Training camp is underway with a new cast of characters joining the established core, as the Toronto Maple Leafs start their elusive, daily pursuit of the Stanley Cup at the Ford Performance Centre.
It was a very eventful opening session, following Wednesday’s media day and while nothing is set in stone, a few key developments are clearly emerging ahead of the preseason schedule.
Here’s what you need to know from the opening day of training camp!
Matthew Knies gets the first look with the Matthews-Marner combination
Matthew Knies is getting the first look with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, a proven combination during the regular season that is an ideal combination of size, speed, playmaking, offensive inventiveness and defensive excellence. Matthews was a finalist for the Selke Trophy last season, Marner was a runner-up two seasons ago, while Knies’ combination of size, tenacious, physicality and relative youth are all assets on Toronto’s de facto first line.
We don’t really need to expand on Matthews and Marner’s offensive potential, but on Thursday, Toronto’s new captain was dominant in all facets. Matthews and John Tavares were among the first players to take the ice, after Joseph Woll and Matt Murray got some work in before the official first group session.
Matthews straight up dominated in line rushes and in controlled short area drills, where Chris Tanev was the only player seemingly capable of dealing with his outright physicality and puck shielding skills. Marner looked explosive as well and while we’re not going to play pop psychologist here, you have to think that he has every motivation to light the league aflame this season.
It’s worth noting that Tyler Bertuzzi received the look with Toronto’s superstars last season, but the trio failed to develop chemistry in the opening months and Knies was a better fit. There’s enough data to support this conclusion too, although there’s a natural curiosity to see how Craig Berube’s style will affect every line, versus Sheldon Keefe’s desire to play uptempo hockey at all costs.
Knies-Matthews-Marner played 406:04 at 5-on-5 last season through 66 games, dominating opponents with a plus-12 goal differential (24-12) and a 57.8 percent share of the expected goals via Natural Stat Trick. It’s a powerhouse line boasting two all-world, all-around players and in some ways, you can view it as a super-powered version of Florida’s Vladimir Tarasenko-Aleksander Barkov-Sam Reinhart line that was deployed throughout last year’s playoffs. Comparative analysis aside, Knies has the first look and is in pole position to retain his spot, with the implicit demand to be more productive in his second full NHL season.
Calle Jarnkrok joins the Max Domi and William Nylander line as a defensive presence
William Nylander will receive an extended look at centre and Max Domi is on his wing but the mystery surrounding the third forward quickly came to an end when Calle Jarnkrok took rushes on this line. Nylander is an elite offensive talent, Domi morphed into one of the NHL’s best playmakers at 5-on-5 by the end of last season, while Jarnkrok’s consistency and ability to do all the small things well should provide some balance for a line that aims to shoot the lights out.
Nylander is embracing his new role and appeared to take a subtle dig at Sheldon Keefe, when asked why he didn’t get to play down the middle more often.
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask my old coach,” Nylander said with a wry smile.
There’s a negligible sample from previous years to draw from, but the idea is that Nylander can develop into an excellent two-way forward, provided he adheres to Berube’s system, while Domi and Jarnkrok should provide a decent, secondary scoring punch.
“As a centre iceman, you’re playing in your end down low,” Berube said of Nylander’s transition from wing to centre. “Areas like that, breakouts and things like that, being in the right position, working to get back there quickly to help the (defence) out. I don’t think it’s going to be an issue with him getting the puck and transporting up the ice, he’s an elite player and he has that ability. It’s the details of the defensive part of the game, the breakouts and things like that, that takes a little more time.”
It should be noted that not all of these lines are set in stone, but Nylander won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. It’s his most likely pathway to greater icetime, rather than playing overflow minutes in a similar manner to Boston Bruins superstar David Pastrnak. We’ll have to get used to Nylander generating tremendous rush offence through centre as the Maple Leafs continue to develop some stellar combinations, before using their optimal lineups in April — and perhaps, beyond!
Craig Berube sets the tone with exhausting first practice session
Ryan Reaves said it’s ‘top two, and it’s not two’ when comparing Thursday’s session to all of his previous first days in training camp, while noting that he really enjoys the physical testing and the competition. Max Pacioretty said Berube set the tone, and several players stated after their practice sessions that it was a demanding first day at camp.
Berube had previously emphasized a ‘three-zone’ structure and you could hear him yelling, amending drills and assignments where he saw clear areas of correction. This isn’t dissimilar to Keefe, but there will be no ambiguity in Berube’s lineup about responsibilities, physicality and controlling puck possession, with an emphasis on using their collective team speed as an asset across four lines.
“Just learning that you’re going to be uncomfortable a lot of times and to work and compete under those circumstances. Not every game is intense as others, but I want us to have an identity. I was impressed the pace never dropped,” Berube said.
It’s the last sentence that stands out, to me, anyways. There has been an emphasis on physicality but Joseph Woll correctly pointed out that doesn’t mean going out of your way to run an opponent, they can make games tough by using their speed and positioning correctly while hounding opponents in winning pucks down in the offensive third. Toronto’s pace and skill are assets, particularly throughout its top-nine group, and if it can implement another layer of physicality as well throughout four lines, the Maple Leafs may be known for more than their top-heavy collection of impressive talent.
An estimate of what the opening day lineup looks like
This is an estimate based on Thursday’s practice sessions, along with a few inferences made from Brad Treliving’s remarks Wednesday, but here is a guess on what the opening day lineup may look like:
Forwards
Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner
Bobby McMann-John-Tavares-Nick Robertson
Max Domi-William Nylander-Calle Jarnkrok
Max Pacioretty-David Kampf-Ryan Reaves
Defence
Morgan Rielly-Chris Tanev
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Jake McCabe
Simon Benoit-Timothy Liljegren
Goaltenders
Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz
Quick hits
- Pacioretty started on a line with Pontus Holmberg and Nikita Grebenkin, a fascinating combination of players with three different circumstances, all of whom needing to win a spot in camp. Pacioretty should be ahead by a hair and his veteran experience and leadership is certainly valued by upper management. Grebenkin is the camp sleeper and was mentioned by Brad Treliving on Wednesday as a player who could surprise in camp. There may not be room for Holmberg on opening day, especially if Grebenkin or top prospect Easton Cowan excel throughout September, and find their way onto the roster in a similar manner to Fraser Minten last season.
- Matt Murray got some work in early with Joseph Woll and looked good in shooting drills, but there wasn’t enough to make a declaration about his injury status.
- Simon Benoit was absent Thursday due to the birth of his first child. Congratulations to Benoit and his family!
- From the corner of my eye, Matthew Barbolini appeared to have successfully pulled off a sick, between-the-legs move in a short area drill. It’s not necessarily an endorsement that he’ll emerge from Group Three, but it was the coolest play I saw from anyone not named Auston Matthews during the opening day of camp.
