Leafs face a tough decision to make regarding Mitch Marner and William Nylander upon Auston Matthews' return
Auston Matthews is nearing a return as he slowly gets healthy, which means the Leafs face a critical decision to make regarding Mitch Marner and William Nylander.
With Matthews back in the mix, his return would add some juice to an already strong team performance in his absence. Matthews isn't the only key Leafs player out of the lineup.
Matthew Knies, Max Domi, and David Kampf all join him on the sidelines. Having their star center back would be a good starting point, though.
Matthews has been skating and hasn't yet joined full practices. Barring any setbacks, he could be back as early as Wednesday. The big question is: where does he fit upon his return?
It will be natural to think Matthews centers the first line, but this may be the season that changes.
The Leafs love loading up one or two lines with their superstars in Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, and Knies and trying to steamroll teams into oblivion. It works during the season, but never in the playoffs.
Maybe it would be wiser to spread the talent out across the lines. Mitch Marner has always seemed to elevate his game whenever Matthews is out of the lineup and has shown he can anchor his own line, elevating others around him.
A second line that has Marner, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies could be quite potent. Meanwhile, William Nylander has played his way into an opportunity to drive his own line.
He's a very diversified weapon with his scoring ability, always has energy and an improved defensive game. Throwing Nylander into the third-line center position could add a new dimension of danger to the Leafs while balancing out their attack.
Rethink the lineup, giving room to individual star quality, and that may prove to be the Leafs' magic formula that works now, paying dividends at the most vital time.
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