Projecting the Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Lines to Start the Season

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.

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.