The Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for a fresh season as general manager and head coach Craig Berube recently shared updates with the press ahead of training camp.
One significant update revolves around Max Domi, who is set to sit out the beginning of training camp due to a lower-body injury, labeled as day-to-day by Treliving.
The 30-year-old forward from Winnipeg had a solid performance last season with Toronto, contributing eight goals and 25 assists in 74 games. With Mitch Marner’s departure to Vegas, the team is looking to Domi to help fill the offensive gap.
When asked about who might step up on the top line alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, Berube mentioned Domi and newcomer Matias Maccelli as potential candidates.
Domi has shown promise playing alongside Matthews in the past, particularly with Tyler Bertuzzi. Maccelli, a 24-year-old playmaker, joined the team from Utah Mammoth during the offseason, boasting 40 assists and 57 points in the 2023-24 season but coming off a less productive year with eight goals and 18 points in 55 games.
Treliving noted the team’s efforts to secure a top-six forward but expressed challenges in the free agency and trade market due to limited options and slow movement league-wide during the summer.
While speculation swirls around forward Dillon Dube potentially joining Toronto, Treliving mentioned the team’s current focus on other priorities. Dube, along with four other players, was recently acquitted of sexual assault charges from 2018, leading to NHL suspensions until Dec. 1 but making them eligible for contracts starting Oct. 15.
Dube, a 27-year-old from Golden, B.C., last played for the Calgary Flames during the 2023-24 season, where he accumulated three goals and four assists in 43 games. Throughout his NHL career with the Flames, Dube has notched 57 goals and 70 assists in 325 games.