Harry Nansi says he'll play wherever the Toronto Maple Leafs need him, centre or off-wing, no complaints.
The quote landed Saturday, pulled from a longer conversation with Steven Ellis of The Nation Network.
It tells you plenty about where Nansi's head is at, heading into his first real shot with the organization.
"It doesn't matter, really," Nansi said. "I'll do whatever to help the team. If coach wants me at centre, I'll play centre. If he wants me on my off-wing, I'll play on my off-wing."
That kind of answer sounds simple. But in a Leafs system sorting out its middle-six, it's the exact answer scouts want to hear.
Give him credit. That's exactly the answer a prospect needs to give if he wants a real shot at cracking an NHL lineup someday.
Nansi is part of a Toronto prospect pool that's gotten deeper and more talked about since the draft, and versatility is quickly becoming the currency that gets young players noticed.
Why Nansi's flexibility could matter in Toronto's middle six
Coaches love a player who doesn't fight the assignment. Give a teenager two spots on the depth chart and watch which one he complains about.
Toronto finished last season 32-36-14, a stretch that included a seven-game slide to close things out, and finishes like that tend to open doors for kids willing to play anywhere.
It's not just talk. Development camps and rookie tournaments are built around this exact test, sliding a prospect between centre and wing to see who adapts fastest.
A player who can play centre in October and shift to the wing in November without missing a beat gives a staff options nobody else on the roster provides.
Is that enough to fast-track Nansi into an NHL conversation this fall? Too early to say. But it's the kind of trait that keeps a name in circulation all season.
The Maple Leafs haven't announced how development games will shape their lineup decisions, and Nansi's path likely runs through those games first.
Still, when a prospect hands his staff this much rope, somebody eventually pulls on it.
-
Should the Maple Leafs already be building a spot for Harry Nansi this season?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck-to-Oilers trade proposal sparks major debate
