Toronto Maple Leafs: Building a winning third line

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ bottom-six has been a mess for years. With their Core Four making over $40M and no room for depth up front, the third and fourth lines have been filled with out-of-their-prime veterans, bargain bin journeymen, or prospects not ready.

But, with the departure of Mitch Marner, Toronto have big names that can fill out the bottom of the lineup. They got Nic Roy for Marner, traded for Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua, and still have Scott Laughton from last year’s deadline.

This means the Leafs can establish a Stanley Cup-quality third line, something they haven’t done since Nazem Kadri was here (gosh, I miss him). 

But there are a ton of options. Does Craig Berube stack the first line and spread out the next three? Or does he try to balance the whole roster? Let’s take a look at the ideal third line, assuming Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, John Tavares, and William Nylander will take four of the six spots up top.

At centre…

There is an obvious choice at centre: Nicolas Roy.

At 6’4 and capable of potting 15 goals and 40 points, he is the prototypical contending third-line centre. He’s won a Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he scored 11 points in 22 games, and has played on defensively sound yet offensive third lines for the last four years.

Roy is an elite defensive player who uses his massive frame to win a ton of puck battles, but can also dish on the offensive end and won’t have too many issues putting pucks in the net. He’s scored at least 13 goals in the last four years and hasn’t gone below 30 points. He is a perfect 3C who can play with speedy offensive wingers and help them on both ends.

The Leafs have been looking for a Nic Roy for years, and while he’s not Mitch Marner, he’s a great return in a sign-and-trade who will help Toronto in the regular season and the playoffs. I don’t think there’s any question he’ll start the season as the 3C, and he should find success no problem.

The real question is who will line up beside him.

The wingers

Matias Maccelli

Nic Roy had a ton of success playing with Ivan Barbashev and Jonathan Marchessault in 2023–24. He doesn’t need to be part of a full-blown shutdown line like Toronto’s past third/fourth lines, and the Leafs just acquired a guy who might fit right in beside him: Matias Maccelli.

Maccelli fell out of favour in Utah last season, appearing in just 55 games. But in the two seasons prior, he put up 49 and 57 points, respectively. He can be a true playmaker, with 40 assists just two seasons ago.

But he’s not a Max Domi-type who can’t play any defence. He’s quite responsible, and even though he’s just 5’11, uses his body well and can be a force physically. 

He might find himself beside Auston Matthews, and it would make sense if he did. But if Domi takes the spot on the first line, Maccelli could work really well beside Roy.

The two of them would be more than capable of scoring the odd goal, something Toronto’s third lines haven’t been able to do. They would also be able to match up against other teams’ top lines and take that burden off of Matthews.

Bobby McMann

Although Bobby McMann fell off hard at the end of last season, he’s still a valuable NHLer who can score 20 goals. He doesn’t playmake at all, but he has a nose for the net, forechecks hard, and knows how to play defence.

Roy and Maccelli are both passers and could help McMann score 20 again. We saw last year that he doesn’t play well without good teammates beside him, but the three of them together could become an elite third line capable of scoring.

He won’t bring them down defensively and will definitely help Roy on the forecheck using his speed and body. McMann needs to get more physical, and Berube knows it, but playing beside a 6’4 tank like Roy might bring it out of him.

If McMann doesn’t produce or looks out of place, the Leafs have options to replace him. But to start the year, he should be part of a third line that prides itself on scoring and defence.

A new look

Toronto is in uncharted territory. They haven’t had actual depth in the forward corps in what feels like a lifetime, and they have plenty of options to make an elite third line for 2025–26.

We’ll see if depth works out better than the Core Four, but it can’t really be worse. Let’s hope a Roy, Maccelli, McMann line can become a Stanley Cup-calibre trio.