How long will the Leafs keep misusing Nylander?

Given the fact the Toronto Maple Leafs improved to 11-3-1 over their last 15 games with Saturday's win in Pittsburgh, any complaints about the current outfit could very well be considered nitpicking.

Despite the recent surge, one of the more confusing aspects throughout the club's recent run has been the deployment of winger William Nylander.

The 21-year-old has been used in a fourth line role of late, which isn't uncommon under head coach Mike Babcock, who frequently shifts his lines to provide a spark - either for increased effort out of the individual involved or the makeup of the team as a whole.

Yet, Nylander can't seem to find his way back to his old spot, and versus the Penguins on Saturday, he logged a career-low 8:39, including just one shift in the third period.

So, what gives?

It's hard to chalk it up to a lack of production, as Nylander has 20 points in 30 games this season - even with a 6.8% shooting percentage, which suggests he's had poor puck luck so far. Even though he hasn't recorded a point in his last three games, Nylander's never had a drought of four contests in his NHL career, so it can't be labeled as inconsistency either.

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)

Lately, Nylander's linemates have been Matt Martin and Dominic Moore, who are two players nowhere near his skill level. Of course, Nylander flanking that duo means he's separated from Auston Matthews, eliminating a wildly dynamic one-two punch from both a season ago and in limited instances this year.

There's a case to be made about the impact Nylander's deployment is having on Matthews, as well. Toronto's best player has just one goal in his last nine games and was held without a shot on goal for the second time in five tries on Saturday - the only two such instances of his career.

Putting Matthews with Connor Brown rather than Nylander provides opponents a better opportunity to zone in on No. 34, eliminating his time and space without having to worry about another high-end offensive threat.

In the grand scheme of things, the Leafs' current line combinations probably don't have much of an effect on what the team is trying to accomplish this season, but for the time being, keeping one of the team's greatest talents with inferior linemates - or stapled to the bench - doesn't seem to make much sense.

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