Wednesday saw a major shift for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as head coach Craig Berube had Mitch Marner slot into the center position on the top powerplay unit. This change comes as part of the Leafs’ broader experimentation during training camp, including moving William Nylander to center to provide Berube with more offensive options. The team is clearly looking for new strategies to alter their playoff fate and push toward a Stanley Cup victory.

During practice, the experimentation hit new heights when Marner took charge of the first powerplay unit, flanked by Auston Matthews and William Nylander on the wings. This lineup shake-up signals Berube’s intent to explore fresh configurations that maximize the Leafs’ talent on the ice.

Head coach Craig Berube is sticking with the Core Four and Morgan Rielly to anchor the Maple Leafs’ main powerplay unit, but his decision to position Mitch Marner at center is a surprising move. Marner has only taken a limited number of faceoffs since the 2017-2018 season and has struggled in this area, maintaining just a 45% faceoff win rate for his career. Last season, he only won 25% of his faceoffs, making his shift to center a questionable choice compared to his teammates—Auston Matthews holds a solid 52.8% win rate, and William Nylander sits comfortably at 50.4%.

Berube’s faith in Marner goes beyond his scoring abilities, viewing him as a versatile asset capable of handling multiple roles on the ice. His approach suggests a desire to build players into “Swiss Army Knives” who can excel in different areas, whether it’s faceoffs, powerplay, penalty kills, or forechecking.

While this gives Marner a chance to develop his faceoff skills, Berube is taking a risk with such a crucial role in powerplay situations, where efficiency is key. Nonetheless, the Leafs are making bold moves before the regular season kicks off, hoping that these changes will pay dividends come playoff time.