The Toronto Maple Leafs are only a couple of preseason games into the shortened NHL schedule, but two familiar names have already given fans something to grimace about.
Nick Robertson and Matias Maccelli, both now wearing new sweaters, have wasted little time making their presence felt. Robertson struck first for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, while Maccelli turned in a three-point preseason debut for the New York Islanders in a 4-3 win.
Robertson’s goal came in his first game with Pittsburgh, a quick reminder of the kind of scoring touch that once had plenty of buzz around him in Toronto. The Penguins acquired him on July 1 for a 2028 fourth-round pick, then locked him up soon after on a two-year deal worth $6.5 million, or $3.25 million annually. The 25-year-old’s first goal in new colors arrived just days into his new chapter.
During his time with the Leafs, Robertson played 234 games and put up 88 points, including 48 goals and 40 assists. Toronto selected him 53rd overall in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft, and the expectation around him was always part of the story. That’s what makes his early success elsewhere sting a little more.
Maccelli’s start with the Islanders was even louder. He signed a one-year deal on July 1, and in his first preseason appearance he collected three points, all on the power play. He tied the game, assisted on a Matthew Schaefer power-play goal, and later scored again to put New York ahead in the 4-3 win.
Last season in Toronto, Maccelli appeared in 71 games and finished with 39 points, scoring 14 goals and adding 25 assists. It wasn’t a disastrous year, but it also came with the familiar stop-start rhythm that defined too many stretches of his time with the Leafs. One hot run would show up, then the points would disappear for a few games.
For Toronto, the early returns from Robertson and Maccelli are the kind that invite the obvious joke: maybe these two will be added to the long list of players who found a better fit after leaving. Phil Kessel, Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak all went on to win Stanley Cups after departing Toronto, and while that kind of ending is not likely for Robertson or Maccelli this season, it’s not hard to imagine their stories continuing to tilt in that direction someday.
It’s still preseason, and these games are worth only so much. But right now, both players have already given the Leafs a small but very real reason to wonder whether they let them get away.
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The Maple Leafs are still in the stage where the blue line is more puzzle than finished product, but the pieces are starting to make sense. Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev look like the kind of steady, defense-first pairing that can handle tough minutes, while Morgan Rielly alongside Darren Raddysh offers a different sort of balance with more puck movement and support from the back end.
What remains unsettled is the third pair, and that is where Torontos depth chart still feels open to interpretation. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Troy Stecher, Emil Andrae and Nick Blankenburg are all in the mix as the Leafs sort through options, and with time still left before the season, the club can keep weighing fit, role and chemistry before locking in its final look. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Blue Line Battle Just Got More Serious
The Maple Leafs are tightening the screws on their blue line as training camp moves toward opening night, putting defensemen Cole McWard and Dakota Mermis on waivers while they trim the roster ahead of the upcoming NHL season. Mermis saw action in 11 games for Toronto last year, while McWard arrived as a free agent signing this summer, and both had been part of the group fighting for a role in the teams defensive depth.
The move is another sign that the back end is still very much up for grabs, with several players competing for the limited spots available. Toronto still has decisions to make before the lineup is finalized, and these waiver moves suggest the margins are getting thinner by the day for anyone hoping to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Suddenly Have A Familiar Depth Option To Watch
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For the Leafs, it is the kind of depth situation worth monitoring even without any immediate move attached to it. Grundstrm already knows the organization and has built a resume as a usable bottom-six option, which makes him the sort of player that can linger on the radar whenever clubs start sorting out the edges of their lineups. [Read more 🡒]