The Toronto Maple Leafs have a huge weekend upcoming, and with the absence of Mitch Marner due to injury, Sheldon Keefe has made a shocking call with the lineup in their latest practice.
William Nylander demoted from the first line in place of Mitch Marner
While many expected William Nylander to simply slide into the role of Mitch Marner on the top line in the absence of their star winger, that wasn't the case at Toronto's latest practice on Wednesday.
According to reports, after frustration with their performance and lack of chemistry, Sheldon Keefe has demoted Nylander back to the second-line alongside John Tavares and Max Domi, opting for veteran Calle Jarnkrok to play on the top line.
The Maple Leafs will battle the Philadelphia Flyers on the road tomorrow before a showdown with the Carolina Hurricanes on St. Patrick's Day, and with Marner's return up in the air, the latest lineup decision is certainly an intriguing one.
It's not a bad idea to keep Nylander with the players he's built chemistry with, but with Auston Matthews tallying just one goal in his past five games, it could have been a major opportunity to get him going alongside Nylander, so we will now have to wait and see how it plays out.