TORONTO — A of people in the Toronto Maple Leafs universe are going to sweat over whether or not William Nylander takes most of his shifts as a centre this season.
Nylander, however, is not one of them.
On Monday at the Ford Performance Centre, Nylander — practising on a line with Max Domi and Bobby McMann — took a few twirls on the wing, with Domi swapping into the middle. Nylander, of course, has played wing for the majority of his NHL career. He had less than a cup of coffee in the middle under former coach Sheldon Keefe at this time last year before quickly relocating back out to the flank. And ever since new bench boss Craig Berube declared on the first day of camp the talented Swede would start at centre, people have wondered how long the experiment — if that’s what it is — would last.
The famously chill Nylander was in everyone-relax-mode when asked after practice about jumping positions.
“It’s no big deal,” he said with a laugh. “It’s no big deal. Wherever I end up playing, it doesn’t matter. We’re just rotating [in some drills]. [Berube] also wants me to be able to play the wing if that happens. It’s just going back and forth, it’s still training camp.”
It’s a fair reply from Nylander. And so, too, is what Berube said about No. 88 moving from wing to centre as being a “work in progress.” That said, because there’s a history here, everyone is wondering what the long-term play is. And Berube certainly didn’t sound like a coach who is looking to etch things in stone any time soon. “It’s not easy to just switch it over and play centre,” he said. “It’s a lot more on your plate.”
Berube did say he thinks Nylander — in limited action — has done well at the position so far and there are some tangible benefits to having the 28-year-old be someone who can consistently and successfully take draws.
“Throughout the season, it would be nice to have a right-handed faceoff guy,” Berube said. “We don’t have one. So Willy, he’s working on it.”
Speaking of centres, assistant captain John Tavares didn’t skate with the main group of players on Monday while he works through a leg injury. Berube, though, said he expects Tavares and winger Calle Järnkrok back at full speed imminently.
“Tavares and Jarnkrok were good today,” Berube said. “I expect them in full practice next practice.”
While Berube was forthcoming about Tavares, there remains some question about the precise status of presumed starting goalie Joseph Woll. The 26-year-old played half of Toronto’s first pre-season game eight days ago and hasn’t appeared in any of the Leafs’ three subsequent contests. Asked if Woll’s lack of playing time was in any way a call by the medical staff, Berube was unequivocal.
“Has nothing to do with anything,” he said. “Don’t read into anything like that. It’s the plan.”
The Leafs have two remaining pre-season games and Berube said fans can expect to see Woll suit up for at least one of them. “He’s going to get another game,” the coach said. “He’s going to get more work, so I’m not worried about it right now.”
Woll, of course, missed a significant chunk of time last season with a high-ankle sprain and was forced out of action for what turned out to be Toronto’s final game of the season — Game 7 in the first-round of the playoffs versus Boston — after injuring himself in the final moments of Game 6.
He said he’s ready to get in the crease any time he’s tabbed in the hopes it’s a tune-up for the first night of the regular season on Oct. 9 in Montreal.
“When I’m called to go in net, I’ll go in net and do my best,” he said. “I think it’s trying to get [all the goalies in camp] into games. I think it’s important [to play some pre-season games], just getting those final details maybe you don’t get as much in practice. [But] it doesn’t take too many games to get that back and get in the swing of things.”
Unsurprisingly, the Leafs’ most recent contest in Montreal 48 hours ago was also a talking point following practice. On Saturday, Toronto centre Cédric Paré collided with Canadiens winger Patrik Laine just inside the Leafs blueline while Montreal was on the power play. Laine immediately collapsed to the ice and many people were upset no penalty — specifically, a kneeing infraction — was levied against Paré.
Shortly thereafter, Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj opted for vigilante justice, tearing after Paré and throwing several punches at the unwilling combatant in blue and white. Xhekaj was given 17 minutes in penalties and kicked out of the game for his troubles. On Sunday, he was fined $3,385.42 by the NHL — the maximum amount allowed — for unsportsmanlike conduct. A day later, Leafs tough guy Ryan Reaves weighed in on what happened at the Bell Centre.
“An unfortunate play,” he said of the contact with Laine. “I know Paré wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. Obviously [you] feel for Laine, [he’s] trying to reboot his career in a new city and obviously and unfortunate play.
“Obviously Xhekaj is there to do his job and the league dealt with it the way the league dealt with it. That’s just how the new rules are now. It’s hard to go about things like that because you’ve got instigator rules, you’ve got all these rules that are trying to make hockey safer. That’s just where the new NHL is. I’m sure everybody wishes it was handled a little differently.”
All things considered, the mood should be pretty light around the Leafs for the next couple days as they head north to Muskoka cottage country for some golf and team bonding. The Buds gets back to game action on Thursday in Detroit.