Don’t Sweat Lineup Changes, Leafs Fans

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a deep team, and that gives head coach Sheldon Keefe many options as the current season unfolds. That’s what fans have to keep in mind before freaking out when they see Keefe tinker with the lineup, as he did recently when he dropped winger William Nylander down to the third line, and pushed forward Ondrej Kase to the top line with Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting. That created a second line of center John Tavares and wingers Mitch Marner and |ilya Mikheyev; and Nylander joins a third line that includes center David Kampf and Alex Kerfoot.

Any way you look at them, those are three solid lines. And while it is tempting to believe the Leafs are moving players around because there’s a problem with the mix of forwards. Instead, people should be looking at it as a testing ground of sorts — one that requires some experiments before the playoffs arrive at the end of April. Toronto is currently third in the Atlantic Division, but there’s next to no chance they’ll miss the post-season. So Keefe and GM Kyle Dubas have the luxury of trying out some different looks they may turn to if things go sideways for them.

And really, before you lose it thinking Keefe is wasting Nylander’s skills, try envisioning the positive things that could happen with this new third line. Nylander has the speed to keep up with Kampf and Kerfoot, and Nylander’s all-around game has improved to the point Keefe trusts him to take on defensive responsibilities. And if it doesn’t work out, Keefe always has the option to return Nylander to a top-two-lines role.

The Leafs’ schedule gives them a few games before Feb. 2 to test out the new forward groups and still be competitive. They play Anaheim Wednesday night, then take on the mediocre Detroit Red Wings, and finally, a home-and-home series against New Jersey on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

All those games are winnable for Toronto, regardless of who is skating in the top-six group of forwards. Then the Leafs get a break for the all-star game. And then, the schedule gets much tougher for them, with 11 games in 21 days. By that point, Keefe and Dubas will have a far better collection of data on the forwards, and who they work well with. And of course, Keefe may not have any choice in roster moves if the Leafs get bitten by the injury bug.

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From the moment training camps begin, team lineups are put under intense examination by media and fans. But sometimes, we put too much interest into what is a fluid process. The regular season is one big laboratory, and once the playoffs begin, coaches and GMs want to feel assured they’ll get production from lines that provided needed offense and smart defensive play.

Nylander may be on the third line, but something tells me Keefe won’t be cutting back on his ice time. Indeed, with such a compact schedule to deal with, the Leafs may want to ease the pressure on Matthews and Marner, and increase Kampf and Kerfoot’s minutes. Again, it may not pan out well for Toronto, but this is the time you want to find that out.

The Leafs have done well in creating a deep roster. Choosing who plays with who is a luxury not ever playoff-bound team has. So don’t sweat line experiments in the next little while. Toronto management needs to know the potential of all its forwards, and it makes no sense to wait until games matter most to discover that potential.

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