Maple Leafs Demote Captain John Tavares Ahead of Matchup Tonight

John Tavares has had his struggles this season, not performing at his normal rate of production. At times, Tavares looks slower than normal, however, it is unclear if he is fighting through something, or if his age is catching up to him.

This has resulted in Tavares being demoted to the third line earlier this year. When the Leafs had some guys get injured, Tavares had another opportunity to play on the second line, however, the Leafs have demoted him again ahead of their game tonight, back to the third line.

Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson have both had their splashes this year, and are looking to take their games to the next level. While Tavares surely isn't ecstatic that he is on the third line, this is an opportunity for the veteran leader to mentor two of the more promising rookies the Leafs have.

We will see if Tavares can live up to the challenge as the Leafs take on the Hurricanes tonight.

As seen on Hockey Feed - "Maple Leafs once again demote captain John Tavares"