Matias Maccelli’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been a bit of a rollercoaster this season. The 25-year-old Finn has put up decent numbers – three goals and four assists in 13 games – but there’s more to the story.
He’s only averaging about 12 minutes of ice time per game, which tells you something about the coaching staff’s trust level.
Last Wednesday was his big moment. Going up against his old team, the Utah Mammoth, Maccelli showed what he can do. He not only scored the game-winner but also picked up an assist in just over 12 minutes of play. Talk about making your old team regret letting you go.
But here’s the thing – one great game isn’t enough.
The Leafs traded a conditional third-round pick to get him from Utah, and they started him off in style. He was playing alongside stars Matthew Kniews and Auston Matthews on the top line. Since then? He’s been sliding down the lineup and even watched one game from the press box as a healthy scratch.
Coach Craig Berube wants to see more from him, and it’s pretty clear what that means:
* Better consistency in battles for the puck
* Stronger defensive zone coverage
* Smarter plays in the neutral zone
* More physical engagement (but without taking penalties)
It’s not that the Leafs are expecting him to light up the scoreboard every night. They just need him to make an impact every shift – win a battle here, make a smart defensive play there, help move the puck up ice cleanly.
The clock is ticking, too. Maccelli becomes a restricted free agent at the end of this season. How he performs in the coming months will determine whether the Leafs’ front office sees him as part of their future.
For now, they’re watching everything – his zone entries, his turnovers, the quality of his passes, and how he handles himself when they give him special teams opportunities.
The talent’s there. The question is: Can he put it all together consistently enough to stick around in Toronto?
