The Maple Leafs need an effective first line at some point, and putting William Nylander on the right wing will do that. Whether that hurts the chemistry elsewhere is part of the uncertainty.
The Toronto Maple Leafs' top line has seen four combinations that haven't stuck.
It's got to the point where Leafs coach Craig Berube is fed up about it.
He hasn't liked the production he's been getting out of his first line, which consists of left winger Matthew Knies, center Auston Matthews and a rotating cast of right wingers: Easton Cowan, Max Domi, Matias Maccelli and William Nylander.
"It's obviously not good enough," Berube told reporters regarding the top line after Toronto's 5-2 defeat to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. "I don't feel like they have any sustained pressure in the offensive zone at all."
"I'm getting tired of it, to be honest with you," he said about finding a fit at right wing.
The burning question is whether moving Nylander to the top line and keeping him there is the solution. The Leafs' bench boss has put Nylander on the top line at various points in the first month, but never permanently.
"It could be. I always want a little balance," Berube told reporters. "But it's definitely something that I'm thinking about."
At Thursday's practice, Berube did pair Nylander with Matthews, but he brought up Bobby McMann on the left wing and placed Knies on the second line with John Tavares and Maccelli, according to The Hockey News' Nick Barden.
The moves on both wings could be an effort to maintain that balance, but a first line of Knies, Matthews and Nylander remains a tantalizing possibility.
Those three have played together for 19:16 of ice time so far this season, according to naturalstattrick.com.
The data suggests that even though they haven't spent much time together this season, they're extremely threatening offensively, as one would expect.
When Nylander skates with the top line, the trio put up 15 scoring chances, four high-danger chances and 11 shots on goal. In less than 20 minutes together, the stats suggest this has been the best combination for Knies and Matthews, aside from when rookie Easton Cowan played on their right flank.
Nylander is Toronto's leading scorer with two goals and 11 assists for 13 points in seven games. Matthews, who has six points so far, could benefit from another player on his line who can drive the offense individually.
With Nylander's ability to create plays, Matthews' undeniable scoring ability and Knies mucking it up in the corners and crashing the net, it could make for a complementary and elite forward line.
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The risk with this change would be taking offense away from the second line that includes John Tavares, Nylander and Maccelli, which has logged the most ice time together of any Leafs forward line.
In 41:49 of ice time, that line leads the team in goals (five), expected goals-for (2.2), scoring chances (26) and high-danger chances (12).
McMann, meanwhile, has played most often with Domi and Nick Robertson. That line also creates more chances for the team than against them, but they've been outscored 2-1.
Despite potentially losing the second line's offense if Nylander is moved to the top line, or losing the chemistry between Knies and Matthews, it seems like Berube is ready to take those risks.
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