Craig Berube's Comments on Day One of Training Camp Aren't Good for New Leafs Forward Matias Maccelli
Photo credit: Chris Nicoll | Imagn Images
Comments from Leafs head coach Craig Berube following day one of training camp do not bode well for newcomer Matias Maccelli and his current lineup position.
The Maple Leafs took to ice on Thursday for their first on-ice sessions of training camp. In the absence of Max Domi, who is dealing with a lower-body injury, newcomer Matias Maccelli was given the opportunity to skate alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on the Leafs' top line.
Of course, the instant analysis of day one lines has begun, and following practice, Craig Berube faced questions about the new additions up front. Asked about Maccelli on the top line, Berube indicated that he would not have been there had Max Domi been healthy.
"Domi was obviously a guy that I was going to put there. But Max should be back pretty quick, and then we'll go from there."
While he noted that Maccelli's opportunity is coming due to Domi's injury, Berube revealed what the former Utah Mammoth forward has to do to unseed Domi on the top line.
"It's a big step. He's a guy that can make plays, we know that. So that's going to be a big part of it all if he's making the right plays and the right decisions with the puck. Is he getting Matthews the puck enough for some opportunities and things like that? And then it's just about him playing 200 feet, too. That line's going to play against good lines, so he needs to be solid defensively, too."
That's a lot of pressure to put on the new Leafs forward, but it's something the 24-year-old certainly appears willing to embrace as he looks to bounce-back after a season that saw him tally just 18 points in 55 games with Utah.
The former fourth-round pick enters his first season with the Leafs up 11 pounds from last year -- a clear indication that he is looking to prove he can handle top minutes and be a factor offensively and defensively for the Leafs.
It's a two-horse race for the coveted spot alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies with both Maccelli and Domi looking to prove they deserve it over the next three weeks.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 19 | 1563 ANSWERS Craig Berube's Comments on Day One of Training Camp Aren't Good for New Leafs Forward Matias Maccelli Who will open the regular season on the Leafs' top line? | ||
| Maccelli | 612 | 39.2 % |
| Domi | 642 | 41.1 % |
| Nylander | 197 | 12.6 % |
| Other | 112 | 7.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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