The Maple Leafs practised at Ford Performance Centre on Friday.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Jack Roslovic is getting the first look on the right side of the top line beside centre Auston Matthews<\/a> and left winger Matthew Knies<\/a> at Leafs training camp. <\/p>\n Roslovic, who signed a two-year, $8-million contract in the summer, has a built-in chemistry with Matthews. They played together during their junior days at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program where they formed a dominant line with Matthew Tkachuk<\/a>. <\/p>\n Tkachuk, of course, has already weighed in on the reunion. <\/p>\n \u201cWe used to call ourselves \u2018The Superman Line\u2019 in junior and he told us if we played against them and scored and did the Superman celly he was going to kill one of us,\u201d Matthews revealed with a big smile. <\/p>\n Any chance Roslovic would do that? <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d the 29-year-old grinned. \u201cYeah, maybe. Maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n Roslovic, Matthews and Tkachuk helped the United States win the gold medal at the 2015 Under-18 World Championship, which was the culmination of their time together. Matthews led the tournament in scoring and earned MVP honours. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was the Cam Newton era when he was ripping the jersey open,\u201d Roslovic recalled. \u201cIt was jokes.\u201d <\/p>\n The Leafs and Panthers don\u2019t faceoff until Dec. 3. Before then, Roslovic has some work to do to secure a full-time role on a line with the Leafs captain. <\/p>\n Matthews, Roslovic get warning from Tkachuk as they rekindle ‘Superman’ synergy with Leafs Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic formed two-thirds of a line they dubbed the “Superman line” with the USNTDP, with Matthew Tkachuk rounding out the unit. Matthews and Roslovic spoke about reuniting for the Leafs, and what the conversations have been like with Tkachuk ever since. Mark Masters has more. <\/p>\n The connection between players on a championship team tends to be strong and the friendship between Roslovic and Matthews remains that way all these years later. <\/p>\n \u201cGoing through the mud with somebody, learning about the game, finding yourself, that\u2019s what you do at a young age,\u201d Roslovic said. \u201cAnd to be able to do that with somebody, it\u2019s the hard times, the [grind] of things that really create really good bonds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose two years were so much fun,\u201d said Matthews, who notes the two are now living close to each other in Toronto. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty cool to reminisce on those times. It\u2019s exciting to have him on the team here and to play with him and be around him again and hang out. He\u2019s a blast to be around. He\u2019s funny. He\u2019s always got something on the go and a lot of conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n Both players feel like the old chemistry is coming back quickly on the ice. <\/p>\n \u201cIt definitely feels that way,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cHe\u2019s a guy that talks a lot out there. Between me, him and Kniesy, we all skate and move well. Just trying to move pucks and get into open areas. I think it\u2019s definitely coming along. It\u2019s still, obviously, very early, but tomorrow will be a good test for us to get out there, get in a game situation and just play hockey.\u201d<\/p>\n The Leafs open their pre-season schedule on Saturday night with a pair of split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens<\/a>. The Matthews line will be featured in the game at Scotiabank Arena. <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, we\u2019re getting there,\u201d Roslovic said of the line. \u201cObviously, I think the biggest thing is just the communication aspect. When you know somebody, when you have that comfortability of talking to them, that\u2019s the biggest thing. As the ice sessions keep on going and games start happening, it\u2019ll build.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s extremely skilled,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cI find he\u2019s always got his head up. He skates well. He shoots the puck [and] can drive play with his speed. He\u2019s good at holding onto pucks, finding the open guy and [we\u2019re] just trying to read off each other a lot knowing where Kniesy is going to be most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Roslovic hit the 20-goal mark in consecutive seasons, but needs to prove he can handle the tough matchups that the Matthews line is going to get on a nightly basis. <\/p>\n Head coach Jim Hiller is taking a wait-and-see approach with his top unit. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you play with Auston, you gotta be good both ways,\u201d Hiller stressed. \u201cYou can\u2019t just be a pure offensive player or just a checker. Jack and Matthew fit that bill, so now let\u2019s just see where it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Getting Matthews going early is a big priority for the Leafs. The veteran of 10 NHL seasons posted career lows in goals (27) and points (53) while playing 60 games in an injury-shortened campaign last year as Toronto struggled to fill the void left behind by top-line winger Mitch Marner<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI want to really let that line play tomorrow night, and I\u2019ll watch it closely,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cThat\u2019s the line I\u2019m most interested in.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnston: Leafs giving Roslovic a chance on Matthews’ right; Knies has something to prove Jack Roslovic has been with Auston Matthews on the top line through two days at Maple Leafs training camp but is he the answer on his right side or is that eventually going to be Gavin McKenna’s spot? Mark Masters is joined by TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston to discuss this and how important this season will be for Matthew Knies. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Matthews has not played since March 12 when he sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion courtesy a knee-on-knee hit by Radko Gudas<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cI just see him as really excited to play,\u201d Hiller observed. \u201cHe\u2019s got the puck a lot. He\u2019s stopping on pucks, he\u2019s lifting sticks, and he\u2019s doing all the things that make him a special player.\u201d<\/p>\n Hiller\u2019s system and a different style of play may also help spark Matthews. <\/p>\n \u201cA lot of skating here in practice, getting up and down the ice,\u201d Matthews noted. \u201cI think that\u2019s been a big emphasis. We want to be a fast, hard-skating team on defence and offence. I think the more you track, strip pucks on the backcheck, it helps you produce a little more offence going the other way, so that\u2019s been a big point of emphasis for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Matthews registered 1.35 takeaways per game during the last two seasons when Craig Berube coached the Leafs. He averaged three takeaways per outing during the 2023-24 season when he scored 69 goals to claim a third career Rocket Richard Trophy. <\/p>\n The Leafs finished 16th in goals per game last season (3.07).<\/p>\n Hiller\u2019s system in Toronto sounds like it will be more offence-oriented than the one he employed as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cWell, I think the first thing you do is you look at the team and the players on the team, and there are some elite offensive forwards in particular and I think you have to let them play to their strengths,\u201d the coach explained of his approach with the Leafs. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd, with that, there\u2019s a commitment to play without the puck that everybody has to make. It doesn\u2019t matter what your talent level is, but when you have the puck and you have that type of elite offence, we\u2019re going to give them some freedom and creativity to use those skills. So I hope we strike a balance. I hope we\u2019re a hard team to play against without the puck. But I hope when we have it, we see some of that dynamicism that we do have up front.\u201d<\/p>\n Hiller hockey should open door for Leafs, Matthews to show off takeaway talent Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller wants the Leafs’ offensive players — particularly Auston Matthews — to have more free reign in the offensive zone this season. He spoke about how he believes the team can achieve that, while Matthews spoke about learning Hiller’s system. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Knies, who usually uses white tape, is trying out black so far at training camp. <\/p>\n \u201cI like it, yeah,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know. It\u2019s a change. I got bored of the white tape, so I thought I\u2019d change it to something else.\u201d<\/p>\n Knies is also hoping the conversation about him in the market will change. He heard a lot of trade rumours during the summer. What did the winger hear from new Leafs general manager John Chayka? <\/p>\n \u201cHe felt that I was a valuable piece here, and that\u2019s kind of what I have to earn and show every day is just, you know, that I want to be here, that they need me here,\u201d the 23-year-old said. \u201cI just got to keep going with that mindset and hopefully that all works out and I can stay in the blue and white for a very long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Knies produced a career high 66 points last season despite playing through a nagging knee injury, which he says is now feeling 100 per cent. <\/p>\n \u201cNo issues with it,\u201d Knies stressed. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s not going to be a problem this year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe looks great,\u201d Matthews said of his fellow Arizona native. \u201cHe\u2019s fast. He skates well, but he\u2019s got the skill, the hands, the shot and he can put it all together. I think for us to have success, he\u2019s a big part of the line as far as winning battles, being in front of the net, and stuff like that, but obviously he\u2019s got the skill to put the puck in the net and make plays as well.\u201d <\/p>\n Matthews believes Knies, who is entering the second season of a six-year contract, will take on more of a leadership role with the team moving forward. <\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t even scratched the surface of his ceiling,\u201d Matthews added. \u201cHe\u2019s going to continue to get better and better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be a pretty reliable player on both sides of the puck,\u201d Knies said. \u201cAnd, yeah, I want to help produce, help create offence and support my linemates, make sure they\u2019re having great games. I want to be, yeah, a really reliable player and just contribute in all ways I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Knies on message from Leafs GM Chayka: ‘He felt that I was a valuable piece’ Matthew Knies’ name routinely surfaced in trade rumours throughout the offseason, but the power forward remains in Toronto, slotted onto the top line with Auston Matthews. He spoke about new GM John Chayka’s message to him with training camp under way. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Hiller is not planning to give Gavin McKenna<\/a> a pep talk prior to his first NHL pre-season game. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to say anything to him. He\u2019s going to talk to the guys. In the end, us as coaches are mentors and we guide them, but we got plenty of guys that have been through this. It means way more coming from them. I\u2019m just going to tap him on the back and look him in the eye and shake his hand and say, \u2018Go enjoy the night.\u2019 There\u2019ll be plenty of nights where we\u2019ll demand more than that, but I don\u2019t think tomorrow night should be one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Through the first couple days of camp, McKenna hasn\u2019t shown any signs of nerves. <\/p>\n \u201cHe plays with a lot of confidence,\u201d Matthews observed. \u201cI think he\u2019s come in right away and found his groove. You can tell when he\u2019s on the ice and has the puck, the kind of skill, the plays that he can make. So that line seems to have meshed really well over the last few days just in the drills and practices.\u201d<\/p>\n McKenna is slotting in on the second line beside John Tavares<\/a> and William Nylander<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously three extremely talented and skilled players that all see the ice well, can move it, make plays and are dangerous one-on-one,\u201d Matthews said. \u201cSo, to me, I think he\u2019s fit in really well with those guys and fit in really well with the team so far and seems very comfortable and has the confidence that he knows he\u2019s a great player and that he can play at this level too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith John, he\u2019s a workhorse and with Willy, he\u2019s so skilled,\u201d McKenna said. \u201cI think, for me, it\u2019s just trying to play my game and not trying to change things up. Just make my plays and try to get towards the net and pucks will find me with those types of players. It should be fun.\u201d <\/p>\n Hiller was initially concerned that McKenna may defer too much to his older linemates, but the coach hasn\u2019t seen that at all so far.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s confident in his own way, certainly not cocky, but when he gets on the ice, like, he knows how good he is,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cI thought that might be a problem. I know you\u2019re a good player, but this is the NHL and he\u2019s not selfish, he just makes the right play when it needs to be played. Very impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘He plays with a lot of confidence’: Matthews impressed by McKenna’s start to camp 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna has impressed his coach, and fellow former first-overall pick Auston Matthews, with his play at training camp so far. They spoke about what they’ve liked from McKenna. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Morgan Rielly<\/a> joined the main NHL group at training camp on Friday as he continues to work his way back from what Chayka described as a \u201cviral condition.\u201d<\/p>\n Rielly, a lefty, skated on the right side of the third pair beside Emil Andrae<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not where we envision that,\u201d Hiller said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to move things all over the place, so I wouldn\u2019t read too much into exactly where he\u2019s playing. I think he played on the right side today too, right? Yeah, no, you can skip that one for now.\u201d<\/p>\n Rielly is not cleared to play yet and, as a result, was not available to the media. <\/p>\n Leafs Ice Chips: Rielly joins main group; Bobrovsky starts Saturday in Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller cautioned reporters not to read into the fact that Morgan Rielly was slotted onto the right side beside Emil Andrae on the second day of camp, but he did make one thing official: Sergei Bobrovsky will start against Montreal on Saturday. TSN’s Mark Masters has more from camp. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Hiller was asked how he\u2019ll split the playing time between goalies Sergei Bobrovsky<\/a> and Anthony Stolarz<\/a> in the pre-season games. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re going to play parts of both,\u201d Hiller revealed. \u201cI don\u2019t know exactly how that\u2019ll roll out, but they\u2019ll definitely play parts of both. We\u2019ve only got two games, so we\u2019re still finalizing exactly what it looks like. I\u2019ll save you the question. Bob will start at home tomorrow night. I don\u2019t know how much of that game he\u2019ll play, but he\u2019ll start tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Bobrovsky\u2019s first game action with the Leafs will come one day before his 38th birthday. <\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Lines at Friday\u2019s practice: <\/p>\n GROUP 1<\/p>\n Knies – Matthews – Roslovic<\/p>\n McKenna – Tavares – Nylander<\/p>\n Cowan – Paul – Sissons<\/p>\n Joshua – Blueger – Duhaime<\/p>\n Lorentz<\/p>\n Ekman-Larsson – Raddysh<\/p>\n McCabe – Tanev<\/p>\n Andrae – Rielly<\/p>\n Stecher – Blankenburg<\/p>\n Bobrovsky<\/p>\n Stolarz<\/p>\n Bonello<\/p>\n GROUP 2<\/p>\n Groulx – Koblar – Lettieri<\/p>\n Quillan – Haymes – Tverberg<\/p>\n Sim – Johnstone – Pezzetta<\/p>\n MacEwan – Rybinski – Brisson<\/p>\n Rifai – Myers<\/p>\n Mermis – McWard<\/p>\n Chadwick – Danford<\/p>\n Smith – Bilecki<\/p>\n Akhtyamov<\/p>\n Hlavaj<\/p>\n Bonello<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Maple Leafs practised at Ford Performance Centre on Friday. — Jack Roslovic is getting the first look…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":665965,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[4759,33999,71785,5,37780,20,5172,4,66,31,32467,5171],"class_list":["post-665964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-apple-news","tag-auston-matthews-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8479318","tag-gavin-mckenna-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8486067","tag-hockey","tag-jack-roslovic-sports-hockey-player-player-nhl-api-8478458","tag-maple-leafs","tag-mapleleafs","tag-nhl","tag-toronto","tag-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-toronto-maple-leafs-sports-hockey-team-team-nhl-api-10","tag-torontomapleleafs"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/117295664561248445","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=665964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/665965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=665964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=665964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=665964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}