On Sunday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs made an interesting change when coach Jim Hiller put John Tavares on the wing for a stretch, experimenting with several new looks.
In the top six, the stars stayed together, with Gavin McKenna playing the wing on Auston Matthews' line and Easton Cowan on the off wing. On the second line, Tavares at times played the wing, with Nick Paul or Colton Sissons at center and William Nylander on the opposite wing.
The changes did not produce a goal, but they raised a question: with Tavares turning 36 this past September, is he still impactful enough up the middle to stay at center?
Center is one of the most crucial positions in any lineup, especially at the top, and Toronto has had strength there for years with its two-headed monster of Matthews and Tavares. Other teams, like the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets, have struggled to find a second-line center, while the Maple Leafs have always had theirs. So how has Tavares looked this season?
Two-way play continues to be a plaguing issue for Tavares
Offensively, quite well, with seven points in nine games but his defensive numbers haven't been as good. He was a minus-three in his second game back from injury on Sunday and currently has the second-worst plus-minus among Toronto forwards at minus-eight, trailing only McKenna.
Tavares is also coming off the worst defensive season of his career, posting a minus-28 rating. Combined with his minus-eight start to this season, his minus-36 rating ranks sixth-worst in the NHL and second-worst among all forwards over that span.
Hiller may simply be giving Tavares a breather by moving him to the wing and letting the veteran take on a smaller role. But with his defensive play still lackluster, it may be worth a longer look at having Paul, Sissons or another player with experience at center move up to the second line while Tavares plays elsewhere.
Toronto will need to find a solution quickly as just one line featuring Tavares this season has an even rating or better, his best being with Paul and Nylander, which has no goals for or against. His lines with Nylander and McKenna have allowed four goals and scored none, and his line with Cowan and Nylander has allowed two while scoring one.
Since his offensive skills still appear to be there, it raises the question of whether Tavares should be tried away from center, and whether Sunday was just the beginning of that plan.
Add us as a preferred source on Google