5 takeaways from Maple Leafs’ training camp media day

It’s possible that Nick Robertson, who Berube raved about, or Bobby McMann could push for a spot on the line, but with Domi out, Maccelli appears to be the early favourite. Maccelli is looking for a bounceback season, two years removed from a 57-point campaign.

“Well, I guess right now in my head, I look at Domi and Maccelli are two guys that… They’re great passers, right? They can pass the puck and make plays,” Berube said. “I think that’s what that line needs. You got to make a play. That’s what I’m looking at right now. But will it work? I don’t know. I got to see it. It takes a little time to form chemistry and things like that.”

“Max does have some chemistry with Auston, obviously. They played together at different points in the last couple of years. But those two guys pop up ahead right now that I want to look at with Matthews and Knies.”

Morgan Rielly enters a period of self-reflection with the goal of a bounceback year

Morgan Rielly is the longest-tenured member of the Maple Leafs, and he’s truly seen it all during his time with the club. Rielly underwent a down year relative to his career standards, while operating as the Maple Leafs’ No. 3 defenceman behind Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe. The 31-year-old explained how he spent his summer, as the Maple Leafs prepare to use him again in a top-four role, while likely being paired with Brandon Carlo.

“I did a lot of reflecting over the course of the last year and during off off-season,” Rielly said. “Had some healthy but challenging conversations with a number of people, and most importantly, myself,” he said. “I believe that I did everything I could to be prepared for a great season, and I think that’s the truth for all of our guys.  I know everyone puts a lot of pressure on themselves approaching a new season, and you try to do everything you can to be prepared.  So for me, I took steps and my goal was to leave no stone unturned in trying to bounce back and have a great year.”

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving also revealed he spoke to Rielly over the summer and while he didn’t reveal the specifics of the conversation, he’s confident the veteran defenceman will return to form.

“Morgan and I had a real good chat at the end of the year and an honest chat about where his year was at,  what I think he’s capable of, what he’s capable of.  I’ll just say it’s something that he took to heart,” Treliving said. “ I don’t know if there was many days that he wasn’t in this facility from where we kept him after the end of the season.  Real proud of the summer he’s put in; he’s taking it to heart and he’s a big piece for us. Getting Morgan Rielly back  to the level that we know he’s capable of will have an impact on our team.”

Rielly is a core part of the leadership group, and he was much better in the postseason, with four goals and seven points in 13 playoff games. Can Rielly overcome a year that was full of inconsistencies? Toronto’s management group believes so, and an additional year alongside Carlo ought to help the pair build chemistry entering the year.

Anthony Stolarz’s contract extension appears to be imminent, Leafs confident in ‘good outcome’

Anthony Stolarz is a pending unrestricted free agent and Brad Treliving addressed the ongoing contract negotiations without prompt on Wednesday morning.

“Anthony’s got a year left. We’ve been engaged with Anthony and his representatives,” Treliving said. “Nothing to announce today. Well, I have nothing to announce right now. We’ll see what the day brings, but we’re hopeful to find a good outcome. I don’t get into a whole lot of discussion about contracts. We’re seeing if it can fit. It’s got to work for the player. He’s got to feel comfortable. It’s got to work for us. I’m confident until proven otherwise, we can find something that’s going to work. Hopefully, we can do that in short order.”

Stolarz told The Leafs Nation’s Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Tuesday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take what he’s looking for in his next contract.

“Getting paid fairly. Something that helps the team but at the same time, something that shows they believe in me.”

The Athletic’s Chris Johnston reported Tuesday that Stolarz doesn’t want his contract talks to extend into the upcoming season, and would prefer to reach a deal before the October 8 season opener against the Montreal Canadiens. For the time being, both parties appear to be optimistic about a new deal coming together quickly.

Easton Cowan will have every opportunity to make the team out of camp

Easton Cowan is entering his third training camp with the Maple Leafs, and Toronto’s top-ranked prospect will have a genuine chance to make the team this year. Cowan submitted an outstanding final major junior season with the London Knights, where he was named Memorial Cup MVP. And now it’s incumbent upon him to prove that he’s ready to make an impact on a team that is solely focused on winning the Stanley Cup.

“There’s opportunity here,” Treliving said. “If you just look at our roster right now, there’s more bodies than seats, right? That to me is a good thing, there’s competition. If you can help us win, if you’re 20 or 35, we don’t really care what your birth certificate says. If you can help us win, you’re gonna get an opportunity.”

Cowan’s skill and processing speed stood out during prospects practices last week, and while he could spend the year in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, he’s going to push the incumbents for a spot in the lineup. Treliving once again reiterated it’s an open competition, and Cowan’s relative youth is a non-factor.

“I think him going back to London (last year) was 100 percent the right move,” Treliving said. “He had an exceptional year, he won a championship, went through a lot of development not just on the ice, but off it. I think he’s ready now to push to be on the team. Is that now, is that October, is that a year from now? The players will decide. Really, it does come down to that.”

All eyes are on Cowan again. Can the most anticipated Maple Leafs prospect since Matthew Knies emerge as a third-line candidate for the October 8 opener? We’ll be watching this storyline closely.