Sheldon Keefe running some questionable forward lines at Leafs practice
After taking a pair of heavy hits from 6'8 Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers, John Tavares drew back into the lineup at Leafs practice today. The Buds are back on the ice on Saturday to face Connor McDavid and the high flying Oilers, but it's anyone's guess what the roster will look like.
Tavares was penciled in as the 3rd line centre as practice got under way today - a spot he has not yet occupied during his tenure as a Leaf. Keefe is known for changing his lines, especially mid-game, but the line rushes today were fairly unusual.
Keefe really seemed to like the Nylander-Lafferty-Jarnkrok line that controlled the game in New Jersey, so it looks like he'll keep them together to start, despite Tavares' return. It's possible, even likely, that Lafferty will be moved to the 3rd or 4th line come playoff time, creating a three headed monster when O'Reilly returns.
The often criticized Holl skated as an extra on Friday, meaning he's likely to come out. Luke Schenn remains absent from the lineup as he awaits the birth of his third child. Simmonds skated with Tavares and Bunting on the 3rd line, but it's really anyone's guess whether he'll play or not. He may have just been a placeholder in case the Leafs opt to go 11F, 7D.
Depth, especially on defense, has given Keefe a plethora of lineup options as we push through the last quarter of the season. It will be very interesting to see what he comes up with for Game 1 of the playoffs for a team desperate for a series win.
