Insider: Maple Leafs "Absolutely, With Certainty" Will Again Try William Nylander At Center

Perhaps many will say it's not new that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be "absolutely" looking at William Nylander at center when training camp opens. But last year, the experiment lasted just a week. Now, with new head coach Craig Berube, trying Willy in the pivot feels like something that could be tried once again, and this time with a much longer leash.

jonas siegel on tsn1050 seems pretty confident nylander opens camp at center again

this would make a lot of sense as there really isn’t a better option and allows the leafs to keep matthews-domi together on the top line
— Willyston Riellander (@nylanderthews) September 12, 2024

First Jonas Siegel of The Athletic made the suggestion on TSN 1050 Radio.

"This makes sense, I don't see why they don't do this. Based on what they did in free agency (at center), which is nothing," said Siegel.

With a new bench boss, and a GM in Brad Treliving that obviously wants to give this a try, Siegel is confident they'll give it a true run this time around.

You look at their puzzle pieces (at center) and it's like, well what are they going to do? Why would they not give William Nylander another look at center, and try to go with (Auston) Matthews, Nylander and Tavares as their three centers? I just think it makes sense... I have a hunch that I'm going to be right.

The team was never in the running to go after one of the impact centers on the free agent market this offseason, the likes of which included Elias Lindholm and Chandler Stephenson. The alternatives that they now face, in-house, are to have Max Domi out of position again in the pivot, or to go with David Kampf as the third center. Neither are great options.

TSN Insider Darren Dreger has doubled-down on the idea on Friday, saying, "It's one of the options, absolutely, with certainty, that Berube and the Maple Leafs are going to explore with Nylander...

"What's wrong with throwing a little bit of a curveball or implementing change into the lineup when you don't have a full roster of change?" asked Dreger.

"(If it works) it gets more difficult for opposition matchups to play the Maple Leafs. That ultimately is the goal of a new coach coming in."

Nylander posted his second consecutive 40-goal season last year, along with a career-best 98 points, while playing on the wing. Interesting to note, by the way, that Hockey Reference only lists one position for Nylander: Center.