Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Nick Paul Second Line Promotion: Tavares Out vs. Avalanche
Table of Contents
John Tavares out, Nick Paul moves to the second line
John Tavares will not play for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, Oct. 10, after he left the team to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's fourth child, a son. Head coach Jim Hiller confirmed the news on Friday in Denver, and the lineup consequence was immediate: Nick Paul moves to the second line, centring Easton Cowan and William Nylander at Friday's practice. The Nick Paul second line promotion is the most interesting lineup decision Hiller has made on this western trip, and it may outlast the weekend.
Hiller did not give a date for Tavares' return, according to TSN's Mark Masters. The Leafs play in Denver at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday and then visit Utah on Oct. 13 to close the three-game trip. Whether Tavares rejoins the team in Salt Lake City or back in Toronto is a family call, and nobody in the organization is treating it as anything else.
Congratulations are in order first. The hockey questions come second, and there are a few.
What Hiller said about the change
Hiller's explanation, as reported by Masters on Oct. 9, was short and pointed at the roster Chayka built over the summer: "One, I'm just thankful for the depth we have at the center position. Two, I think Paul has played really well this year."
That is not a throwaway line. Toronto went into the 2026-27 season with four natural centres who have all taken regular NHL shifts down the middle: Auston Matthews, Tavares, Paul and Colton Sissons, with Teddy Blueger as a fifth. A year ago, losing the No. 2 centre would have meant pulling a winger into the middle or recalling someone from the Marlies. This time Hiller can slide his third-line centre up and his fourth-line structure stays intact.
Paul arrived from the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1, 2026, in the deal that sent goaltender Dennis Hildeby, a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick to Tampa. He carries a $3.15-million cap hit through 2028-29, per the LeafsLurker contracts page. Through the first five games he has mostly anchored the third line, playing with Cowan and Sissons, and Hiller has leaned on that group in defensive situations.
The Maple Leafs lines from Friday's practice
Here is how the forwards lined up on Friday, based on reporting from TSN, The Hockey News and The Leafs Nation. Saturday's morning skate in Denver will confirm whether any of it changes:
LineCentreWingersFirstAuston MatthewsKirill Marchenko, Jack RoslovicSecondNick PaulEaston Cowan, William NylanderThirdColton SissonsGavin McKenna, Bo GroulxFourthTeddy BluegerZack MacEwen, Brandon DuhaimeThe defence pairs were shuffled as well. Hiller split up Morgan Rielly and Darren Raddysh, who had been paired in recent games, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson returned to practice after leaving Thursday's game in Vegas late in the third period:
PairLeftRightFirstJake McCabeDarren RaddyshSecondMorgan RiellyChris TanevThirdOliver Ekman-LarssonTroy StecherIn goal, Anthony Stolarz is the projected starter after Sergei Bobrovsky made 40 saves in the 4-3 shootout loss to the Golden Knights on Oct. 8. Toronto had not officially confirmed the starter as of Friday, but the two have alternated through the first five games and Stolarz is next in line. Winger Miles Wood, recalled from the Marlies on Friday, was set to join the team in Denver; where he fits, if he plays at all, was not settled at practice.
Why a Nick Paul second line beats moving Sissons up
Hiller had two obvious options: move Paul up, or move Sissons up. LeafsLurker thinks he picked correctly.
Paul is a 6-foot-3 centre who can play a 200-foot game and still create off the rush. He has played up the lineup before, with Ottawa and Tampa Bay, and he has enough offence that Nylander does not have to carry the line by himself. Sissons is the better pure defensive centre, which is exactly why he is more valuable where he is: centring Gavin McKenna and giving the 18-year-old the defensive cover that made the third-line move work in Vegas. We argued after that game that Hiller should leave the McKenna third line alone, and promoting Paul instead of Sissons lets him do that.
Cowan is the other beneficiary. The 21-year-old has spent most of the season on the third line next to Paul, and moving the two of them up together keeps a familiar pairing intact. Cowan's speed on the forecheck and Paul's size below the goal line give Nylander a pair of linemates who will retrieve pucks for him, which has been the missing piece on the second line since opening night.
Hiller keeps Matthews and Nylander apart, for now
The other notable thing about Friday's lines is what Hiller did not do. With Tavares gone, the easy move would have been to reunite Matthews and Nylander on one line and let the depth sort itself out. Instead Matthews stayed between Marchenko and Roslovic, and Nylander stayed on his own line.
Hiller has already put the two together late in games, in the comeback against Nashville on Oct. 6 and again in Vegas on Oct. 8. Asked why he keeps returning to separate lines in practice, he said, per a Maple Leafs Hot Stove report on Oct. 10: "We know what they can do together... We want to see if we can find some more chemistry with some other guys." He added that if the other combinations do not work, he will probably lean on the pairing more.
That is the right instinct. Toronto's problem through five games has not been the top line; it has been everything underneath it. Stacking Matthews and Nylander might win a period. Building a second line that can survive without them is what wins an 84-game season. Saturday, against a Colorado team that led the NHL in goals last season, is a fair test of whether Paul can be that centre.
How long Tavares could be out
There is no injury here and no reason to expect a long absence. Paternity absences in the NHL usually run a game or two, and Toronto does not play again after Saturday until Oct. 13 in Utah, which gives Tavares a natural window to rejoin the team without missing much. Hiller did not commit to a timeline, and LeafsLurker will not invent one.
When he does return, Hiller has a decision to make. Tavares, 36, is signed through 2028-29 at a $4.38-million cap hit and has been the second-line centre since camp. If Paul and Cowan click with Nylander in Denver, the coach could reasonably keep that line together and give Tavares a run at third-line centre with McKenna, a line that would bring more offence than the current Sissons version. If they do not, Tavares slides straight back in and Paul returns to the role he has played well all season.
Either way, the Leafs are better positioned to absorb an absence at centre than they have been in years. That is a quiet win for the summer rebuild of the bottom six, and you can see the full forward depth chart, cap hit by cap hit, on our players page.
What it means against Colorado
We laid out the full matchup in our Maple Leafs vs Avalanche preview, including the fact that Toronto owns Colorado's 2027 first-round pick. The short version: the Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy last season with a franchise-record 121 points, and Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have started this one at full speed.
Colorado's top line will see a lot of Matthews' line and the McCabe-Raddysh pair, because Jared Bednar has the last change at home. That leaves Paul's line likely to face Colorado's second and third units, which is the spot where Toronto needs to win minutes. Losing Tavares costs the Leafs a veteran faceoff option and one of their most reliable finishers around the net. Paul brings a better penalty-killing profile and more foot speed through the neutral zone.
Toronto is 2-2-1 and has blown a 3-0 lead in its last game. A point in Denver would be fine. Two would make the trip.
What's next
Three things to watch over the next few days. First, Saturday's morning skate in Denver, which will confirm the lines, the starting goalie and whether Wood draws in. Second, Tavares' return date, which Hiller is likely to address before or after the Utah game on Oct. 13. Third, whether the Nick Paul second line survives Tavares' return. If it produces in Denver, Hiller will have a real decision and, for once, more than one good answer.
Follow the Atlantic Division race on our standings page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is John Tavares not playing against the Avalanche?
John Tavares left the team to attend the birth of his fourth child, a son, and is unavailable for Toronto's game in Denver on Oct. 10, 2026. Head coach Jim Hiller confirmed the absence on Oct. 9 and did not give a return date.
Who is centring the Maple Leafs second line without Tavares?
Nick Paul moved up from the third line to centre Easton Cowan and William Nylander at Friday's practice on Oct. 9. Colton Sissons stays on the third line with Gavin McKenna and Bo Groulx.
How did the Maple Leafs get Nick Paul?
Toronto acquired Nick Paul from the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1, 2026, sending goaltender Dennis Hildeby, a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick to Tampa. Paul carries a $3.15-million cap hit through the 2028-29 season.
When will John Tavares return to the Maple Leafs lineup?
Toronto has not given a date. After the Oct. 10 game in Colorado, the Leafs do not play again until Oct. 13 in Utah, which gives Tavares a natural window to rejoin the team.
Why are Auston Matthews and William Nylander on different lines?
Jim Hiller said on Oct. 9 that the team knows what the two can do together but wants to see whether other combinations can build chemistry. He has reunited them late in games against Nashville and Vegas, and said he would lean on the pairing more if other options do not work.
Who is starting in goal for the Maple Leafs against Colorado?
Anthony Stolarz was the projected starter for Oct. 10 after Sergei Bobrovsky made 40 saves in a 4-3 shootout loss in Vegas on Oct. 8. Toronto had not officially confirmed its starter as of Friday.
