Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Mitch Marner skating with the puck in the offensive zone.

Photo credit: Bob Frid – Imagn Images

With injuries piling up, Maple Leafs star winger Mitch Marner is willing to take on a more difficult role to help the team win.

With Auston Matthews’ continued absence as well as the IR placement of David Kampf, the Maple Leafs are now razor thin down the middle.

The team wasn’t in the best position heading into the season, having not made any key additions at center, but at least with a full compliment of options at their disposal, they were able to make due. Now, with even less options available, they may be painted into a corner.

The Maple Leafs have attempted a few changes dating back to the preseason, with William Nylander having his opportunity down the middle, but it now seems like another winger is throwing his hat into the ring to help the team at at all costs.

Marner, known to be one of the best right wingers in the game today, said that he spoke with head coach Craig Berube about potentially playing the center position in the immediate future, to which the bench boss was very receptive:
“He said, ‘No problem, whatever you want’ … It’s definitely an option if we need it … You’d have to worry about faceoffs & things like that.”
 

 

The Leafs still have John Tavares, Max Domi, and Steven Lorentz at their disposal, and they just recalled Fraser Minten, who can sub in down the middle as well – if he gets into game action. Toronto also has Pontus Holmberg, who has played the center position before, but if Marner is willing and able, it would be a boon for a balanced attack and might allow the Leafs to spread out the offense a little more.

Marner, who is a bit undersized to be a center, could have his fair share of issues, especially when it comes to face-offs, but he is a career 44.1% on the dot, which isn’t all too bad when you factor in his natural position is on the wing. He did win 50 of 95 draws in 2017-18, which was good for 52.6%, but hasn’t had to dabble with them much ever since.

For the time being, it remains to be seen if Berube will go through with it, but moving Marner to the middle is a good plan if the Maple Leafs find themselves in a bigger pinch than they’re currently in or if they need more offense late in a game and don’t want to have to rely on shifts from Holmberg, Lorentz, or Minten as much, just because they’re natural centers.