Matias Maccelli didn’t need long to make his presence felt with the New York Islanders.
After a quiet run in Toronto last season, Maccelli has landed in Long Island and is already drawing attention at camp. He’s been used on the second power-play unit, and beat reporter Stefen Rosner noted that he has looked dangerous as well.
That impression was reinforced on Monday, when Maccelli finished a nice give-and-go goal on the power play during practice. From there, he’s moved into a meaningful spot in the Islanders’ plans heading toward 2026-27, with head coach Peter DeBoer openly praising what he’s seen.
DeBoer said Maccelli “You always noticed him on the ice. He was always attacking.
He always looked dangerous. I'm excited to get him into some games.”
For a player who has already shown he can be at least a 40-point NHL contributor, the change of scenery has clearly given him a better runway. He is not the only one finding new hope this summer, either. Nick Robertson has skated alongside Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh and is being looked at for a top-six role, another example of a player getting a fresh opportunity away from Toronto.
Maccelli’s stint with the Maple Leafs never really got off the ground. Toronto added him last year to bring more creativity and playmaking, with the hope he could become the next major option beside Auston Matthews. Instead, he barely played before moving on to the Islanders this summer.
The fit in Toronto never looked right. Craig Berube’s north-south system, built around forechecking and heavy puck battles, did not suit Maccelli’s style. He was often parked on the third or fourth line, never really given a chance to build chemistry with Matthews, and Berube’s impatience with his forwards meant the leash kept getting shorter.
The results followed. Maccelli went nearly a month without a point from Nov-Dec last year, and his production only really picked up in March, far too late to matter much. Like the rest of the Maple Leafs, the offense was pushed aside by Berube’s defense-first approach, and that hurt one of Toronto’s key summer additions.
The same story played out across the roster. Auston Matthews was a shell of his former self, Morgan Rielly was not the offensive player he needed to be, Nick Robertson was never given the chance and neither was Maccelli. The common denominator in all of these failings is Berube.
Toronto, at least, moved on before things could get worse.
In Other News...
Leafs Fans Just Got A Reality Check On This Prospect
Tinus-Luc Koblars first taste of preseason action offered a reminder that even promising prospects rarely arrive in Toronto as finished products. The Maple Leafs second-round pick had a modest debut, and it was enough to cool some of the buzz around him after fans had started to imagine a quicker path to the NHL.
Last season in Sweden, Koblar put up 14 points in 47 games with Leksands in the SHL, a solid base but not the kind of production that screams instant readiness. The early read is that he may still need more time before jumping to the NHL, and perhaps even before taking the next step into the AHL, which is why another season in the SHL is being viewed as a sensible part of his development. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Opening Night Blue Line Sends A Clear Early Message
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Theres also a fourth pair in the mix with Emil Andrae and Nick Blankenburg, which gives Toronto a fuller picture of how the defensive rotation may settle in once the games begin. The pairings hint at a staff that wants a mix of stability, mobility and experience, even as it asks Rielly to jump right back into a leading role after the lost time in camp. For a team still shaping its early-season identity, the blue line is already sending a clear message about who the Maple Leafs trust most when the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]
Hiller Is Pushing Morgan Rielly Back To The Center Of It
Morgan Rielly has started to look like the kind of defenseman the Maple Leafs have always wanted him to be when he is at his best, and Jim Hiller is clearly leaning into that idea. During practice, Hiller pointed to the pairing with Darren Raddysh as a potential offensive defenseman combination, while also highlighting Riellys mindset and physical condition as reasons for optimism about where his game is headed.
The bigger sign for Toronto may be what Hiller said about Riellys renewed passion for the game, because that kind of confidence can change how a player carries himself on the ice. Hiller also gave an update on Dakota Joshua, saying the forward is close to being ready but not yet at full capacity, a reminder that Toronto is still juggling lineup decisions even as a few important pieces begin to settle back into place. [Read more 🡒]