Maple Leafs commence training, bracing for hockey season sans Mitch Marner
The Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for their 108th season, and this year promises to be a significant one as the team looks to move beyond the narrative of the Core Four. With Mitch Marner no longer a part of the team, the focus is on redefining the team's identity.
GM Kyle Dubas (Treliving) has not yet provided specific details on how the team's DNA will change, but Coach Sheldon Keefe (Berube) is already focusing on training camp and improving the team in crucial situations.
Max Domi, one of the returning players, is starting training camp injured, day to day with a lower body injury. This could potentially open up an opportunity for Matias Maccelli to take his place on the top line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies.
Nicolas Roy, along with Domi, Scott Laughton, and David Kampf, can play centre, providing the team with options in the absence of Domi. Maccelli, known for his passing abilities, could be a promising candidate to fill the offensive gap left by Marner.
William Nylander, another noted passer, is also a possible candidate for the right wing on the first line alongside Matthews, but this would shift the gap to the second line next to John Tavares. The exact line formations remain uncertain.
Tavares, who has a cap hit of $4.4 million, is joined by Matthews ($13.25 million), Nylander ($11.5 million), Rielly ($7.5 million), Jake McCabe ($4.51 million), and Chris Tanev ($4.5 million) as the team's highest-paid players.
Coach Berube expressed excitement about not having to hear 'Core Four' anymore, believing that the team's DNA has indeed changed after the playoff loss to the Florida Panthers. The team's management also believes they have increased the depth at the bottom of their lineup.
Only three players—Matthews, Tavares, and Rielly—addressed the media on the eve of training sessions, with Nylander not being part of the media availability. Matthews wears the C, Tavares and Rielly wear As on the Maple Leafs.
As the team prepares for the new season, the focus remains on 'getting over that hump' in order to win when it matters most. The proof that the team can do so will have to wait months, if and when the team makes the playoffs. But for now, the Leafs are looking forward to the challenges ahead and the opportunity to redefine their identity.
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