be Holmberg.
The fourth line will then feature both Holmberg and Lafferty. The team will need to determine which of these players centers the line. This will undoubtedly be worked out over many practices after the athletes get a feel for one another. Lafferty is able to play all three forward positions but should get the nod to start at center. That would mean Holmberg moves to his left and Reaves stays in his natural position on the right.
Pontus Holmberg (LW) – Sam Lafferty (C) – Ryan Ryan Reaves (RW)
This lineup won’t stay stagnant throughout the season, especially if there are personnel changes before the season begins. However, for now, this appears to be a dependable forward group who should put up good numbers.
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The biggest lineup shakeup will come when Nick Robertson returns from injury. It’s unclear where he finds himself at this point, but it would likely mean Holmberg returns to the Marlies to make room for the winger.