Jim Hiller is projected to put good friends Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna on the same line tonight against Buffalo, for the first time.
Leafslatest shared the projected lines via OverDrive, with Colton Sissons in the middle of the pair.
William Nylander, Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic make up the top line, with Nick Paul, John Tavares and Kirill Marchenko behind them.
Brandon Duhaime, Teddy Blueger and Benoit-Olivier Groulx round out the group.
About time. Put the two kids together and let them figure it out, because they've earned the shot.
Pairing two young scorers with a veteran checker is like handing two teenagers the car keys and making grandpa ride shotgun.
The two kids have 10 points between them, and Cowan already owns 2 game-winners.
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Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna projected to share Leafs line for first time vs. Buffalo
Cowan has 3 goals on a $900,000 cap hit.
McKenna has 5 points on a $1,075,000 deal, including a goal in Tuesday's loss in Utah.
Sissons has one goal and no assists on a $4,250,000 cap hit.
That's the line's weak spot. The kids need a center who can finish what they create.
The fourth line has yet to record a single point between Duhaime, Blueger and Groulx.
Marchenko has 6 points, the most of anyone outside the top line, and Roslovic has 3 goals in his top-line role.
Toronto is 3-3-1 after Tuesday's 5-4 loss in Utah.
Chris Tanev remains out until at least Oct 22, and Sergei Bobrovsky sits at .907 heading into tonight.
The Leafs have scored 24 goals and allowed 23 through seven games.
Buffalo arrives at 3-3-1, still without Rasmus Dahlin, and Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 7 points.
Earlier in the day, McKenna admitted Auston Matthews still has the edge in their practice puck battles, at least for now.
If this works tonight, does Hiller ever split them up again?
The Islanders visit Saturday, and San Jose comes in Monday.
Good friends off the ice. Tonight they find out whether that chemistry travels.
Should Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna stay on the same line all season?
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