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Auston Matthews praises two young players at Toronto Maple Leafs training camp

Originally posted on Hockey Patrol | By Julien Trekker | Last updated Sep 22, 2024 9:13 AM ET

Captain Auston Matthews praised two young players at the Toronto Maple Leafs' training camp in an interview: Marshall Rifai and Bobby McMann.

It's part of the captain's job to make sure the young players feel good on the ice and within the team's environment. Helping them build confidence is crucial for their development. What better way to boost their confidence than by publicly praising them in a press conference?

That's what Auston Matthews did when he was asked to talk about who impressed him the most at the Toronto Maple Leafs' training camp. He didn't shy away from speaking highly of Marshall Rifai and Bobby McMann, in addition to praising Matthew Knies.

Here's what the captain said about Rifai:

'You can just see [Rifai] wants it and just continues to progress, and I've been pretty impressed with him and just the way he plays hard on both sides of the puck.'

About McMann, he compared him to Matthew Knies, saying that these guys should help the team take another step this season:

'You can just see him and Kniesy are kind of similar players. Just how strong they are, and big, and the skill set that they have to go along with it. I think those are gonna be a couple key guys for our team this year to help us take steps as well.'

Nick Barden of The Hockey News was the one to report Matthews' words on X. Check out his post here:

Rifai, 26, should play with the Marlies this season. It'll be hard to get a spot on the Leafs' blue line, with Brad Treliving's summer acquisitions (Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Chris Tanev, and Jani Hakanpää).

The undrafted defenseman played two games with the Leafs last season and could play a few more this season if other players get injured.

As for McMann, he proved last season that he's ready to have an impact in the NHL, which earned him a two-year contract in Toronto. The 28-year-old player had a breakout season last year, scoring 15 goals and nine assists in 56 games.

If McMann continues to perform well, I would be surprised to see him fall out of the top six, despite all the elite talent in the Leafs organization.

Craig Berube will have tough choices to make, especially on the blue line. Auston Matthews' input could help him make decisions, as he's one of the most respected players in the NHL and now captain of the team.

This article first appeared on Hockey Patrol and was syndicated with permission.

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