The big news was that coach Mike Babcock said that rookie-of-the-year-in-any-other-year William Nylander would not be playing centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs next season.
OK Babcock. Whatever you say.
If you have a player like Nylander – a proven puck possession player with high-end offensive abilities – why wouldn’t you play him at centre? Centre is a more valuable position than winger.
As good as Nylander is paired with Auston Matthews, the fact is, loading two players of that talent level on a single line is intentionally diminishing your returns. Why don’t Crosby and Malkin play on the same line?