Could the Maple Leafs Build the NHL’s Best First Line?

When there’s a coaching change, many other things change with the team. That will be true this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as they transition from former head coach Sheldon Keefe to new head coach Craig Berube. Much of the speculation has centered around Berube’s increased favoritism for physicality. Known for his preference for a rough and tough playing style, Berube contrasts with Keefe, who started as a puck control coach but later evolved into a more defensively savvy strategist.

The point is that coaches learn and change throughout one’s coaching career. If Keefe changes, why then not Berube?

---

---

How Might Berube Reshape the Forward Lines?

One intriguing possibility with Berube at the helm is how he might deploy his forward lines. The most persistent question about the Maple Leafs top six in recent seasons has been whether to pair Auston Matthews with Mitch Marner.

Related: Marner’s Dilemma: Maple Leafs Legacy or Big Money Elsewhere?

However, I’ve never heard much about the possibility of loading up a first line to create one of the best first lines in recent NHL history. What would the top line look like if Berube added William Nylander on the left side to play with Matthews at center and Marner on the right side?

Although Berube isn’t typically viewed as an offensively-minded coach, he could make a bold move by stacking the top line with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander. If he did, the Maple Leafs could potentially transform their offensive dynamics and provide a new level of excitement and effectiveness.

Here’s the big question: “What are the possibilities that one of the biggest changes under Berube would be a stacked first line featuring Matthews, Marner, and Nylander?”

Is There a Rationale to Create a Super Line?

Could Berube surprise us all with an unexpected offensive perspective? Is there an opportunity to create a super line that mirrors the impact of Edmonton’s dynamic duo, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? Consider three persuasive reasons supporting the idea of the Maple Leafs boasting the NHL’s top forward line.

First, a super line might maximize the team’s elite talent. Toronto’s talent pool, featuring Matthews, Marner, and Nylander, could boast exceptional offensive ability. Consistently pairing these elite players together could result in the most formidable forward line in the league.

Second, the move could create a more strategic ice time management for the Maple Leafs. Matthews and Marner have consistently handled heavy minutes, and Nylander has also demonstrated his ability to play significant minutes. All these players are in their prime and should be raring and able to go. Berube’s track record does indicate a willingness to deploy top talent extensively, ensuring maximum utilization of their skills. This move might extend that kind of extrapolation.

Third, a super line would offer the potential for offensive superiority. Following the success of the McDavid and Draisaitl partnership in Edmonton, a forward line featuring Matthews, Marner, and Nylander has the potential to challenge and surpass other top lines in the NHL. They could provide relentless offensive pressure on the ice and elevate the Maple Leafs’ overall gameplay.

Berube Could Change Things, But Will He?

As the Maple Leafs undergo an era of change under Berube’s leadership, the exploration of creating a super line with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander represents a chance to leverage the team’s elite talent. How fun could it be for fans if he tried to forge the most dominant forward line in the NHL?

Could this strategic shift catalyze the Maple Leafs to surmount previous postseason setbacks and achieve newfound success? Who knows? It could barely be worse than it has been.

[Note: I want to thank my often co-writer Stan Smith for his help in pulling this post together.]

Related: Imagine What Berube Might Do with an Emerging McMann