Matias Maccelli says his motivation is the highest it’s ever been upon joining Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs executed what could be their sneakiest move of the offseason in the days leading up to Mitch Marner’s departure when they acquired forward Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth.

Maccelli, 24, is coming off of a down-year after two solid back-to-back seasons in which he cemented himself as one of the Arizona Coyotes’ top scorers, finishing third on the team in points in both campaigns. After the team’s move to Utah, he struggled to find consistent linemates and his offence took a hit as a result, with only 18 points in 55 games in 2024-25.

Now with the Maple Leafs and seeking a fresh start, Maccelli has never been more motivated to get his mojo back.

“It’s probably the highest it’s ever been,” Maccelli told reporters at the Leafs & Legends Charity Golf Classic. “Coming here, I mean, what’s a better place to play?”

For the first time in a long time, there are spots to be won all over the Maple Leafs forward corps. Most notably, the top-line right-wing slot that Marner occupied for so long is seemingly up for grabs, and given Maccelli’s playmaker-style of game, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that he could be given a trial run on Auston Matthews’ wing. He had 38 assists in 64 games in his rookie season with the Coyotes and 40 assists for 57 points in 82 games in 2023-24.

When asked about his own expectations for the upcoming season, he said that team success comes first, but that he’s equally as focused on having a better season than the year before and showing his Maple Leafs teammates what he can do.

“First of all, it would be nice to play playoffs for the first time in my career,”Maccelli said. “Obviously that’s the goal, to win is the most important thing. For myself, I just want to have a better season than I did last year.”

Going from playing for an organization that went from being one of the smallest-market teams in the league to a brand new market altogether, to playing for a team with the history and lore like the Maple Leafs may come as a bit of a culture shock at first, but Maccelli is ready for it. Even if some parts of living in Toronto might take some getting used to, like the traffic.

“Awful” Maccelli said with a laugh when asked what he thought of the traffic.

Training camp kicks off in a few days as the team will begin preparation for the home and season opener on October 8 against the Montreal Canadiens.