Mike Augello: Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects - #12

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The rumour is Willy at centre again.

Question: why does every coach want to force Nylander to centre? With the elite vision and being defensively superior, is Marner not the obvious candidate for that?

Why not push Marner to centre and leave Willy with Matthews. 🤔

Clearly must be missing the bus on this one cause the coaches keep going back to Willy there. 🤷

The rumour is Willy at centre again.

Question: why does every coach want to force Nylander to centre? With the elite vision and being defensively superior, is Marner not the obvious candidate for that?

Why not push Marner to centre and leave Willy with Matthews. 🤔

Clearly must be missing the bus on this one cause the coaches keep going back to Willy there. 🤷
- joel878

Its pretty simple.
Willie has played center before.....2 seasons with the marlies.....he was drafted as a center/winger.
Also its not a "coaches keep going back to it" thing....as much as its a Tre thing. He is the one who suggested it to Keefe initially.
Also it would keep Marner with AM.
If it works, you have your top two centers signed for the next 4 years.

But its training camp, with a new coach, he's gonna mix things up.
Dont read too much into it.

Mystery of the missing Os solved. OreOs are the new helmet sponsor

Its pretty simple.
Willie has played center before.....2 seasons with the marlies.....he was drafted as a center/winger.
Also its not a "coaches keep going back to it" thing....as much as its a Tre thing. He is the one who suggested it to Keefe initially.
Also it would keep Marner with AM.
If it works, you have your top two centers signed for the next 4 years.

But its training camp, with a new coach, he's gonna mix things up.
Dont read too much into it.
- Fakepartofme

It also allow Tavares to move the to wing or perhaps in the 3C role

Mystery of the missing Os solved. OreOs are the new helmet sponsor
- Canada Cup

the maple flavored one are scrumptious

the maple flavored one are scrumptious
- dmnted

Did I hear the word syrup?

Mystery of the missing Os solved. OreOs are the new helmet sponsor
- Canada Cup

At least Oreos are little pucks of deliciousness.

Mystery of the missing Os solved. OreOs are the new helmet sponsor
- Canada Cup

Are they the mega stuffed ones?

It also allow Tavares to move the to wing or perhaps in the 3C role
- dmnted

Exactly.

Its pretty simple.
Willie has played center before.....2 seasons with the marlies.....he was drafted as a center/winger.
Also its not a "coaches keep going back to it" thing....as much as its a Tre thing. He is the one who suggested it to Keefe initially.
Also it would keep Marner with AM.
If it works, you have your top two centers signed for the next 4 years.

But its training camp, with a new coach, he's gonna mix things up.
Dont read too much into it.
- Fakepartofme

Willy is 6'0", 202 lbs.

Mitchy is 6'0", 180 lbs.

The rumour is Willy at centre again.

Question: why does every coach want to force Nylander to centre? With the elite vision and being defensively superior, is Marner not the obvious candidate for that?

Why not push Marner to centre and leave Willy with Matthews. 🤔

Clearly must be missing the bus on this one cause the coaches keep going back to Willy there. 🤷
- joel878

I'd like to see them try Marner at centre too, maybe he has been asked and isn't open to it for some weird reason?

I dont get the willy/Marner to C thing and JT to wing/3C

JT is still fine. 2c production, imo better option than either of the other 2 for C

Saw who the helmet sponsor is and remembered that I had this on my phone that I randomly saw and saved back on the 6th

I dont get the willy/Marner to C thing and JT to wing/3C

JT is still fine. 2c production, imo better option than either of the other 2 for C
- senstroll

I agree, hoping they’re just seeing if he’s usable if JT ever gets hurt. Who knows tho?

I'd like to see them try Marner at centre too, maybe he has been asked and isn't open to it for some weird reason?
- Cush29

I would think that Marner and Nylander both could play center if they had to. They are both elite forwards, so it's just a matter of different coverage duties and winning faceoffs.

A lot is made of center being a "natural center" or not, but what the heck is that really? A guy with Marner or Nylander's talent level could probably play any position except goalie. I guess the real question is, how good are they at it?

If Marner or Nylander sucks at faceoffs, they wouldn't make a good center.

I've never taken a faceoff in my life outside of a basketball court, so I don't know if it's something that can be improved with practice.

I would think that Marner and Nylander both could play center if they had to. They are both elite forwards, so it's just a matter of different coverage duties and winning faceoffs.

A lot is made of center being a "natural center" or not, but what the heck is that really? A guy with Marner or Nylander's talent level could probably play any position except goalie. I guess the real question is, how good are they at it?

If Marner or Nylander sucks at faceoffs, they wouldn't make a good center.

- GalacticStone

Canada is really weird about centres.

It's considered the most important position at forward, and as such, the best kids from the age of 6 onward are put at centre. No exceptions.

Take a look at our Canada Cup, Olympic and World Cup teams - our entire forward groups will be made up of centres.

Think of all the elite wingers in the NHL - a much lower percentage of Canadians that you would expect.

Hell, name the truly elite Canadian wingers of the past 40 years - it would be hard to name a dozen. Kariya, Heatley, Marner, Hull ... and now I'm drawing a blank.

So we have an unconscious bias against wingers - there's an assumption that if they are playing a wing in the NHL, it's because they aren't good enough to play centre, and they certainly aren't good enough defensively to play centre.

Its pretty simple.
Willie has played center before.....2 seasons with the marlies.....he was drafted as a center/winger.
Also its not a "coaches keep going back to it" thing....as much as its a Tre thing. He is the one who suggested it to Keefe initially.
Also it would keep Marner with AM.
If it works, you have your top two centers signed for the next 4 years.

But its training camp, with a new coach, he's gonna mix things up.
Dont read too much into it.
- Fakepartofme

Pretty sure Marner has played centre previously as well.

"It's pretty simple", proceeds to talk down the entire response. Lol, (frank) off.

I dont get the willy/Marner to C thing and JT to wing/3C

JT is still fine. 2c production, imo better option than either of the other 2 for C
- senstroll

JT is still fine but the team is just much much better if him or another capable centre can play 3C. Centre depth is huge. Having Auston JT and then falling off a cliff to Holmberg, Dewar, Kampf is not ideal.

This team would actually be scary if they could accomplish that by cleaning up some garbage on the cap (Kampf, Liljegren, Reaves) and turning that money into a Buchnevich type, and leave the elite wingers on the wing.

I'd like to see them try Marner at centre too, maybe he has been asked and isn't open to it for some weird reason?
- Cush29

Marner to me just seems to have the far more suitable skillset for centre. I can respect if I'm in the minority with that thought but the elite vision and more reliable defensive play does it for me.

Saw who the helmet sponsor is and remembered that I had this on my phone that I randomly saw and saved back on the 6th


- Dozzer

It's even more fun if you listen to the play by play and pretend they're describing a BDSM orgy.

Pretty sure Marner has played centre previously as well.

"It's pretty simple", proceeds to talk down the entire response. Lol, (frank) off.
- joel878

Grimey gonna grime

It's even more fun if you listen to the play by play and pretend they're describing a BDSM orgy.
- Zezel

“Off to the box due to bondage” would be enough to make listening to that worth it to me.

Marner to me just seems to have the far more suitable skillset for centre. I can respect if I'm in the minority with that thought but the elite vision and more reliable defensive play does it for me.
- joel878

I think Marner was a center during his tenure in Juniors.
So it would not be far fetched.