Why Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube is dropping William Nylander down a line

Look for the Maple Leafs’ leading scorer on the third line come Thursday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

William Nylander has not been heard of, points-wise, in the past four games — a slump he hasn’t experienced for almost a calendar year.

Coach Craig Berube thought it was high time to shake things up with the Swede and his whole line.

WHY MOVE WILLY?

“(John) Tavares, Nylander and (Easton) Cowan have fallen off for me a bit, dried up,” Berube said, though he insisted the production issue wasn’t the sole reason for moving Nick Robertson to that spot on Wednesday at practice.

“If I had to look at one thing, it’s that (Nylander) has to get involved more, engaged more, work his way through it. That’s what I talked to him about today. All players go through it at some point.”

Nylander will get that trench exposure with Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua. Berube had sat Robertson after his points fell off, though he will likely do better back in a top-six role.

WHAT’S NYLANDER’S RESPONSE?

As for the 32-point, plus-seven Nylander, he handled the media hubbub about his perceived demotion as he does the more frequent adulation.

“I think it’s great, we needed to try something new,” he said, knowing he’ll be well-protected, if nothing else, from playing with two of the biggest forwards on the Leafs.

“I feel like there are chances where I should be shooting the puck. I have to be more hungry to attack the net.”

That was a theme Berube has harped on a lot lately, especially with Toronto’s power play stuck near the bottom of the NHL at 31st, despite millions of dollars in salary invested in it.

Auston Matthews has been another silent partner. It was back to Matthews, Nylander, Tavares and Matthew Knies at special-teams practice, and likely Morgan Rielly at the point, if the defenceman returns from the illness that kept him from Wednesday’s workout.

WHAT ROLE HAS THE POWER PLAY HAD?

Assistant coach Marc Savard is taking a lot of heat as the power-play unit slips below 14%.

“We gotta have a far simpler approach to it all, the puck has to move quicker for far better re-sets and getting it to the net,” Berube said. “Other good things will happen after we start getting some momentum from ‘good touch, good touch, shot.’

“We’re trying to look for the perfect play that is not there. Make the play that’s available and make it quickly and get pucks to the net. You talk about power play for years and years and sometimes you over-shoot it. We’re under-shooting it.

“When it stops working, it affects your confidence.”

Goaltender Joseph Woll made his first appearance Wednesday since going on IR last Saturday, but can’t play until this weekend’s home game against the Oilers.

Chris Tanev was in a non-contact red sweater, due for a re-assessment of an upper-body injury after practice and a possibility to play Saturday if he’s cleared.

lhornby@postmedia.com

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