Maple Leafs HC Sheldon Keefe takes veiled dig at William Nylander

The Toronto Maple Leafs head coach, Sheldon Keefe, made an unexpected move, swapping William Nylander and Mitch Marner. It was after the team faced a significant setback with a 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, prompting the strategic move for Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Keefe recently shed light on his decision during a media briefing.

In a veiled critique, Keefe stated,

"Just looking at it again on the road, I find that Matthews generally is going to get all of the attention, the toughest matchups and the most focus and game planning. Nylander away from Matthews presents some additional challenges for the opposition."

Keefe expressed confidence in Auston Matthews' ability to excel regardless of his linemates and acknowledged the need for change after a couple of defeats. The strategic swap paid off, with Auston Matthews and William Nylander each earning three points for their respective lines, while Marner contributed two assists and Tavares scored a highlight-reel goal.

"Probably the biggest thing is that we are coming off a couple of losses here," Keefe said. "Despite the fact that Matthews has been scoring consistently, I don't know if I would say Willy has been a huge contributor to those goals. I believe that Auston could still continue to be Auston and work well no matter who we have him with."

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Keefe on William Nylander's line with Tavares and Bertuzzi

Keefe elaborated on his decision, pointing to the success of the Tavares and Bertuzzi line with William Nylander in the past.

Keefe said,

"The Tavares and Bertuzzi line (with Nylander) has been the best line we have had all season when they've been together. We had them together against Pittsburgh not long ago, which of course was a great night for us. When I am looking at changing things up, it is something I naturally go to, but the rest of the lines are on my mind as well."

Reflecting on the lineup changes, Keefe indicated that these adjustments might become a staple, considering the success witnessed against the Blue Jackets. The reshuffle aimed at leveraging Matthews and Marner's chemistry while reigniting William Nylanderr's partnership with Tavares, who previously enjoyed a 17-game point streak together earlier in the season.