That’s a fun narrative and all but I’ve seen them take and give more hits, block more shots, and fight for space in the crease (well not so much Marner) than I’ve seen them complete simple passes and make simple shots. If they completed some video game plays and sucked defensively it would be one thing but whatever skills they have in the regular season go out the window in the playoffs. Don’t take that to mean that they can’t do the skill stuff because they don’t have time and space, pucks just hop over their sticks, shots go high and wide, passes take an extra second to settle, they randomly toe pick and fall down, clears don’t exit the zone or go for a delay of game, I could go on.
Maybe it’s the pressure, maybe Keefe was in their heads about playing safe, but there certainly isn’t much skill going on in the playoffs even when the other team isn’t pressuring them and taking away time and space. I see a hell of a lot more of Matthews getting cross checked shovelling a netfront scramble into a pad than I see him ripping shots from his office.
In recent decades there has been more successful D converted to forwards than wingers to C. Especially when they already have a clear #1c I don't think its a possibility. They just want him to earn the whale of a contract and teaching him a new position might not be the best way to achieve that.
Forgot it was even happening, seems like he was hired a while ago now.
