The Toronto Maple Leafs are abandoning the five-forward top power play unit they adopted all last season. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube revealed that defenseman Morgan Rielly will get the first look running the point on the power play.
"For me, it's Morgan," Berube said. "He's done it in the past year, and they've had success. So for me, it's him right now".
Last season, Mitch Marner played the point on the club's power play, creating a five-forward formation. Marner’s back skating ability and reps in that spot made for an ideal overload on offense. However, with Marner departing to the Vegas Golden Knights this summer, the more traditional look of one defenseman on the point and four forwards with the man-advantage will return.
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Rielly has occupied that role for much of his career with the Maple Leafs and started in that role last season. But as the defenseman struggled, players like Oliver Ekman-Larsson were also given an opportunity on PP1 before Marner took over the role for much of the 2024-25 season.
Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving recently revealed that he had a conversation at the end of last season with Rielly, and the player took it to heart. The club wants to see an improvement in the player's game, and unlocking more offense could help in that regard. Rielly had seven goals and 34 assists last season. Only one of his goals came by way of the power play.
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The Leafs finished last season with the ninth-best power play in the NHL, and they will be in tough to try and replicate that efficiency with Marner out. As for how the rest of the units will look, that will be revealed in the days to come. After two on-ice sessions, the Leafs have yet to work on special teams.
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