Matias Maccelli eyes top-six role in a fresh start with the Maple Leafs

Matias Maccelli would rather not look back on last season, when the up-and-coming playmaking winger saw his production stall with the Utah Hockey Club.

It wasnt obviously the best year for myself, Maccelli said from Finland.

Maccelli is blessed with hands and vision that can see him turn opposition defenders on their heels.

Advertisement In 2022-23, Maccelli finished with 49 points in 64 games.

That was good for second in rookie scoring and fourth in Calder Trophy voting.

The future looked bright: Maccelli turned his rookie season into a three-year contract extension with an AAV of $3.43 million.

Yet when the calendar turned to 2025, he wound up playing just six of Utahs final 31 games last season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs sent a conditional 2027 third-round draft pick for Maccelli, 24, ahead of free agency opening in June.

It was a low-cost bet for Leafs general manager Brad Treliving with Maccelli entering the final year of his contract.

Its a bet everyone involved is hoping will pay off.

I still know Im a better player than I was.

I know I still have it in me.

Now, Ive just got to show people again, Maccelli said in his first media availability with the Leafs on Monday morning.

On a young Arizona Coyotes team with their better players particularly Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley still coming into their own, it felt likely Maccelli would enjoy a top-six role throughout his contract.

Things didnt go as hoped last season.

He fell out of favour with Utah head coach Andre Tourigny.

It comes down to ice time and opportunity, Maccelli said of why his production dropped.

Maccelli can point the finger at a lack of opportunity, but he also acknowledged he fell short when he was on the ice.

He wasnt delivering his high-end skill consistently enough.

His A-game has not been as productive as it has been in the past, Tourigny said of Maccelli in March , adding that the forward had been handling his time in the press box like a professional.

However, with the way the Leafs roster is currently constructed, his new coach, Craig Berube, cant afford to laud Maccellis attitude alone.

The Leafs have lost a 100-point, playmaking-first player from their lineup in Mitch Marner.

Theyve seen a drop-off in that kind of playmaking production from Max Domi, as well.

Advertisement (Maccelli) is a dynamic playmaker, Treliving said.

When you look at some of the areas we need to address, playmaking ability was one of them.

Yes, the Leafs are making a bet on Maccelli.

However, they need that bet to pay off in a real way.

There are two gaping holes in the Leafs top six, one on each wing, assuming John Tavares slots in as the second-line centre.

Treliving hasnt been shy about his desire to add a top-six winger to his roster.

And so it feels likely that, given Berubes predilection for checking-heavy lines lower down the lineup, Maccelli will get runway in the other open top-six role to start the season.

We think there is a bet here on a player we think can rebound from the season he had this year, Treliving said.

With some of the players we have, ultimately it will come down to the fits and matches and where they all go.

You play around with it on the board, but we just felt that at the price it cost us, this was a chance for a young player who has some dynamic skill and ability.

It was certainly worth the bet.

Maccellis name has constantly popped up in trade rumours going back to last seasons trade deadline.

Heading to Toronto could be the fresh start he needs.

Definitely right from the start, I told my agent that I would love to play for the Leafs, Maccelli said.

Now its time to show it.

Through his time in Arizona, Maccelli found his best chemistry with Nick Bjugstad and Lawson Crouse.

Both scored 20-plus goals in 2023-24, thanks in part to Maccellis creative vision feeding them.

Berube could slot Maccelli alongside Tavares and William Nylander for an offence-first, oft-sheltered second line.

The idea of a gifted, pass-first Maccelli meshing with Nylander and Tavares doesnt seem far-fetched at first glance.

Nylander and Tavares both have shoot-first tendencies and finished first and second in Leafs goal scoring last season.

Adding a playmaker to the mix to start the season with lower defensive expectations feels like a plug-and-play option for Berube.

Advertisement Theres no guarantee Maccelli will work in a top-six role in Toronto.

However, it sort of has to.

Bobby McManns game lagged late in the season and during the playoffs.

Domi and Nick Robertson dont appear to be viable candidates for a top-six role as things stand.

And Maccellis playing style, combined with his 5-foot-11 frame, doesnt make him all that compatible with a regular bottom-six role under Berube.

Maccelli said hes hunkering down this summer to improve his game, more than maybe in previous years.

Hes trying to add size to his frame and explosiveness to his stride.

Maccelli appears to have an understanding already of the increased physicality expected of him, even higher up in Berubes lineup.

However, how long will it take for him to adjust? Maccelli is coming from a team that never made the playoffs during his tenure, and a franchise that doesnt have the eyeballs and expectations he will find in Toronto.

He is coming to just his second NHL franchise with legitimate expectations of him and his game and, as Maccelli himself noted, hes going to a city thats new for him, without really knowing anyone.

If the Leafs want the trade to pay off, management and the coaching staff have to be patient with his adjustment period.

Doing so could exponentially increase the odds that the fit both sides are hoping for is a success.

I really dont even have much expectation.

I dont really know, Maccelli said.

It will for sure be different than it was in Utah and definitely different than it was in Arizona.

(Top photo: Nick Wosika / USA Today Network via Imagn Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.