No one could ever accuse John Tavares of not being a loyal Toronto Maple Leaf.
In the prime of his career, when he was one of the best players in the National Hockey League, he chose Toronto. Yes, he was paid handsomely to do so, but the importance of the decision should not be lost on the Maple Leafs or the city. It hasn’t always been easy for teams across all sports in Toronto to land high-end free agents, and that includes the Leafs. Tavares' arrival also changed the trajectory of the franchise. Auston Matthews brought the Leafs back to relevance, but the endorsement from Tavares signalled they would stay that way for the next decade.
Tavares has been a great pro. He wore the 'C' with pride and then passed it on to Matthews without hesitation when the time was right. He gave the Leafs an incredible deal on his latest contract and is now housing rookie Gavin McKenna. Even through all the bitter early playoff exits, Tavares’ belief in the team remains unwavering.
Perhaps that’s why asking Tavares to move to the wing isn’t the easiest conversation for the Leafs to have. At 36, Tavares has been on borrowed time as a top-six centre for a couple of years and we know Father Time is undefeated, but replacing him isn’t easy — both emotionally and practically. Toronto has likely tried to find an upgrade in past summers and trade deadlines to no avail. Top-six centres don’t grow on trees, which is why the fact that Tavares has been able to fill the role for as long as he has is invaluable to the Maple Leafs.
Normally a strong starter, Tavares has looked a step behind this season. Maybe it’s because of the short pre-season, but the duties of a centre are tough for anyone — even for someone who keeps himself in top shape like Tavares.
Now is the time for Maple Leafs to move Tavares to the wing
Tavares was never fleet of foot, and he’s even less so now at 36. That doesn’t necessarily mean he still can’t be a productive player, given his savvy and hockey IQ. But navigating the centre position, which places an emphasis on skating, is becoming more challenging. Tavares cleared 22 m.p.h. in skating speed on four different occasions last year, though he’s failed to get there this season, according to NHL EDGE. That puts him under the 50th percentile range as a skater in the league. The Leafs having him out there Thursday trying to keep up with Jack Eichel, who is one of the best at his craft and a great skater, was setting Tavares up to fail.
Assignments like that have forced Tavares into spending more time in the defensive zone this year. He’s been outscored 6-3 at 5-on-5 and is losing the shot battle 40-31. Now, not all of that is on him, as he’s played primarily with William Nylander and Gavin McKenna this season, neither of whom are stout defensively. Still, asking Tavares to patrol the middle of the ice between these two just makes things more problematic given his speed. It may finally be time to shift him over to the wing and adjust the forward lines.
Overreaction? No
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear here: this isn’t as much an indictment of Tavares’ play as it is of the Maple Leafs not addressing the issue sooner. Tavares can’t help his age and he’s played admirably over the past couple of years, even while losing a step. He’s recorded north of 70 points and 30 goals in two straight seasons and held down the fort early in 2025-26 when the Leafs were decimated with injuries. Moving him to the wing would be a step toward ensuring he can continue with that production, as there’s no denying Tavares is still a good net-front player who can score. Reducing his role would free him up to do more of what he does best. Essentially, it would accentuate his positives while masking areas where he’s no longer as strong.
The thing the Leafs do have going for them is they brought in a couple of quality centres this off-season, which is why now might be the perfect time to make the move. Granted, neither Nick Paul or Colton Sissons are ideal top-six options, but there should be a world where the Leafs can create three formidable lines that can be comfortably rolled out with all the talent they have up front. We got a glimpse of what that might look like Saturday night with Tavares out of the lineup against the Colorado Avalanche and the Leafs came away with a 6-3 victory. It was only one game and it wasn’t perfect by any means, but Toronto beat one of the best teams in the NHL with Bo Groulx in the top nine. It would be wise to get a longer look at Matthews, Paul and Sissons down the middle when Tavares comes back. The Leafs would be even more flexible and be tougher to defend in this scenario with Tavares playing wing.
You wouldn’t want to lose Tavares’ ability in the face-off circle, as he’s still one of the best in the league and he proved it earlier this week against Nashville, going 16-for-17 from the dot. Tavares could still take face-offs on a line where Paul or Sissons is playing centre let’s say, but positionally, one of those two would take on the role of the heavy lifting when it comes to centre responsibilities defensively.
This would allow Tavares to play more of a net-front role or down low behind the goal line where he can thrive instead of having to worry about being the first forward back all the time. I’ll leave it to Jim Hiller to put together an optimal forward lineup, but if you have Matthews, Paul and Sissons down the middle, and some combination of Tavares, Nylander, McKenna, Kirill Marchenko, Jack Roslovic and Easton Cowan on the wing, the Leafs should be able to build something that’s eluded them for a decade: three balanced lines.
Rick Tocchet could be on the hot seat
The Philadelphia Flyers' surprising run to the post-season last spring was a great story, but it also brought with it the weight of expectations. Philly’s rebuild was accelerated and now a slow start has some hitting the panic button. The Flyers are still winless on the season and have been outscored 24-7 and outshot 219-121 in six games, putting the focus on Rick Tocchet to turn things around quickly. Typically, coaches that are on the hot seat are not those from teams that aren’t expected to push for the playoffs. The ones that are in trouble tend to be from squads that are expected to take a step forward, and based on what the Flyers did last season, missing the playoffs should be deemed unacceptable. If Tocchet doesn’t turn things around soon, he could be in trouble.
Overreaction? No
It’s not just that the Flyers are winless on the season, it’s the fact that their brand of hockey has been so uninspiring. Philadelphia has posted fewer than 20 shots in four of its six contests and has allowed an average of 36 shots per game, last in the league. Plus, there’s been the questionable usage of rookie Porter Martone. Last season, Martone burst onto the scene with 10 points in the Flyers' final nine games and added two more goals in the playoffs. He was supposed to be a huge driving force for Philly this season but is only playing about 13 minutes per night. Every team goes through rough stretches at points of a long season, but most coaches won’t be able to survive the level of futility the Flyers have displayed thus far.
Paul Cotter could fetch a first-round pick at the deadline if he continues his strong play
You can’t stop Paul Cotter, you can only hope to contain him. Apparently. Cotter exploded out of the gates, with four goals and six points in the first six games of the season for the Vancouver Canucks. I don’t think people thought much about the Canucks signing Cotter to a one-year deal this summer, though he’s been a catalyst for a team that is supposed to be rebuilding but instead started out playing some very exciting hockey. Vancouver has quickly come back down to earth, though, and most people still think the Canucks are going to be major sellers come the trade deadline. If Cotter continues to excel, could he fetch the Canucks a first-round pick?
Overreaction? Yes
It would be a dream scenario for Vancouver, but it feels highly unlikely. Cotter definitely has a skillset that translates well to post-season play, as he has a high motor and loves to throw hits. With that said, players like that are typically a dime a dozen come the deadline and it’s hard to imagine Cotter sustaining this level of offence all the way to March. He’s only broken 10 goals in a season twice in his career and right now Cotter is shooting 57 per cent, which is going to plummet sooner rather than later. There’s certainly going to be a market for the Canucks to flip Cotter at the deadline, just don’t expect it to be for a massive return.
Alexis Lafreniere will finally have a breakout season
Could this be the year? New York Rangers fans have been waiting for Alexis Lafreniere to have a breakout campaign since he was drafted first overall in 2020, but he’s never quite put all the pieces together. He’s flirted with it before, as Lafreniere has two seasons where he put up 57 points, including one that came with a playoff run of 14 points in 18 games. Lafreniere looks like he may be taking another step now, though. He has six points in six games, including a hat trick in a victory over the rival New York Islanders. There are signs that this could be the year where Lafreniere finally reaches 30 goals and finishes closer to 70 points.
Overreaction? No
The biggest change in Lafreniere’s game this season may be the absence of Artemi Panarin. It sounds weird to say that losing a highly skilled player like Panarin could be beneficial, but it’s opening up more opportunities for Lafreniere. He’s spent time on the top line and his ice time is up nearly three minutes per game from his career average. More specifically, Lafreniere is getting over three minutes per game on the power play, which is about a minute and a half more than he’s received in past seasons.
There were signs this was coming last year, too. After Panarin was traded, Lafreniere tallied 28 points in his final 30 games. We can’t expect Lafreniere to score at close to a point per game pace throughout an entire 84-game season, though it’s reasonable to think he could land somewhere in the 65-70 range if he continues to take advantage of all the additional opportunities he’s getting. With Igor Shesterkin now out for season, if the Rangers are going to make any noise this year, it’s going to be highly dependent on Lafreniere having a huge year.
Lack of defensive depth will prevent Ducks from returning to playoffs
The Anaheim Ducks were one of the league’s most surprising stories last season, finally ending a lengthy playoff drought as Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier enjoyed breakout seasons. Not only that, the Ducks toppled Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs, too. Suffice it to say expectations were high for Anaheim heading into this season. However, if there’s one thing that could derail the Ducks it’s their depth on the blue line. Jacob Trouba, Olen Zellweger and Radko Gudas have departed, forcing players like Tyson Hinds and Noah Warren into more featured roles. The Ducks look good so far and have started strong, but you could certainly see a scenario where their inexperience on the back end could make returning to the playoffs challenging.
Overreaction? Yes
Anaheim’s defence corps may have some learning on the fly to do, but the one thing the Ducks have going for them is they play in the very friendly Pacific Division. Vancouver, Calgary and Seattle don’t figure to be in playoff contention this season and it remains to be seen how much of a jump the San Jose Sharks can make. Plus, the Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights all have their flaws as well. The division is wide open.
Even if Anaheim’s defence may be lacking in certain areas, it still boasts a lot of good talent up front. Beckett Sennecke and Mikael Granlund are a nice complement to Gauthier and Carlsson, giving the Ducks a top six that can rival most teams in the league. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy for the Ducks to cruise back to the playoffs, but it would not surprise me if they’re playing hockey again next spring after navigating through arguably the weakest division in hockey.
