It's the first day of Toronto Maple Leafs training camp and different quotes and reports are flying.
Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube told TSN reporter, Mark Masters that he will play William Nylander as a centre to start the year with Max Domi on his wing.
This has been tried extremely breifly in the past with former head coach, Sheldon Keefe but it only lasted about two preseason games.
It looks as though the Leafs are actually committed to giving this a real shot and handing Willy a long run of games up the middle of the ice.
What does Nylander playing centre mean for the lineup?
If Nylander works as a centre this could be significant for the Leafs. It doesn't really matter who ends up being the second or third line centre, as the Nylander and Tavares lines are likely to see a similar amount of ice-time if this sticks (which it hasn't in the past).
Tavares is in the last year of his deal in Toronto and is often talked about as overpaid, but he's lived up to his contract and even last year was more about bad luck than any significant decline. Last season, Tavares played in 80 games for the Leafs, scoring 29 goals and 36 assists for a total of 65 points, which isn't bad, but was hurt by some low percentages. (Stats from NHL.com).
If the Leafs stick with their plan to play Domi and Nylander together, Berube is going to have to start them a lot in the offensive zone and shelter their bad defense, which means Tavares is unlikely to see a decline in ice time or his level of competition, as he will get more defensive assignments than the Nylander line.
The best part of this move is that it moves Domi to the wing, where he is much more effective. Though Domi will likely end up with Auston Matthews sooner or later, it's clear he can't play centre on a competitive team.
I loved the look of Domi when he was playing with Matthews last season, and he scored at an absolutely insane rate. Although he is starting on Nylander's wing I could see that changing. Domi and Matthews seemed to have real chemistry and I'm hoping we can see that chemistry grow with a full year of them together.
I also think Domi on the wing is the best option because I don't feel comfortable with him dealing with all the defensive responsibilities that come with being a centre. The weakest part of Domi's game is his defensive game. He makes mistakes in the defensive zone and it can be tough to watch at times. Playing him on the wing takes away some of those responsibilities and allows him to be the great playmaker he is.
I think the Leafs missed the boat on Nylander or Marner playing centre. I wish they developed them as a centre early in their NHL career because now I think it may be too late. I hope this works out but I am a sceptical about this.