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2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion

Joe S. said:
That makes sense.

I’m trying not to lose faith in Matthews, but I feel sometimes we’re chasing a mirage. Like he hit his ceiling and we’re never going to see that again.

Not the greatest example, but something like lecavalier. He kept getting chances because there was this hope that hit his highs again… if that makes any sense.
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I do feel like there was a point, maybe 2-3 years ago, where Matthews was started to look like an elite, prototypical centre. His back checking and defensive prowess/confidence was really showing and he was grinding in corners, taking people off the puck at both ends of the ice. It definitely seems, to me at least, that this un-defined ailment that arose the last few years has to be taking some sort of toll on him.
 
Joe S. said:
That makes sense.

I’m trying not to lose faith in Matthews, but I feel sometimes we’re chasing a mirage. Like he hit his ceiling and we’re never going to see that again.

Not the greatest example, but something like lecavalier. He kept getting chances because there was this hope that hit his highs again… if that makes any sense.
Click to expand...
I think his back is messed up and with his commitment to the 200ft game, his totals will go down. Now with 16 gone the task is even greater because he has even more responsibilities on the D side where he never had to worry about with 16.
 
I've always been against stacking the top line but...I find myself wondering if Berube should just put Nylander with Matthews and adjust the rest of the lines and see what happens. Nylander is already spending a lot of time there anyway. It doesn't look like Matthews has the ability at this point to drive a line by himself, whether due to injury, wear and tear, mental issues, whatever. Maybe putting the two of them together would be a case where they produce more together than their two lines do separately, or maybe it rejuvenates Matthews.

If it's a nagging injury then it is what it is and none of this really matters.
 
Chris said:
I've always been against stacking the top line but...I find myself wondering if Berube should just put Nylander with Matthews and adjust the rest of the lines and see what happens. Nylander is already spending a lot of time there anyway. It doesn't look like Matthews has the ability at this point to drive a line by himself, whether due to injury, wear and tear, mental issues, whatever. Maybe putting the two of them together would be a case where they produce more together than their two lines do separately, or maybe it rejuvenates Matthews.

If it's a nagging injury then it is what it is and none of this really matters.
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if you do Matthews - Nylander then I think you try someone like Maccelli with then and then build a line with Knies and Tavares.
 
The Athletic: Inside Auston Matthews’ motivation to recapture ‘my standard’ for the Maple Leafs

Lengthy article I don't have time this morning to go thru for quotes.
Siegel spoke with Matthews and then goes through a bunch of stats compared to previous seasons that underscore what everyone seems to have observed: he's not performing as well in nearly every stat - in some cases, not even as good as last season. Matthews is determined to get back there. Aside from Marner's departure, they do not get into why he is not performing as well - no discussion of his injury.
 
dappleganger said:
if you do Matthews - Nylander then I think you try someone like Maccelli with then and then build a line with Knies and Tavares.
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I've maintained that Tavares could excel with fast forechecky wingers (smushers); he benefits greatly from Nylander puck transition and creativity to get him into the hard ice where he can leverage his heavy stick and deft hands, but he doesn't truly 'need' that. He would be perfectly fine with sloppy choppy puck transition from dump and chase and getting pucks shovelled to the slot.

Right now, Berube really only has Nylander to drive a line and he's not going to ever go full effort the whole game in October (or Nov or Dec), because that's kind of a waste of energy for the marathon of the full season. Against New Jersey, the only lines tilting attempt numbers were when Nylander was on it, and he split duties between L2 and 1.

Aside from the lineup configurations, a high impact, easy-ish change is to sit McMann, Knies, Lorentz, Joshua, and Blais down for video of Max Pacioretty pasting guys last year anytime there was a lull. Their assignment every game: smush one guy every period before you even try to make a puck play.

Florida's game plan in that series after they went down 2-0 was to target the lynchpins of the Leafs' puck movement: they gave the hot potato to Tanev every time he was on the ice and took multiple runs at him. They targeted Nylander and basically forced the puck to his linemates instead. Routine series win for them from there.
 
OldTimeHockey said:
With no regard to preferred wing,

Cowan Matthews Nylander
McMann Tavares Knies
Who Cares
Who Cares
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It's time to put them together. I would like to see Cowan and Robertson on a line together just because I think they could be fun to watch. Might not be any good but who cares right now. L3 isn't doing much scoring anyway. Roy can be the C.
 
Matthews is such an interesting case. It's almost like he has the hockey equivalent of "the yips." He looks to be hesitating at key points, looks indecisive, which gives defenders time to get their stick in the way of his shot. That old drag and rip move rarely works anymore. Other times he just fumbles the puck away for no apparent reason. I suspect there are a number of things going on - whatever injury he was dealing with last year is probably still an issue, and even if he feels better he's probably hesitating to do certain things physically because of it, afraid to re-injure it.

He can obviously still fire the puck at times - he rang that wicked wrister off the bar a few games ago, and has let loose a few pretty good one-timers (from distance) on the PP. But he generally doesn't look confident in his shot or in his physical engagements. Maybe more time with Nylander (looks like they're making that change) will force defenders to back off him a bit and build his confidence.
 
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