The Toronto Maple Leafs have a couple of days off between games before they get set to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night. Following the news about David Kampf going on the injured reserve and Fraser Minten being recalled, Maple Leafs brass dropped a couple of bombshells regarding Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
Concerning Matthews, the star forward is currently in Germany receiving special treatment for an upper-body injury that’s kept him out of the lineup since the start of the month. According to general manager Brad Treliving, the goal is for him to return for next week’s trip to Florida. Head coach Craig Berube told reporters about Marner that he had spoken to Marner about playing centre.
Craig Berube talking to Mitch Marner about possibility of playing centre. Marner open to it.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 19, 2024
It was a bit of a shock to read, considering Marner hasn’t played centre since junior and has yet to skate up the middle of the ice as a Maple Leaf, but it’s a move that comes at a dire point in relation to the team’s injury situation, particularly at centre. With both Matthews and Kampf out of the lineup, they’re lining up Max Domi, Fraser Minten, and Steven Lorentz up the middle behind John Tavares, which isn’t the most ideal of situations to be in.
“I talked to Mitchy the other day about it, actually. He said no problem, whatever you want,” Berube said. “He’s smart enough, for sure. I know he’s played some D here, too, in the past. I think he could play all positions. But it’s definitely an option if we need it.”
While the news may come as a surprise, considering Marner was never given a shot at centre under either Sheldon Keefe or Mike Babcock, it’s a move that could be considered long overdue. He may lack the size of somebody like Matthews, but he checks off every other mark that you’d typically look for in a centre. He’s an elite playmaker, he’s got strong hockey IQ and he possesses Selke-worthy defensive instincts.
If Marner can take enough reps at centre to be a go-to option when it’s necessary, the Maple Leafs all of a sudden have a wealth of options with a fully healthy lineup. The conversation about splitting Matthews and Marner up has been ongoing for years now, and whether you agree with that notion or not, having those two as a one-two punch up the middle would give them a balanced look they haven’t really been able to master to date.
