Don't get caught up with who is on the Toronto Maple Leafs "Third" line

"Oh my god, the Toronto Maple Leafs cannot justify an $11 million dollar third-line player. "

Actually yes they can. Quite easily too, I might add. The Toronto Maple Leafs not only have to put an $11 million dollar player on the third line, it's actually the optimal strategy.

In fact, this shoudn't be the first time we are having this conversation. The Leafs should have been doing this already, and it should have started years ago.

Allow me to explain.

Don't get caught up with who is on the Toronto Maple Leafs "Third" line

Salary numbers aside, I think the reason people get caught up in the idea of Tavares or Nylander ending up on the third line is because of a faulty perception that is about 20 years out of date.

But that's how long it takes to kill a cliché once it stops being true.

Most of us were raised with the idea that NHL teams should be constructed with two scoring lines and two checking lines. This is as ingrained into the culture as raising your stick in the air to celebrate a goal or trying to time your beer runs at the arena to avoid "the wave."

But it's no longer true. Analytics and the salary cap have altered the game to the point where almost every single team has a skilled player on every line. In addition to that, there is data that suggests that because star players make everyone better, it make sense to try and stretch your lineup.

Furthermore, quality of competition makes it desirable to find minutes for your offensive players against less-deep team's worst players.

As for the Leafs specifically, I wouldn't worry about it. Whatever line has Auston Matthews, that's the number-one line. The next two lines are going to play a similar amount and we shouldn't get caught up in which one of them is called the third line.

Both lines will get similar amounts of minutes, and the best players from those lines will end up on the power-play and will get their 20 minutes.

John Tavaers on the third line is just smart management. He might get some easier matchups, but that isn't even the point. The point is that with Nylander, Tavares and Matthews on separate lines (and hopefully Berube will wise up and pair Marner with Tavares) the Leafs stretch their lineup, make more of their mid-range wingers better players, and pretty much always have a star player on the ice.

Tavares on line three isn't a demotion, it's just good strategy.