Who earns the second-line center role for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Since John Tavares signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1st, 2018, the center position has been solidifed every season since.

It's been simple, Auston Matthews centers line one, Tavares centers line two, and the third line is centered by whoever has been available, whether that be Kadri, Kerfoot, or someone else.

But this upcoming season may be a lot different. With John Tavares no longer in his prime, is he the right guy for the second-line centre job still?

The Leafs captain is still a solid player no doubt, and maybe he is the right guy for the role, but there will be some other Leafs players knocking on the door to earn that position.

Who Earns the Second-Line Center Role For the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Mitch Marner/William Nylander

Both Marner and Nylander have tons in common, both have been full-time members of the team since 2017, both have primarily played right-wing in their NHL careers, both are full-blown NHL superstars, and both have been the target of harsh criticism by Leafs fans at certain points in their tenure with the team.

But both have hardly (if at all) been used at the centreman position. Marner has played centre before, mainly in the OHL with the London Knights, and he has all the skills a good centre needs, he's quick, he's very good in his own zone, and can make plays.

Honestly, giving him a chance at center sounds pretty good.

Then there's William Nylander, who played centre in pre-season action last year, but was switched back to wing before the season started. Nylander is a similar player to Marner, but with a bit more goal scoring and a tad weaker in his own zone.

I'd give Nylander a run again down the middle, but out of these two stars, I'd take Marner if I had to pick one to play centre.

Max Domi

The most intriguing name for the Leafs down the middle may be Max Domi, who has proven he can succeed in such a role.

Domi, who bounced all over the lineup last season, found success playing centre on the top line in the playoffs last year, playing with the aforementioned Marner and Tyler Bertuzzi for games 5 and 6, which the Leafs won.

But does he have the talent to drive a line for a full year? He's not the greatest in his own zone, and while he can skate well, he's more of a complimentary piece than a line driver.

Domi's experience in the NHL at centre is far more lengthy than Marner's or Nylander's, and he'll likely get a game or two playing down the middle next season, but there's no guarantee he'll stay there all year.

The Leafs failed to add a true second-line centre in free agency, and while they have some good candidates, there's no guarantee any of them will be perfect.

Let's see who takes the role come October.