Toronto Maple Leafs training camp officially kicked off on Thursday morning, and there was no shortage of newsworthy items.
The 73-man camp was divided into three groups to begin: the first two groups featured NHL and NHL/AHL bubble players, while the third group included players solely destined for the AHL, ECHL, or their respective junior squads.
Matias Maccelli begins camp on top line
Matias Maccelli stepped out onto the ice at Ford Performance Centre on Thursday, skating alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews. Max Domi was set to start camp on that line, but is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury after tweaking something in the summer skates.
“(Domi) was obviously a guy that I was going to put there [with Matthews and Knies],” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Thursday afternoon. “Max should be back pretty quick, and then we'll go from there.”
'(Max) Domi Was A Guy I Was Going To Put There': Craig Berube Was Reluctant To Start Matias Maccelli On Top Line At Maple Leafs CampIn a perfect world, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube would’ve had Max Domi begin on a line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies at training camp.
Maccelli looked timid early on, though his play ramped up as the session continued. The 24-year-old hasn’t been in Toronto for long, so it might take a bit of time for him to get used to everything, from the city, the Maple Leafs staff and his teammates.
“He’s a little spark plug out there,” Anthony Stolarz smiled. “He’s shifty, but he’s actually got a really heavy shot, too. I’m excited to see him work with our top six. I think we got some guys that’ll complement each other really well.”
Bobby McMann gets a look with John Tavares and William Nylander
As much as it might be a surprise to some, Bobby McMann beginning training camp with William Nylander and John Tavares isn’t a shock to me.
The 29-year-old didn’t finish the season the way he wanted to. After tallying his 20th goal of the year on Mar. 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers, McMann went dormant for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
He scored three assists in the 13 games, which was his first-ever taste of the NHL postseason. And what caught his eye most in the playoffs was how much the competitiveness ramped up.
“Making sure that even when you're not contributing offensively, there's a lot that you can be doing to contribute. Those are long series, and you can really wear a team down if you're doing the little things right, so just trying to focus on that.”
Bobby McMann is beside John Tavares and William Nylander. pic.twitter.com/lhVMZ0XGON
— Nick Barden (@nickbarden) September 18, 2025
Despite the Domi injury, which shifted players around, McMann was always going to begin training camp with Tavares and Nylander, Berube said on Thursday.
“I played them last year. They were together for a significant amount of time, and they always did well together, I thought. There's always production,” the head coach added.
“I think Bobby could take another step in his game, doing some things a little bit differently, especially playing with those two guys, getting those guys the puck more, getting to the net more, things like that.
“I like a big guy with those guys to forecheck, get in there and create loose pucks, help out JT in that situation and things like that. Willy's going to do his thing, we all know that. But Bobby, I feel, can take another step in his game. It's going to the net, being hard and physical and just understanding that that's his job and he's going to get points from it because you're playing with two pretty good players that, eventually, the puck's going to get there.”
Calle Jarnkrok left his stamp on opening day
When approaching a new season, there’s always going to be a few players circled to watch for in camp. I’ll admit, Jarnkrok wasn’t one of those I was eager to get an eye on early, but he stood out on day one.
The 33-year-old played just 19 games last year after recovering from sports hernia surgery. And despite returning towards the end of the regular season, Jarnkrok still looked like a player who was a step behind.
'I Don't Have To Hear Core Four Anymore': Craig Berube Excited Mitch Marner’s Departure Puts More Focus On Maple Leafs' TeamCraig Berube is itching to see where players fit in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup with the NHL camp set to begin on Wednesday.
His game progressed in the final portion of the year, which was enough to keep him in the lineup for the postseason. He played alongside Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz on the fourth line, tallying just one assist in 12 games.
However, there were plenty wondering in the summer if Jarnkrok would be a player dealt to make room for a top-six forward. They might need him now more than ever, though.
Looking at the top half of their lineup, there’s really only three players who can play alongside Knies and Matthews: Domi, Maccelli, and I’d put Jarnkrok in that conversation too. After all, Jarnkrok has gotten time alongside Matthews before, and among the three players, he is the most defensively responsible.
It’s only one day of camp, however, I’d look at Jarnkrok being a wildcard to watch out for as the preseason continues.
Easton Cowan looks more comfortable
When remembering back to Toronto’s last training camp, Cowan looked timid. There were glimpses of the player in junior, but for the most part, he struggled against stronger competition.
Just as I mentioned for Jarnkrok, it’s only one day of training camp, so take things with a grain of salt, but there’s a glaring difference in his game from last year to this moment in time.
'I Think He's Ready To Push To Be On The Team': 'Can Easton Cowan Crack The Maple Leafs Roster This Season?With Toronto Maple Leafs training camp set to open on Thursday, a lot of eyes will be on 20-year-old Easton Cowan. After accomplishing a historic list of achievements at the major junior level with the London Knights, including winning the 2024 Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's Most Outstanding Player and winning the Memorial Cup in 2025, the only remaining question is if the player has a shot at making the Maple Leafs lineup this season.He’s stronger, more confident in his game, and as he mentioned last week, will be in Toronto for the entire year, which puts him at ease. Cowan dealt with the size and physicality better on Thursday, playing beside Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua.
It appears the Maple Leafs are setting him up for success early on.
“I think players will show what they can do in camp and in the exhibition games. If Easton or another player is the best fit for the team and helps the team, then we'll put them in that position,” Berube said on Wednesday.
Other noteworthy early impressions
- Philippe Myers and Marshall Rifai had strong opening days. Both defensemen were physical and didn’t give an inch to any of the players they were going up against. Remember back to this time last year when Matthews mentioned Rifai as a player who stood out.
Maple Leafs Set To Announce Hiring Of Mark Giordano 'On The Marlies Side'Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano is set to join the organization this season, GM Brad Treliving says.
- I briefly mentioned Joshua earlier, but there’s no doubt he’ll be an intriguing player to watch as camp progresses. What immediately stuck out about the 29-year-old was his ability to use his size to overpower opponents. He’s quicker than I thought, too, and that gives me reason to believe he’ll be an important checking player for Toronto this year.
- Landon Sim isn’t going to make the Maple Leafs as he’s on an AHL deal, but he’s a much-needed body in the top two groups at training camp. He was consistently engaged at the Prospect Showdown and did the same on day one of camp. Sim was going against others — including Cowan, his Knights teammate — as if it were the biggest game of his life, and I’m sure the club was impressed. I’m curious to see if he keeps that energy for the entirety of Maple Leafs camp.
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