Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Tavares, McKenna, Cowan & Wrong Assumptions

Tavares was never a player whose game depended on flying around the ice in the first place. His strengths have always been his hands, his positioning, his hockey sense, and that ability to find the right spot around the net. If he has lost a step, it doesn’t necessarily change his game the way it would for a player like William Nylander. Tavares can still get to the right places. And, as one reader of The Hockey Writers pointed out, expecting 20-plus goals from him over the next couple of seasons isn’t particularly unreasonable.

Gavin McKenna: Does He Really Have to Start on the Top Line?

This is where things get interesting. There is a natural temptation to take the first overall pick and immediately put him beside Auston Matthews. That’s what teams do with young stars, right? Maybe. But McKenna doesn’t necessarily need to start there.

If Matthew Knies is playing his natural left-wing position, McKenna could potentially play on the second line with Tavares and William Nylander. That isn’t exactly a punishment. In fact, it might be a pretty comfortable introduction to the NHL. McKenna gets talented linemates, Tavares gets another creative player, and Nylander gets somebody who can think the game at a high level. If McKenna eventually forces his way onto the top line, great. But why decide that before training camp or before he has even played a game?

Easton Cowan — Could Centre Be His Next Move?

The Cowan question might be even more interesting. What if Toronto starts thinking about him as a centre? One reader suggested moving Cowan to 3C this season, with the idea that he could eventually take over the second-line centre job. That’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Cowan has the competitiveness and intelligence to play down the middle, and giving him some NHL experience at centre could be a pretty useful experiment. It also gives the Maple Leafs another option if the organization loses Tavares either through injury or eventual retirement.

Nobody is suggesting Cowan should suddenly become a second-line centre tomorrow. But starting him at 3C and seeing what happens makes some sense.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The funny thing about all three of these little questions is that none of them require the Maple Leafs to make some dramatic change. Tavares doesn’t suddenly have to become a fast skater. McKenna doesn’t have to immediately start on the first line. Cowan doesn’t have to become a star centre this season.

They just have to be willing to look at the roster a little differently. And that’s probably what training camp should be about. Not deciding everything in August. It’s about finding out what might work once the players actually get on the ice.

[Just a note to thank those readers who take the time to engage in the discussion sections of the posts on The Hockey Writers. You give me great ideas to think and write about.]