On Monday afternoon, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired winger Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth, all for just a conditional third-round pick.
Maccelli, 24, is coming off of his worst full season in the NHL, only putting up eight goals and 18 points in 55 games for Utah, but the Maple Leafs are hoping that was a one-off. In his first two NHL seasons, Macceli put up 106 points in 146 games, good for a 59-point pace over 82 games.
Despite the rough season he had in 2024-25, all signs point to Maccelli bouncing back, and he could be the perfect fit for the Leafs next year.
The Maple Leafs just hit the jackpot
Ideally, Matias Maccelli helps fill the void left by Mitch Marner (who technically isn't gone as of writing this, but likely will be in the coming days). He's a younger, quick, smaller forward with elite playmaking ability, and while he won't put up 100 points, he can at least slide into the top-6 and help offset the loss.
All signs point towards Maccelli playing in the Leafs top-6, which is exactly what they need.
As good as Max Pacioretty was at times during last season, the Leafs never really found a winger to play on their top two lines along with Marner, Knies, and Nylander. Macceli should help change that.
All the Leafs really need now is another player to help round out the top-6. A free agent like Brad Marchand or Brock Boeser, or the emergence of Easton Cowan should help do the trick.
Now, along with the recent extensions to Matthew Knies and John Tavares, GM Brad Treliving is having a terrific start to the 2025 offseason.
The trade for Maccelli is a perfect low-risk, high-reward move. The winger has one more year before coming an RFA, and the Leafs are giving up at the most, their 2029 second-round pick.
One draft pick for a 50-60 point young, playmaking forward is a move you make any day of the week, and if Maccelli picks up where he left off in his sophomore season, he could be a massive part of the team next season.