Make way for Mitch.
Skating with a regular unit for the first time with Sheldon Keefe at the helm — while indicating that he’s ahead on his timeline to return from his high-ankle sprain — Mitch Marner’s practice presence Monday morning caused a pretty significant ripple effect.
Returning to his normal spot on right wing with John Tavares, Marner squeezed last season’s second-line staple, Zach Hyman, while leaving Ilya Mikheyev on the left side. The byproduct of the decision was a new-look third unit, with Hyman on the left side with Kasperi Kapanen and Alexander Kerfoot.
Maybe more notably, though, Marner also replaced Morgan Rielly on the No.