Sheldon Keefe reveals that his plan is to keep Tavares on the wing permanently
This past weekend, following the blockbuster trade for Ryan O'Reilly, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to shift captain John Tavares over to the wing. As with any experiment, there were mixed results, but the trio of Tavares, O'Reilly and Marner did look pretty solid together for the most part.
Since O'Reilly and Acciari hadn't had a chance to actually practice with the Leafs yet, coming in just in time for a back-to-back against Montreal and Chicago followed by a day off on Monday, there was some speculation that the Leafs would look to juggle their lines at practice throughout this week to find the best mix. Well, following today's morning skate, Keefe put that notion to rest.
Keefe met with the media following the morning skate and confirmed that he has already informed Tavares that the plan is to continue on with him as the team's 2nd line left winger, playing beside O'Reilly and opposite Marner.
Keefe on what he told Tavares about the move this weekend
The Leafs' number one perceived need leading up to the deadline was a top six left winger. By acquiring O'Reilly, who has a long history as a top-six center at the NHL level, it allowed the Leafs to essentially fill the 2LW spot internally. There's no question that Tavares can more than adequately fill that role.
Interestingly enough, this revelation also opens up the possibility of the Leafs still acquiring another forward before the deadline, which is now just 10 days away. The primary need for the team at this point is a defenseman, but with Kyle Dubas having already pulled off the O'Reilly deal, it's a pretty clear indicator that the plan for the Leafs is to go all-in this year in hopes of changing their postseason course. Long has this team been a playoff pretender. This year, perhaps we'll finally see them emerge as a true playoff contender.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 21 | 260 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe reveals that his plan is to keep Tavares on the wing permanently Is Sheldon Keefe making the right decision by moving Tavares to the wing full-time? | ||
| Yes | 136 | 52.3 % |
| No, they should roll all of 34, 90 and 91 at C | 124 | 47.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
