Team: 2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 10, 2019

Published: Feb. 10, 2019

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

No trades, just tinkering the lines to see if I can make something work. Not necessarily realistic, but I would like to see these.

First Line: Simple... it works. We've seen it all along this year, this is a good line. They score, they defend decently, and they can put in as many minutes as we need. Easy.

Second Line: Matthews current line, with one major change... Johnsson over Marleau. I like Marleau, and I think he's been good with Matthews as of late. However, Johnsson has had way too good a season to get 4th line minutes, and this line was great earlier in the year. I also have an idea to maximise Marleau that i'll explain later.

Third Line: Kadri and Nylander has been ok. Not amazing, but ok. Considering the talent on this line, I think that's enough to trust them. Brown has been good on the left, and I think this line has been a lot better defensively with him there than Marleau. Marleau and Kadri just didn't click in the way I thought they would, so we see if this works.

Fourth Line: This is where things get funky. Marleau has been an awesome centerman this year, and we've seen at least 3 goals in the last 2 weeks off of his faceoffs. No joke. I think he also adds some confidence to this line, and I think they need it. Lindholm has also looked better at times on the wing, especially with Moore/Ennis. Ennis and Lindholm have both shown serious skill at times, and I think with Marleau (Who can play a similar but better style than Gauthier) is a good addition to make it all click. This is seriously one of the better 4th lines around, and I love the idea.

Defence:
Pair 1: Easy. I don't even have to say more.
Pair 2: LISTEN MIKE, ITS TIME TO SPLIT UP GARDZEV! They are not "a real gud pair" anymore! Stop being a stubborn ass and use your eyes there bud! Zaitsev has been 200x better with Dermott, and I think Hainsey and Gardiner have done well together in the past. Gardiner can play more like Reilly was at the start of the year because he's got a hard-working, veteran presence beside him. Also, Gardiner has looked really good with a lefty on his right, IDK why, but he has.

3rd pair: Dermott and Zaitzev. They're gonna be the 2nd pair next year, and that may be a downgrade, but it's the truth. So let's get them working together. In the few games Gards was out, these two looked great, and Zaitsev was able to be what he is meant to be: a TWD with some offensive skill. He hasn't played that role at all with Gards, and it's time to give him a new partner. This line is also going to get more even playing time with the second line, and I think it's a great way to set them up for the future while also making them better now.

NOTE: If we can make it work, or need to (injury), I would love to get Trevor Moore in the lineup. Probably slides in on the 4th line to start, but could be swapped with Brown.