Toronto Maple Leafs Should Try Mitch Marner on 3rd Line

The Toronto Maple Leafs have paired Mitch Marner with Auston Matthews almost constantly for the last couple of years.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have two of the best players in the world playing together on one line, but it’s worth asking if this is the best way to deploy them.

In the NHL, elite players tend to make other players who are not elite into players who can at least become “elite” when they are paired with the original star.  This is not unlike a Power Rangers situation, and you could see it in action when Michael Bunting put up the 5v5 numbers of a Franchise Player when paired with Matthews and Marner.

Obviously not every player is going to do that (just as Calle Jarnkrok), but the Leafs could probably dress a great first line with just Auston Matthews alone, then use Mitch Marner in a way in which he can help the team even more than he does now.

Toronto Maple Leafs Should Try Mitch Marner on 3rd Line

Mitch Marner always has to play against the other team’s top line.  This has been the case pretty much since he entered the NHL.  If the Leafs were to use him on the 3rd line, he would get to carve up other team’s third best lines.

It almost wouldn’t be fair.

The top line might drop a bit, but probably not enough to matter. The Toronto Maple Leafs would terrorize opponents by having Matthews, Nylander and Marner on different lines.

The team’s depth scoring problems would be a thing of the past, and it might also be the best way to make use of Max Domi, who doesn’t really fit in the top six and can’t play on any type of shut-down line. (Though, to be fair, Domi has been fine since Robertson was called up, but Marner takes this line to another level).

The Leafs should dress a top line where Auston Matthews pairs with Matthew Knies.  Then they should follow that up with Nylander and Tavares, and follow that with a Nick Robertson – Max Domi – Mitch Marner line.

Matthews/Knies, Nylander/Tavares and Robertson/Marner could be amazing combos.  The coach then has tons of flexibility to find the best spots for Bertuzzi, Jarnkrok and whoever else.

Keep in mind, this is not meant as a demotion. Marner is playing great this year, and he always does.  It’s just a way to make the team better.

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t won anything while pairing Marner and Matthews, so I figure they should give this  a try and see how it goes. It may not be a great strategy, but then again, it could turn out to be just what the team needs.