Matias Maccelli focused on building chemistry after first skate alongside Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matias Maccelli was pleased with how his first skate on a line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies during the beginning of training camp on Thursday.

With Max Domi unavailable due to a lower-body injury that has him out day-to-day, Maccelli got the first crack at auditioning to be the new winger on the top line. He knew what type of players he would be slotted beside and felt good about how things went, focusing more on building chemistry going forward.

“ I mean, first day is just go out there, work hard and get the body going,” he said to reporters after practice. “ Work hard, battle, drills, a lot of skating up and down, so it’s more of that. And then I assume a couple of days from now, we’re probably gonna start doing more.”

Maccelli has no prior interactions with his linemates despite them both hailing from Arizona, so he is also building a relationship with Matthews and Knies on top of just getting a feel for what is needed on the ice. Though he won’t have to worry too much about getting to know them both because he has had positive early impressions of them with training camp now underway.

This won’t be Maccelli’s first rodeo playing with players much taller than him, which he feels is a good fit because it opens up space for him to create scoring chances.

“ Just doing my best with the puck, without the puck, working hard,” he said on his focus on playing with Matthews and Knies. “ With the puck, trying to make plays, trying to play the same way they do.  As we get going with the games, they’ll tell me what they expect and what they want, and then I’ll do the same thing.”

It is far from a sure thing that Maccelli will secure the spot at the start of the regular season as head coach Craig Berube also wants to give Domi a look on the top line, given his prior chemistry with Matthews that dates back to the 2023-24 season. But even if he isn’t able to land the job, he is comfortable playing on either wing and will gladly play where he is asked to be.

It helps that the rest of the team, beyond his linemates, has made getting acclimated to a new environment a smooth process for him so far.

“It’s always weird to come to a new team when you don’t know anyone,” Maccelli said. “ I’ve only been in one spot and knew all the people there, so it’s different.  But everybody’s been super welcoming and nice. So it’s been an easy adjustment.”