One of the more interesting takeaways from the Toronto Maple Leafs recent media day was the confirmation from head coach Sheldon Keefe that William Nylander will start camp at centre.
The Toronto Maple Leafs coach also suggested that Nylander will be given a prolonged opportunity to prove his worth playing the middle.
Instead of ongoing questions surrounding a new contract, the focus will turn to the ice. Specifically, can Nylander handle the added responsibilities of playing centre?
General manager Brad Treliving and Keefe likely discussed this often during the offseason. There are multiple reasons why the time is right for this experiment.