"Step one right now is seeing what we have in camp. I know everybody's focused on that one spot, and certainly we are, but you don't know where chemistry is going to come from. You can put it on paper, but until you get on the ice and see who fits with who, you don't know....Sometimes it needs a little bit of different ingredients - whether it's a defensive presence, someone who can forecheck, create loose pucks, create space, ."
"I'd prefer not to talk about Mitch Marner, but we still have two weeks left to talk about the All-Star winger, according to Auston Matthews, so I may as well do it now. As much fun as it was to talk about hypotethical Marner trades for the past few years and how great this team could be without him, his absense thus far has been clear."
The Toronto Maple Leafs have played two preseason games and still lack clarity at the first-line right-wing position. Mitch Marner remains absent and his absence has been noticeable beside Auston Matthews. Matias Maccelli skated with Matthews and looked competent but lacked Marner's flash and perceived presence; although similar in listed size, Maccelli appeared smaller on ice. The team would prefer more size on the top line. GM Brad Treliving said camp evaluation is the first step, chemistry is unpredictable, and some lines need different ingredients — defensive presence, forechecking, loose-puck creation, and space creation. A trade for a top-six forward remains possible.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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