First, I would like to preface this article by stating that I do not believe in any way, shape or form that Mitch Marner intends to hold out on the Leafs. I believe that there is a lot of posturing going on from Mitch's agent, Darren Ferris, as he attempts to get his client the absolute best deal possible, and that Marner and his camp have never intended to miss a minute of hockey. Of course, I have absolutely nothing aside from personal opinion to base this on, but I digress.
On the off-chance that Marner does indeed withhold his services from the Maple Leafs in the pursuit of a better deal than what is being offered, the Buds will have to take a creative approach to arranging an optimal lineup on opening night.
With Zach Hyman already slated to be on the IR to begin the season, an absent Marner would certainly cause problems for John Tavares, who enjoyed a career year netting 47 goals as their pivot. Tavares has made a career on playing with average wingers and still producing at an elite level, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he will produce early and often. It can take awhile to develop chemistry with new line-mates. I think we can assume that Mike Babcock already has a "Plan B" if Marner does not suit up on October 2nd, but it's more fun if we pretend he doesn't, and set the lineup ourselves, so here is my take on how things could look;
Line 1: Andreas Johnsson/Auston Matthews/William Nylander
Line 2: Trevor Moore/John Tavares/Kasperi Kapanen
Line 3: Ilya Mikheyev/Alex Kerfoot/Jeremy Bracco
Line 4: Kenny Agostino/Jason Spezza/Garrett Wilson
Extra: Frederik Gauthier
D1: Morgan Rielly/Cody Ceci
D2: Jake Muzzin/Tyson Barrie
D3: Martin Marincin/Timothy Liljegren
Extra: Jordan Schmaltz, Ben Harpur
G: Freddie Andersen
B: Michal Neuvirth
IR: Hyman, Dermott
LTIR: Clarkson, Horton
I realize that there are a few notable absences. This lineup may seem inaccurate for those who take on a more idealistic view, but I arrived at this lineup by taking Mike Babcock's track record of trusting veterans over young players into account and by acknowledging his affinity for LD/RD pairings. Keeping this in mind, it's likely that Garrett Wilson and Martin Marincin crack the opening lineup over guys like Mason Marchment and Rasmus Sandin. The simple fact is that the fans are more eager to rush these guys into the NHL than the Leafs' brass is, while it is also true that another year in the AHL playing top minutes could not hurt either player's development.
I had hope for Nic Petan and Justin Holl, but like Josh Leivo and Frank Corrado before them, once you wind up in the Babcock doghouse, there is no way out but death (or a trade).
The other notable absence is Michael Hutchinson. I believe that while Matt Read was brought in on a PTO to elevate the competition on the wing, he does not really stand much of a chance of earning a contract in Toronto. Michal Neuvirth could actually earn a contract from his PTO and push Michael Hutchinson out, but will need to stay healthy in order to do so.
If Marner does not sign and this lineup does prove accurate, the silver lining is that Jeremy Bracco and Timothy Liljegren could crack the opening night roster, which would be very exciting for Leafs fans. Bracco is one of the best forward prospects in the Leafs' system and Liljegren could be a major factor in solving the blue line dilemma in Toronto. Many forget that in early drafting reports for 2017, multiple scouts had Liljegren ranked in the top 5 in his draft class before illness and injury saw him plummet to 17th overall and right into the lap of a Leafs club who was desperate for defense.
When Marner signs next week, we can strike this article from the existence and pretend it never happened, but it was a fun piece to write.
