John Tavares’ return to the lineup Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens will bring a long-overdue change for the Maple Leafs. The 36-year-old is expected to slot in on the wing alongside Nick Paul at center and William Nylander on the right side of the second line.
It is a move that many in the Toronto media have been calling for a while now.
There is nothing wrong with Tavares losing a step as he gets older. That’s simply part of the game. But the veteran isn’t quite the center he once was, and Toronto has spent far too long trying to squeeze the same responsibilities out of him. Moving him to the wing would allow a younger player to handle more of the demanding work down the middle while giving Tavares a chance to focus on what he can still do best.
There’s a Case for Maple Leafs to Move Tavares to the Wing
The numbers suggest this isn’t just a matter of perception. As Jonas Siegel noted in The Athletic, Tavares’ underlying results at center have been particularly concerning to start the season.
“The Leafs won a paltry 32 percent of expected goals when he was out there. The team was allowing over four expected goals per 60 minutes, the worst mark on the team.”
That’s a difficult trend to ignore. Tavares can still contribute offensively, but the responsibilities that come with playing center have become increasingly demanding. Asking him to manage those duties against younger, faster opponents isn’t necessarily putting him in the best position to succeed.
In fact, Toronto already got a brief look at the alternative when Tavares moved to the wing in the game he was injured. His return provides an opportunity to extend that experiment rather than immediately put him back in the middle.
It might not solve every problem with the Maple Leafs’ lineup, but it’s a sensible adjustment. At the very least, the coaching staff should give it a meaningful run before deciding whether it works.
A Move to the Wing Could Give Tavares a Second Wind
There is a pretty good example of how this kind of adjustment can work. Late in his Tampa Bay tenure, Steven Stamkos spent more time on the wing, allowing younger centers such as Brayden Point and former Lightning Nick Paul to take on more of the responsibilities down the middle.
The change helped Tampa Bay get more out of Stamkos without asking him to carry the same two-way burden he had earlier in his career. He could concentrate on finding scoring opportunities and using his shot, rather than having to do everything expected of a top-line center. He has since continued his career in Nashville.
That’s the sort of opportunity the Maple Leafs should be looking to create for Tavares. He doesn’t need to be the player he was five or six years ago to remain useful. He just needs to be deployed in a way that maximizes what he still brings to the lineup.
Toronto has younger options capable of handling more of the work at center. Keeping Tavares there simply because that’s where he’s played most of his career makes little sense if the results aren’t there. Moving him to the wing could extend his effectiveness and give the Maple Leafs a better-balanced lineup. It’s a change that should have happened sooner.
Maple Leafs Finally Make Long-Overdue Lineup Change