Matthews 'feels good,' ready to help Maple Leafs succeed without Marner

TORONTO -- Auston Matthews arrived at Toronto Maple Leafs training camp last month with a message.

"I will answer questions about Mitch Marner for two more weeks," the Maple Leafs captain said on Sept. 22. "After that, it's over."

That deadline has come and gone.

Much like the Marner era in Toronto.

Indeed, Matthews and the Maple Leafs have had to move on from Marner, the franchise's fifth-leading all-time points producer (741) who became a member of the Vegas Golden Knights after a sign-and-trade on July 1.

Replacing his 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) from last season will be tantamount to Toronto's success, and that's where Matthews comes in.

If the three-time NHL goal-scoring champ and 2021-22 Hart Trophy winner is as healthy as he says he is, it will go a long way toward that end.

The 28-year-old center is coming off an injury-plagued season which saw him score an NHL career-low 33 goals, 36 fewer than he had in 2023-24. Through it all he grinded through an upper-body injury, an ailment he and management say is in the past.

"I feel good," Matthews said Tuesday. "I thought camp was really solid. And physically, I feel better and better every day. So, I'm really happy with where I'm at, and just want to continue that momentum going into Game 1 and continue to do what I can do to help the team win: produce offensively, play sound defense and all the little details that I try to apply to my game.

"And I mean, it's all about the team here. It's all about putting ourselves in good position each night to win."

It all begins Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena in front of a national TV audience in Canada (7 p.m. ET; SN1, TVAS).

And though the absence of Marner will be the most glaring change for the Maple Leafs, it's not the only one.

In fact, there are seven players on Toronto's opening night roster this season who weren't there for the curtain-raiser in Montreal a year ago. They are forwards Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshuaand Sammy Blais, defensemen Brandon Carlo and Jacob Quillan, and goalie Cayden Primeau.

Admittedly there was plenty of public demand for change from a team that has won two Stanley Cup Playoff series in 21 years.

The biggest change, no doubt, was Marner leaving the only NHL home he had known. It's led to the biggest question: How do you replace Marner and the 102 points he had last season?

Coach Craig Berube has no doubt Matthews, who has the most goals in the NHL (401) since his debut in the 2016-17 season, will rebound and play a big role in picking up the slack.

"It was an off year," Berube said. "There were things behind the scenes that we all sort of know about. He wasn't a fully healthy player, but he fought through it. I thought he played extremely well for what he was going through.

"He doesn't just score goals. He does a lot of things. He penalty-kills. He goes up against top lines. He is a great defensive player. And there is his work ethic. I don't think we should be overly concerned. He is healthy. He is looking good. He is shooting the puck really well.

"It is not all about goals. I do get -- he is a goal-scorer; everybody looks to him to score goals, and we do need him to score goals -- but at the same time, it is a team. It is about winning games. It is about everybody contributing."

Matthews agrees.

"I thought training camp was great," he said. "Now it gets going. Now we start this journey. We just want to continue to take positive steps forward. It's not going to be perfect by any means, but we want to refine the details in our game and come in here with good habits."

Marner's spot on the top line with Matthews and Matthew Knies will be taken by Maccelli. Asked to describe the playmaking abilities of Maccelli, who had a career-high 57 points (17 goals, 40 assists) for the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24, Knies wryly replied, "Can sauce like no one else."

As for Blais and Primeau, they were picked up off waivers Monday. Berube is familiar with Blais, who played for him when he coached the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Forward Easton Cowan had a great camp but was not on the 23-man roster released Tuesday.

However the waiver-exempt 20-year-old got called up from the American Hockey League prior to the game Wednesday, but will not play.

Treliving had no update on goalie Joseph Woll, who took a personal leave from the team on Sept. 23 to attend to a family matter. The 27-year-old played a career-high 42 games last season with a 27-14-1 record, 2.73 goals-against average and .909 save percentage. In his absence, Anthony Stolarz (21-8-3, 2.14 GAA, .926 save percentage) will get the bulk of the games, with Primeau backing up and top prospect Dennis Hildeby getting a heavy workload in the AHL.

"We think things are progressing well, but I can't give you a time frame right now," Treliving said.

Wednesday will be the 772nd regular-season meeting between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens, who are coming off their first playoff appearance since 2021. With 21-year-old defenseman Lane Hutson and 19-year-old forward Ivan Demidov showcasing Montreal's bright future, it should be a riveting start to the season.

At least that's the way Berube feels about it.

"It's awesome," the Maple Leafs coach said of the rivalry. "Whether we're there or they're here, it's always an exciting game.

"Both teams will be fired up."

Let the new chapter begin.