Toronto coach shares plan for lineup amid player's suggestion

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a new look offense this upcoming campaign as the squad deals with the reality of a forward group that does not include Mitch Marner. 

Leafs forward Matthew Knies recently had an interesting idea in terms of switching up the lineup with the thought of making up for lost production up front. He suggested moving William Nylander up to the top line to play with Auston Matthews. 

Toronto coach Craig Berube was asked about this idea in a recent interview with The Athletic and gave his take on it and what the Leafs system could look like this year. 

Berube's response to Knies' opinion 

Craig Berube stated he disagreed with his American forwards assessment of the situation. While he saw the logic of the idea, Berube believes a balanced offensive attack should be prioritized. While a Matthews-Nylander connection on the 1st line has the makings of a dangerous duo, very much like Matthews-Marner was, it would deplete the rest of the lines. Berube likes what he has on the second line with John Tavares and Nylander consistently playing together.

It is understandable why Knies would want to see Nylander moved to the top line, given the fact he has the right wing slot on lock. A Knies-Matthews-Nylander trio has the potential of a scary unit for the opposition to deal with. 

That is not to say the three players won't get opportunities together this season. They will most definitely get reps on the special teams and even strength moments late in games when the team needs a boast.

It will be fascinating to see how the Leafs depth chart shifts throughout the season in what will be a team with a much different feel than recent seasons.