While Sheldon Keefe was quick to caution us not to read too far into the lines, newcomer Riley Nash was centering Alex Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev on the third line, while Nick Foligno and Zach Hyman were flanking the power duos in the top six. The fourth line consisted of the veteran trio in Joe Thornton, Jason Spezza, and Wayne Simmonds.
#Leafs lines at practice:
Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Foligno-Tavares-Nylander
Kerfoot-Nash-Mikheyev
Thornton-Spezza-SimmondsRielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Hutton-Dermott
Sandin-HollowellAndersen
CampbellExtras: Galchenyuk, Engvall
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) May 11, 2021
With Nash’s defensive strengths and history of handling tough matchups when called upon in Boston or Columbus, when paired with Kerfoot and Mikheyev, Sheldon Keefe could aim for “nothing happens”-type shifts from this third-line trio.