‘No big deal’: Maple Leafs forward William Nylander sees time back on the wing at practice

The experiment with William Nylander at centre has another development, with opening night a little more than a week away.
After beginning training camp slotted at centre, the Swedish star spent most of his time on the right wing Monday as he skated in practice with Max Domi and Bobby McMann.
Nylander, who rotated with Domi for some reps down the middle, maintained the shift was “no big deal.” 
“Wherever I end up playing, it doesn’t matter,” Nylander told reporters after practice. 
Earlier at training camp, Nylander expressed his desire to play centre for an extended period before a decision was made on the experiment. Former Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, now with the New Jersey Devils, started last year’s camp with Nylander in the middle but moved him back to the wing before the season began.
Despite the shift Monday, it doesn’t seem Leafs coach Craig Berube has changed his view on Nylander playing centre.
“It’s a work in progress is the way I put it. It’s not easy to just switch over and play centre. It’s a lot more on your plate, but I think he’s done a pretty good job,” Berube told reporters.
“Throughout the season, it’d be nice to have a right-handed faceoff guy. We don’t have one so it’d be nice to have him. Willy will keep working on it.” 
Nylander said having the ability to play in different positions will help his game. 
“I think the versatility is good,” he said. “If I need to go there for a shift or two and then go to the wing for a shift or two — to be able to do that is just important.”
Nylander began his time in the organization playing centre with the Marlies, but that hasn’t been the case with the Leafs. When asked why the position change didn’t work last year, Nylander said earlier this month, “I don’t know. You might have to ask my old coach (Keefe) about that.”
His new coach suggested earlier in camp that Nylander needed “some opportunity and time.”
 “I’m just going to have to see him in exhibition games down the road a little bit, play a few games, see what it looks like, see how he’s feeling, see if he’s comfortable.” Berube said.
Nylander has only appeared in one full pre-season game at centre. He left in the first period of last Thursday’s game against Montreal for “precautionary reasons” following a headfirst collision with Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak’s knee after teammate Nick Robertson nudged him with his stick. 
One reason for Monday’s change could have been that John Tavares didn’t skate with the group due to a lower-body injury he suffered in the same game last week.
Tavares and Calle Järnkrok, who is also out with a lower-body injury, are expected to return to practice this week.