The Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks held optional skates at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.

—

Stopping Macklin Celebrini is the key to stopping the San Jose Sharks, who are 0-7-2 when the sophomore sensation is kept off the scoresheet.

But containing Celebrini is easier said than done.

“He’s a highly motivated player,” observed Leafs coach Craig Berube. “That drives a lot of things for a lot of guys with a lot of talent … Speed, skill, playmaking abilities, kind of has a full package.”

Celebrini is third in NHL scoring with 43 points despite facing tough matchups every night. On Thursday, the 19-year-old centre will likely see a lot of Toronto’s top line featuring Auston Matthews.

“He’s had some good experience going against some top centres and he thrives on it,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky. “He’s a competitive kid. He wants to go against the best.”

Celebrini leads the Sharks with a plus-seven mark.

“He’s always in the right spot and doing the right thing,” said Sharks defenceman Sam Dickinson. “It seems like he’s kind of that prototypical perfect player, you could say. He just does everything so well.”

‘Highly motivated’ Celebrini’s complete game will be on display when Sharks visit Leafs The Maple Leafs will have their hands full trying to contain dynamic Sharks centre Macklin Celebrini who is currently third in the league in points. Former Leaf Ryan Reaves has seen first-hand the type of skill Celebirni has and marvels at his ability to play beyond his age.

—

Matthews leads all Leafs forwards at plus-12.

“Auston is going to do a good job on him in the dot and obviously being on top of him all the time,” said Leafs top-line winger Matthew Knies. “He’s a good player, but we obviously have some good players of our own that can do a good job.”

Matthews matched a season high with eight shots on net during Monday’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Leafs captain added the empty-net goal in the 2-0 win and has now scored in three of the last five games. Max Domi has five assists in five games since rejoining the top line after being a healthy scratch.

“They’re creating, and I think they’re doing a pretty good job the other way,” said Berube. “But I still think the line can do more on an offensive side of things just with moving pucks quicker and give-and-goes a little bit more. But they’re starting to come around for me.”

Leafs Ice Chips: Matthews line has more to give Toronto’s forward group will look a little different Thursday against the Sharks but the top line remains the same with Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Max Domi. TSN’s Mark Masters has more on what head coach Craig Berube wants to see from his top line.

—

Reporters gathered around the stall of Ryan Reaves as soon as the Sharks dressing room opened to the media.

“You would have thought I played eight years here,” the veteran winger quipped.

Reaves only spent two seasons in Toronto and it didn’t end on the best terms. After the team made some additions at the trade deadline, Reaves was placed on waivers and eventually sent to the American Hockey League.

Does he have a point to prove on Thursday when he plays the Leafs for the first time since a summer trade to San Jose?

“Absolutely,” the 38-year-old said. “They basically said that I couldn’t play in this league anymore and I’m back.”

It wasn’t just being placed on waivers and being sent to the minors that irked the Winnipeg native.

“There was just some situations that could have been handled differently,” he said. “At the time, I’d been in the league for 15 years and I think just a little honesty and some communication would have been nice. But every team handles things differently, and it is what it is. I ended up in a great organization in San Jose, and I’m having a great time playing there. So it was just, I guess, a stepping stone to get here.”

“Things happen,” said Berube. “I mean, this is the way the game goes, you know, when you get a little older and getting towards the end of your career. I went through it, and I understand totally where he’s at and what he thinks and, you know, it’s all good. I love Reavo.”

Reaves also highlighted the good times he experienced in Toronto.

“I met some great people,” Reaves reflected. “I had a great time here. Obviously, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to. That happens, though. I’ve been on teams where it just didn’t work out and, you know, I don’t hold any grudges. Business is business and, you know, you move on. But it was an honour to put on the Leafs jersey. A lot of history in this organization and, you know, a lot of professionalism. I met a lot of really good people, met some friends for life. So, you know, no regrets.”

Reaves is looking forward to playing some of those friends for life, including Matthews.

“I think last time I played against Papi, I buried him in New York,” Reaves recalled with a smile. “So let’s see if I can do that again. He said, ‘Centre ice today,’ too. We’ll see if that holds true.”

Matthews has just one fight in his NHL career. How would he hold up against Reaves?

“I think he would ‘hold’ for sure,” Reaves cracked. “‘Hold up’ is a different story.”

Domi is the other former Leafs teammate Reaves said he was most looking forward to playing.

‘They basically said that I couldn’t play in this league anymore’: Reaves amped to play Leafs Ryan Reaves doesn’t hold any grudges for how his departure from the Maple Leafs played out but did admit that he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder after he felt the team essentially told him he couldn’t play at the NHL level anymore.

—

The Leafs acquired Henry Thrun from San Jose in the Reaves deal and the 24-year-old defenceman will make his Toronto debut on Thursday night.

“Toronto is the biggest hockey market in the world, so to be able to get a chance to represent the NHL team here is pretty special,” he said.

Scotiabank Arena is already a special place for Thrun, because this is where he scored his first career NHL goal on Jan. 9, 2024.

“This is kind of the hockey Mecca of the world, and to be able to play a game for the Maple Leafs, and hopefully play well, and make an impact, and hopefully have more to come is a pretty exciting opportunity,” the native of Southborough, Mass. said.

Any extra motivation going up against a team that traded him?

“It’s a league where you’re trying to prove yourself every night,” he said. “Always fighting for a job, and always trying to prove yourself. Obviously, playing San Jose is unique, and it’ll be a good battle, and I’ll be able to compete against some of those old teammates but, for me, I’m just worried about myself, and playing my game.”

Thrun remains close with several players on the Sharks. He had dinner with Collin Graf on Wednesday night.

Thrun credits Sharks defenceman Mario Ferraro for helping him find his footing in the NHL.

“I would say the biggest thing is just kind of recognizing how long a season is and recognizing the process,” he said of Ferraro’s tips. “There’s obviously a lot of ups and downs, and it’s a grind playing in the NHL. It’s hard, but it’s the best league in the world. It’s a lot of fun. He taught me a lot about just kind of the day-to-day stuff, how to carry yourself, how to work, but how to have fun and to enjoy it.”

Thrun, who played 51 games with the Sharks last season, is looking forward to facing Celebrini for the first time.

“His ability to play a 200-foot game at such a young age is pretty incredible,” he noted. “I think the first game, or one of the first [ones], I saw him lay a pretty good body into Brayden Schenn, and I was like, ‘Wow, this kid’s legit!’ He gets into it. He competes. He grinds. So, to see that from a guy who’s that young and has the offensive ability to go with it is pretty unique.”

Thrun excited to play former Sharks teammates but focused on chance to prove himself Maple Leafs defenceman Henry Thrun spent a few seasons with the Sharks and is looking forward to playing against his former teammates. Thrun is not trying to let that be the focus as his mindset is centred around doing his best to prove himself day-by-day.

—Dickinson is getting set to play his first game in his hometown.

“It means a lot,” the 19-year-old Toronto native said. “Definitely a game I’ve had marked on the calendar for a while now. Probably the first one I looked up at the beginning of the year.”

Dickinson is expecting between 80 and 100 friends and family in attendance.

“I’m lucky enough I didn’t have to get any tickets,” Dickinson revealed. “I don’t know how, but I asked my dad the other day, I said, ‘How many am I going to have to get?’ He said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ Works for me!”

Dickinson grew up cheering for the Montreal Canadiens, because his dad supported the Habs. They attended a couple games in Toronto, but the most memorable moment wasn’t anything that happened on the ice.

“The one game I remember best was when the Leafs played Minnesota, and I don’t know how the game ended because my dad said we had to leave with 15 minutes left in the third period to beat traffic home,” Dickinson said with a chuckle.

On the ice, Dickinson is doing a decent job of avoiding traffic.

“The way he transports pucks and can break out pucks, it’s something that we really haven’t had a ton of here in the last few years,” said Warsofsky. “And he really helps us move pucks and you can see the potential of the offence that we’re starting to see here a little bit at times. He’s gotten a lot better defending and I think that was a challenge for him and we’re starting to see some growth in that area where the game’s slowing down for him.”

Dickinson only has two points in 24 games and has gone 11 games without hitting the scoresheet. He’s eligible to play for Canada at the World Juniors, but a final decision on his status for the under-20 championship is still pending.

“I mean, he’s here tonight and he’s playing for us,” said Warsofsky. “That’s probably a better question for [general manager] Mike [Grier], but he’ll play for us tonight.”

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it much,” said Dickinson. “Right now, I’m just worried about being here in San Jose.”

Dickinson tunes out World Junior talk as he grows in NHL 19-year-old Sharks defenceman Sam Dickinson is eligible to play for Team Canada at the upcoming World Juniors, but is keeping his focus on helping San Jose win games right now. Dickinson discussed his adjustment to the NHL ahead of a matchup against the Leafs, and Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky praised his defensive development.

—

Joseph Woll participated in the Leafs optional skate. It was the goalie’s first session with teammates since sustaining a lower-body injury last Thursday in Raleigh.

“He’s doing well,” Berube said. “He had a good day yesterday, so I expect the same today.”

The coach believes Woll may be available to play on Saturday when the Leafs host Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

Dennis Hildeby gets the start against the Sharks.

Alex Nedeljkovic will start for San Jose. After missing Tuesday’s game due to an illness, Yaroslav Askarov will dress as the backup goalie.

—

After missing Wednesday’s practice due to an illness, defenceman Morgan Rielly participated in the optional skate and appears good to go for Thursday’s game.

—

Projected Leafs lineup for Thursday’s game:

Knies – Matthews – Domi

Cowan – Tavares – Robertson

Joshua – Roy – Nylander

Lorentz – Laughton – Jarnkrok

McCabe – Stecher

Rielly – Ekman-Larsson

Benoit – Thrun

Hildeby starts

Akhtyamov