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Insider reveals the reason why William Nylander is playing center

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Tom Banks
September 26, 2023  (9:29)
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The Toronto Maple Leafs made some big acquisitions this summer, but perhaps the biggest move of all they made was moving superstar winger William Nylander to center, the position he was drafted to play almost a decade ago.

Depth down the middle

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With this move, the Leafs now have perhaps the most talented center depth in the NHL, boasting Auston Matthews, captain John Tavares and Nylander down the middle, the best in the entire league.

But after several successful campaigns on the wing, many were questioning why this move was made now, and in a recent interview, TSN's Darren Dreger has given us the potential reasoning behind it.

We can't dismiss it out of hand automatically, you say, �Okay, well, can you see Patrick Kane being a good fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs?' Well, if William Nylander excels at center and becomes a fixture there, you could definitely envision an upgrade on that right side.

A legitimate Stanley Cup Champion

The reason behind it is the Leafs desire to add Patrick Kane to their roster (if the stars align), and given how Nylander looked alongside winger Max Domi in their pre-season debut, this one could work out in a big way.

If the move were to be made, the Leafs depth would be unmatched around the league, and with a blend of skill, toughness, experience and youth, this would be their starting lines.

Bertuzzi-Matthews-Marner
Knies-Tavares-Kane
Domi-Nylander-Robertson
Reaves-Kampf-Lafferty.

The Leafs haven't had that type of depth for a long time, and if everyone can be healthy and find chemistry come playoff time, this could be an unstoppable unit.

As Read on Blade of Steel - Insider reveals a possible reason the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying William Nylander at center

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