Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is working with some new players this season, and as you can imagine, this is all in an effort to replace Mitch Marner.
Going into this season, it is expected that Max Domi will be the one taking on the wing with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies. However, other options are available.
For instance, there is always Matias Maccelli, a former Utah Mammoth forward who is coming off the worst year of his professional career.
With Domi injured right now, Maccelli has been taking first line reps, and he has managed to impress captain Auston Matthews in the process.
While speaking to TSN, the captain noted that every single day, Maccelli is getting a little bit better and is settling into his new role.
Yeah, It's been good. I think every day, you know, a little bit better and so I think that's all you can really ask for, especially early on in camp. You just want to build that chemistry and continue to take steps every single day, which I feel like we've been doing.
Meanwhile, Matthews spoke about what it has been like to get to know Maccelli, and whether or not the forward is a good vibe for the rest of the roster.
He's a pretty laid back guy, kind of quiet at the start, but once you get to know him, I really enjoy spending time with him, talking to him about hockey, about other stuff. I think he's fit in really well, extremely quick, too.
At this stage, it appears as though Domi is going to end up on the first line once he gets healthy, but Maccelli can work his way up the ladder.
Hopefully, the Leafs treat him well, and can get him to where he once was just a couple of seasons ago.