What does Nylander's third line deployment mean for his power play usage?
William Nylander has been skating on a line with Alexander Kerfoot and David Kampf at the two most recent Leafs practices. On paper, this line reads as the Leafs' third line, but based on how Nylander is being deployed on special teams this new look lineup is not a demotion for the 25-year-old forward. Sheldon Keefe has already confirmed this.
Nylander was wearing a blue jersey at practice on Tuesday, which is usually reserved for the top 6 forwards, however, his line mates, Alexander Kerfoot and David Kampf, were also wearing, while John Tavares' line was wearing white today.
Despite the changes in the forward lines, the Leafs' top power play remains in tact and the two units are as seen below.
The mind games that Keefe has been playing with the lines in practice show that these new look lines may not be labelled as the traditional first, second, and third lines. The Leafs' star players are still going to be getting plenty of ice time and their deployment on special teams is not expected to change. Along with that, the Leafs having a more balanced offense will likely lead to whatever line is playing best earning more minutes in that particular game.
Although his line is viewed by some as the third line, Nylander's deployment in practice shows that this isn't the demotion that many are making it out to be.
