The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Debate on Second and Third Line Center
The second line center position, held by John Tavares since joining the team in 2018, is a bit of a mystery for the Toronto Maple Leafs going into the 2024–25 campaign.
In addition to the second line center position, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ third line leadership is a mystery that may be solved by figuring out the answer to the first.
The most apparent choice for the first line center position on the forward lines is Auston Matthews, but as the most dangerous scorer in the league demonstrated last year, he doesn’t need to play with players of elite caliber to get the puck past the goalie.
The three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner is now positioned as the first line center, leaving Tavares, William Nylander, Max Domi, and newcomer Mitch Marner as the contenders for the second line center position.
First Scenario
My initial preference would be to see Matthews in the middle of the first line, with Domi and Matthew Knies on either side of him. The two seasoned players on that line demonstrated their strong relationship, nearly to the point where Domi was forgoing scoring opportunities in order to feed Matthews.
This frees up Nylander, Marner, and Tavares to stretch the lineup. My first option for a second line would be to put Marner in the middle and load it up with the trio.
The former London Knight has never held the center position in the NHL, but if he had two strong wings on his side, he might succeed. Since Marner avoids traffic, the move to center could result in one of two outcomes, which is the main criticism of his game. Marner may be forced to engage and learn that he is not as little as he plays, which might help him elevate his game. Alternatively, Marner may be afraid of the battle in front of the net and downlow in his own zone, creating a firestorm for his defenses.
Until Marner feels more at ease with draws, Tavares may continue to take faceoffs; after that, the captain may return to the wing. Tavares can employ his size and muscle along the boards by playing on the wing, which will lessen the impact of his ongoing drop in foot speed on the team.
Because these two lines are top heavy, Berube has to think outside the box for the third line, starting David Kämpf, Calle Järnkrok, or Pontus Holmberg at center.
Knies-Matthews-Domi
Tavares-Marner-Nylander
McMann-Holmberg-Järnkrok
Dewar-Kämpf-Reaves
Robertson
Second Scenario
The top line in the second scenario is still Domi, Matthews, and Knies playing together, and it is strikingly similar to the first. On the other hand, Bobby McMann and Nylander, Marner’s wingers, now center the line on the second line, where the move occurs.
If Tavares is signed, he will play as the center between Järnkrok and Nicholas Robertson in the third line.
While this clearly improves upon the bottom six of the prior proposal, it detracts from the top six.
Although the second line is obviously less risky in this case, it would still provide the squad with three viable line alternatives.
In the previous year’s playoffs, Tavares shown his ability to play the role of a defensively sound center. The question now is whether or not he is willing to adopt this role permanently and take the chance of no longer scoring 20 goals a game. The previous first overall pick would get Robertson to contribute offensively and Järnkrok to help stop down lines.
Marner and Nylander, two really dynamic players, would be on the second line, with McMann, a straightforward and hard-nosed player, on the wing. Although Marner is playing center for the first time in his career, there are still worries about this, and I believe the team should look into it. Maybe $12 million won’t be out of the question for the Toronto native if he can demonstrate that he can play center at an elite level.
The squad can also use these three lines to center a combination of Ryan Reaves, Pontus Holmberg, and Connor Dewar, as would Kämpf.
Knies-Matthews-Domi
McMann-Marner-Nylander
Robertson-Tavares-Järnkrok
Dewar-Kämpf-Reaves/Holmberg
Third Scenario
The third possibility is that Berube sticks to Keefe’s long-standing strategy of pairing Matthews and Marner while placing Knies back on the line.
This doesn’t seem plausible because Craig Berube will undoubtedly want to leave his mark on the squad and because he can’t have been blind to the amount of points Domi and Matthews were scoring collectively.
Resigning If Domi isn’t playing with Matthews, where he was significantly better than he’s ever been anywhere else, it doesn’t seem like such a wise choice.
Tavares would once more play teamed with Nylander and McMann in the second line. Although this is a good line, it is not very defensive, and having Domi on the third line makes matchups extremely difficult.
Coach Craig Berube would have to shield this line in order to make it productive with Domi centering the third line and Robertson and Järnkrok on his flanks. This means you can’t get Matthews valuable minutes.
This is a sign of lack of originality as well as the continuation of the “running it back” theme.
Knies-Matthews-Marner
McMann-Tavares-Nylander
Robertson-Domi-Järnkrok
Dewar-Kämpf-Reaves/Holmberg
Most likely, this is the worst thing Berube could do.
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There is no denying that moving Marner to center improves the lineup significantly. Tavares can now be used at center on the third line or as a wing, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Domi at center, on the other hand, looks like a recipe for disaster.
