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2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

Crop your photo, David, sheesh.

Guessing:
Group 1
Knies - Matthews - Maccelli
Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok
Pezzetta - Kampf - Robertson
Barbolini - Groulx - Tverberg
Valis

Rielly - Carlo
Thrun - Myers
Rifai - Danford
Chadwick - Benning

Stolarz
Hildeby

Group 2
Cowan - Tavares - W. Nylander
Joshua - Roy - McMann
Haymes - Boyd - Lettierri
Sim - Quillan - A. Nylander
Holinka

McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - Ekman-Larsson
Mermis - Villeneuve
Webber - Prokop

Woll
Akhtyamov

Group 1 has so many lefties, and Group 2 has so many righties
 
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CarltonTheBear said:
I think Cowan's just a placeholder for Maccelli, who's currently just a placeholder for Domi.
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triples-is-best-bob-odenkirk.gif
 
mapleleafshotstove.com

Craig Berube on evaluating Matias Maccelli's fit on Matthews' line: "Is he getting Matthews the puck enough for opportunities? That line plays against good lines, so he needs to be solid defensively, too"

After the first practice of training camp, head coach Craig Berube discussed his opening line combinations, Matias Maccelli starting on Auston Matthews’ line in Max Domi’s absence, Bobby McMann’s fit on the Tavares-Nylander line, and more. Training Camp Lines – Day 1 Lines at first practice of...
mapleleafshotstove.com mapleleafshotstove.com
Is placing Bobby McMann with John Tavares and William Nylander a result of the shuffling with the Domi injury, or is it something you like?

Berube: I played them together last year, and they were together for a significant amount of time. They always did well together. There was always production.

Bobby can take another step in his game by doing things a little bit differently, especially when playing with those two players, in terms of getting them the puck more and getting to the net more.

I like a big guy with [Tavares and Nylander] to forecheck, get in there, create loose pucks, and help JT out in those situations. Willy is going to do his thing — we all know that — but I feel Bobby can take another step in his game by going to the net, being hard and physical, and understanding that’s his job. He will get points from it because he is playing with two good players. Eventually, the puck will get there.
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This is why I don't think it's likely we see the Domi/Robertson/Cowan/Maccelli type guys on the Tavares LW; it's a waste to make Nylander the primary forechecker (which he can do pretty good) when he is the team's best F3 with his puck handling, distribution, and shooting abilities.

The Leafs, in the latter chunk of Keefe's tenure and for Berube's start, play a 2-3 OZ structure. The high forward helps the D stifle counter rush attempts, and also gives them attack options when the mess-makers down low dig out pucks and get open.

This is why I think the Leafs are really looking for forechecky RWs to unlock their plethora of zippy leftshot distributors. In the meantime, most of them will play off-wing to complement their glut of forechecky LWs.
 
herman said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1968801189148897790
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Like Rielly, Ken Dryden said that he liked being involved with hockey in Toronto and Montreal because you're in a place where hockey 'matters' and therefore, you get to do something that 'matters'. I'm not sure that applies to all players historically - particularly younger, inexperienced players coming into the league. Over the years, however, because of increased media coverage in many smaller (even Jr, NCAA, etc) markets, it probably isn't as big of a deal as it used to be. But I suspect there would still be some who prefer less of a spotlight. Ryan O'Reilly would probably be one example.
 
Small note but Siegel mentioned that the Leafs seem to be trying OEL on the left side of his pairing with Benoit at camp. Feels like it's worth a shot, believe OEL played better on the left last season.
 
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