Toronto Maple Leafs: What Each Forward Line in Camp can Provide
By Joseph Zita
Training camp is underway for every team in the NHL including the Toronto Maple Leafs and we can’t wait for the first puck drop of the brand new season.
Training camp has begun for the Toronto Maple Leafs and we have gotten the chance to get a glimpse at the new faces in the blue and white that were brought in this past off-season.
From signings that bolstered the team’s defense to signings that helped the team’s depth, it’s safe to say this coming season is going to be an exciting one for fans to watch.
During training camp, we got the opportunity to look at both group one and group two’s forward and defense pairings during practice. Group one is the group that will be in the NHL and group two that will be fighting for roster spots on the taxi squad. With that being said let’s take a look at all four forward lines in training camp and see what they provide the team.
Forward Line One
The first line for the Toronto Maple Leafs shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone because you know it’ll have Auston Matthews on it and one of either Mitch Marner or William Nylander, however, there is one surprise to this line as Joe Thornton will be Matthews’ and Marner’s left-winger to start the season.
Forward line one: Thornton – Matthews – Marner
The 41-year-old who is entering his 23rd season in the NHL, yes I said 23rd season you read that right, is looking to find some playoff success with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. As the oldest guy on the team, he’ll provide the group more than just veteran presence on and off the ice, he’ll provide leadership, and despite being in his forties he can still provide some skill on the ice.
This line provides a mixture of a little bit of everything and I cant wait to see it take the ice on January 13th against the Canadiens. Thornton, who despite being 41 years old can still pass a puck and will provide a nice playmaking ability alongside an elite goal scorer in Auston Matthews. He can also provide that grit if need be given he is 6’4 and 220lbs he isn’t afraid to show some physicality when the team needs some.
Matthews on the other hand doesn’t need that much explaining to do as we know what he’s capable of doing. He is one of the best goal scorers in the entire league and is statistically the best five-on-five goal scorer in the league ever since entering the NHL in the 2016-17 season. He has also been improving his two-hundred-foot game every year since he’s been in the league and it will definitely go a long way in his career as he continues playing.
You can say the same thing about Marner as well, he’s a terrific skater and has a very, very high hockey IQ, it’s like he knows where his linemates are at all the time and can feed them the puck and make plays almost perfectly. Don’t believe me just look and his and Tavares’ numbers from the 2018-19 season, those two were almost unstoppable when together. Marner also hopes to add a scoring component to his game this season, and with Thornton on this line, he might get the opportunity to score more goals.