The Maple Leafs' Biggest Lineup Question Is Where the

One of the more interesting things about playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup this season isn't figuring out who should play with Auston Matthews. That's sort of the easy part. Putting Matthew Knies, Matthews, and William Nylander together makes a lot of sense. There is speed, finishing ability, puck possession, and enough offensive talent to give an opposing coach a headache before the puck even drops.

The more interesting question is what happens to the rest of the Maple Leafs forward lines.

There are really two ways to build an NHL offence. You can spread your best players around and force opponents to make difficult choices. Or you can stack your talent, build a couple of dangerous units, and dare the other team to stop them.

Toronto appears to have enough interesting pieces to try either approach. One fan’s proposed Gavin McKenna-John Tavares-Easton Cowan line is a perfect example.McKenna wouldn't have to arrive in the NHL and immediately become the guy. He could distribute the puck, Tavares could do what he has always done around the net, and Cowan could bring speed and energy into the equation.

That's actually a pretty sensible way to introduce a young player to the NHL. But it also highlights the larger issue.

How much scoring can the Maple Leafs expect from the other forward lines?

It's one thing to say McKenna and Cowan could play important offensive roles. It's another thing entirely to project a high number of goals around a rookie and a young player still establishing himself at the NHL level. Tavares could certainly score 25 or 30. Beyond that, Toronto would be betting heavily that development would arrive quickly.

The same question applies further down the lineup. Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, and Jack Roslovic could be a useful third line. Roslovic should score. Paul brings versatility when healthy. Sissons does a lot of the quiet work that coaches appreciate. But if all of Toronto's secondary scoring gets concentrated on that one line, the Leafs could create a strange problem for themselves.

A good opponent doesn't necessarily have to shut down four lines. They might only have to win two matchups.

Where are the goals going to come from for the Maple Leafs?

That's the question hiding inside the Maple Leafs lineup projections. Toronto isn't simply trying to find combinations that can score goals. The team is trying to decide where their goals should come from. The old Toronto model often had opponents worrying about Matthews on one line and Nylander somewhere else. This version of the Maple Leafs may be tempted to load up the top unit and build another offensive line around Tavares and the kids.

That could be spectacular. It could also make Toronto easier to match against in a playoff series. And perhaps that's the most interesting lineup question heading into the season. The Maple Leafs may have plenty of talent. The challenge will be making sure they don't put too much of it in the same basket.