The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers lead Adam Proteau's list, but the Vancouver Canucks, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning make a strong case. Is John Tavares still a top-six forward? With the recent promotion of Max Domi to the second line — and subsequent demotion of Tavares to the third line — it looks like that is not the case. Which puts the Toronto Maple Leafs in a difficult situation. After all, how many third-liners are earning $11-million? Then again, how long did anyone expect a 33-year-old to be a top-line performer? This was always an inevitability. Tavares is the second-oldest forward on the Leafs. Only Ryan Reaves is older. And Reaves isn't exactly a full-time roster player anymore. Even when he was younger, Tavares was never the fastest skater. And Father Time has only slowed him down even more. This year, the Leafs captain has 17 goals and 43 points in 54 games — a pace that would have him finishing with some of his worst totals since joining the Leafs. Of course, the more glaring stat is his minus-2 rating. Tavares has become a bit of a defensive liability. He no longer can match up against the other teams' top lines, which is why Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to move Domi up to the second line alongside William Nylander and Tyler Bertuzzi in a lopsided 7-3 win against Vegas on Thursday. It was a move that rewarded Domi with a pair of goals. But it was the defensive upgrade that Keefe praised the most. "His checking defensively coming back and tracking and getting back above the puck and using his speed and tenacity to close and kill plays defensively has been tremendous and that’s what’s going to allow him to continue to play a role in a situation like that," Keefe told The Hockey News' David Alter. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/he-can-play-against-anyone-in-the-league-why-max-domis-promotion-to-the-maple-leafs-second-line-and-john-tavares-move-down-isnt-ending-anytime-soon]"When he’s skating and competing at that level he can play against anybody in the league. And we’ve seen what he can contribute offensively. "Whether it’s scoring like he has tonight or making plays and facilitating for others." What does this mean for Tavares? Well, he's now relegated to playing mentor on a line with a pair of youngsters in Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson. It's a role that puts far less pressure on the team's elder statesman. And while it might not be permanent, chances are that if Tavares does make it back to the second line, it probably will be as a winger. At least, until his contract expires in 2026. 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