Hockey is back.
The NHL preseason is in full swing, with Toronto’s regular season kicking off on Saturday, October 5. While there’s plenty of roster decisions to be made in the coming days, the Leafs lineup is taking shape. Practice lineups and preseason rosters hint at what the team will look like, but there’s sure to be a few surprises. In this series of previews, I’ll focus on offense, defense, and goaltending, predicting lines and active roster spots as I go.
First up: a preview of the offense.
Disagree with anything you read? Start a conversation in the comments!
First Line Preview:
Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner
The first line is not too difficult to predict. New captain Auston Matthews and his running mate Mitch Marner have as much chemistry as any pair on the team, and have the talent to blow the roof off entire games. Matthew Knies showed enough in his rookie year to claim a top-line spot to start the season. His numbers may not jump off the page, but if he’s playing well, Matthews and Marner will have the puck more often than not. However, if the Leafs hit a rough patch, look for coach Craig Berube to try other options on the left wing.
Crazy prediction: Knies hits a minor sophomore slump and Max Pacioretty gets games on the first line beside Matthews and Marner.
Second Line Preview:
Bobby McMann, William Nylander, Calle Järnkrok
The success of the William-Nylander-at-centre experiment may be pivotal to the Leafs season. With John Tavares no longer a viable second line centre, Nylander must take up the mantle. He has all the talent in the world, and should be given plenty of time to figure out the position. Calle Järnkrok seems like a safe bet on the right, a Swiss army knife of a player with an underrated shot. Bobby McMann was phenomenal last year, and could play a Knies-like, power forward role. If the line struggles to score, Max Domi could play the left, adding more offensive flair while dropping McMann down a line or two.
Crazy prediction: Tavares turns back the clock and bounces back in a big way. He comes up to centre the second line on occasion, allowing Nylander to play on the right again and giving the Leafs a fearsome 1-2 punch.
Third Line Preview:
Max Domi, John Tavares, Pontus Holmberg
Former captain John Tavares drops to the third line on a full time basis, and in theory should be able to stack up points against favorable matchups. Limiting his minutes could also keep him fresh for the playoffs. Max Domi is a sparkplug who will likely play up and down the lineup, and Berube could try Domi at centre and bump Tavares to a wing. Pontus Holmberg is a crafty winger who rarely makes a mistake, and occasionally flashes skill and physicality. He’s the kind of player who could really benefit from settling into a top 9 role, as former coach Sheldon Keefe frequently shuffled his lines.
Crazy prediction: Holmberg erupts for 20 goals, giving fans flashbacks to the randomness of Nikolai Kulemin’s 30 goal season back in 2010-11.
Fourth Line Preview:
Max Pacioretty, David Kampf, Easton Cowan
Easton Cowan failed to make a difference in his first couple preseason games, but looked energized against Montreal. He creates chaos on the ice, which could help the opportunistic Pacioretty to thrive. Nick Robertson is also a candidate for that left wing spot, but Pacioretty has had a terrific camp so far and is a much more well-rounded player than Robertson. David Kampf is dull offensively, but extremely defensively sound, hopefully allowing the young wingers to go adventuring. If Cowan and Pacioretty fail to produce offense, Ryan Reaves and Steven Lorentz could swap in to provide a more traditional, grinding fourth line.
Crazy prediction: Pacioretty delivers a vintage season, with 60 points playing up and down the lineup, before fizzling out a month before the playoffs.
Notable Omissions:
Ryan Reaves, Steven Lorentz, Nikita Grebenkin, Nick Robertson
Ryan Reaves wasn’t an everyday player last year, and there’s no real reason why he should be one this year. The fourth line instantly becomes offensively challenged with Reaves and David Kampf sharing the ice, and Easton Cowan means far more to the team’s future than Reaves. Leaving Reaves and Steven Lorentz out of the bottom six leaves the Leafs physically vulnerable, with mostly small, fast, skilled players on the ice. This is a a similar roster construction to some of the Kyle Dubas years. However, the defense this year has far more snarl than in past years and could offset that lack of physicality. If not, Reaves can easily slot in.
Nikita Grebenkin is showing the potential to become a real fan favourite in the preseason, and could get games this year, but will likely start the season with the Toronto Marlies.
Nick Robertson is perhaps the biggest mystery on the team: He’s an elite shooter with strong offensive stats, but is inconsistent and publicly requested a trade out of Toronto in the offseason. If McMann, Holmberg, Pacioretty, or Cowan flame out, Robertson seems like a logical next man up, but I’m not convinced he makes the team out of camp.
For the next edition of the season preview, focusing on the defense, click here.
For the third and final season preview article, focused on goaltending, click here.
Leave a Reply