Toronto Maple Leafs star forward William Nylander didn’t hold back when reflecting on his limited chances at playing center under former head coach Sheldon Keefe. Speaking during the opening days of training camp, Nylander took a subtle jab at Keefe when asked about why he didn't play center more in the past.

A 1-2-3 of Matthews, Nylander and Tavares down the middle also brings with it the potential for greater offensive depth. The Leafs have been reliant, overly so at times, on two lines to generate offence over the years, another point of detriment in past postseasons.

Leafs head coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving absolutely want William Nylander playing centre.

At the start of the Maple Leafs' training camp, Nylander, 26 years old and brother of fellow Leafs forward William, explained his reasoning pointing to Toronto’s strong development system and the influence of his brother, William Nylander.

With a new coach, the opportunity to bring old ideas back in hopes that things can work out differently this time makes sense in most cases that is. The idea of William Nylander at centre is one of those ideas that seems like it is better off permanently mothballed.

Before any premature talk of William and Alex Nylander playing together, best to first figure where Willy fits positionally. True to new coach Craig Berube’s summer blueprint, Nylander lined up at centre on Thursday’s first day of camp workouts,