The Maple Leafs held an optional skate at Scotiabank Arena (Toronto game group) on Wednesday.
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Prior to Toronto’s opening pre-season game, Jim Hiller said the top line with Auston Matthews between Matthew Knies and Jack Roslovic was the one he was most curious to watch. The Leafs coach did not love what he saw.
“I’d like to see a little more, to be honest with you,” Hiller said. “Auston was really dangerous off the rush. We talked about that. That was clear. I didn’t think they spent enough time creating in the O-zone, which they need to do.”
Matthews registered a game-high six shots but was limited to one power-play assist in the 4-1 defeat to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Hiller made it clear what he’s looking for in Wednesday’s pre-season finale against the Ottawa Senators.
“If you’re going to play up there on the top line, you’ve got to create O-zone time as well,” Hiller said. “You can’t just be a rush line. So, you have to have both elements and I think the line, as it’s structured, should. I’m looking for them to be better tonight.”
Roslovic, who signed a two-year, $8-million deal with the Leafs in the summer, is getting the first shot on the right side of the top unit. He was also linemates with Matthews during their junior days together at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
“It was good,” the 29-year-old winger said when asked about the line’s performance on Saturday. “I think, you know, obviously there’s some rust to shake off but, like I’ve mentioned before, it’s [about] the communication. You know, the quicker you kind of nip it in the bud, the better it’s going to be going forward. So, just keep on trying to build, keep on trying to have an open dialogue, and let everything else figure itself out.”
Roslovic produced 21 goals in 69 games with the Edmonton Oilers last season and enjoyed a productive run on a line with Leon Draisaitl.
When asked about his goal on Toronto’s top line, Roslovic stressed he is not simply along for the ride.
“In the past I’ve said, ‘Being more of a complementary player,’ but as I’ve gotten older, and obviously [having] a relationship with Auston, it’s driving too,” he said. “You know, really trying to help everyone elevate and trying to be more than just a guy that complements guys, really trying to push and trying to produce and play defensively and be a good winger.”
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Hiller is also looking for more from his top power-play unit after a 1-for-6 debut against the Canadiens.
“They had the puck a lot in the zone,” Hiller noted. “I think that was pretty good. We didn’t think we shot enough. We maybe passed just a little bit too much.”
Defenceman Darren Raddysh scored off a point shot, but Hiller did not feel the team’s prized off-season acquisition got enough touches.
“We finally got to him,” the coach continued. “I don’t know how many shots he took, right? But the one was in, right? So we have to look for that more often and then make them adjust to that. Now, that was the plan going into the last game. We didn’t execute it very well, but I think it’s just something new. That right-shot bomb is new for that group of power-play players, and I think we’re just going to have to get adapted to using [it] more often.
The three holdovers on the top unit – Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares – are used to playing with a left-shot defenceman at the top.
The team did some power-play reps during the morning skate on Saturday, but Tuesday represented the first time the players got a chance to work on it in practice.
“It was good to finally get some practice in and, yeah, you know, just moving the puck around, trying to still feel the reads off each other,” Raddysh said.
Raddysh finished with just one shot on net on Saturday.
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Gavin McKenna failed to hit the scoresheet in his NHL pre-season debut on Saturday, but liked the chemistry on his line with Tavares and Nylander.
“We had some chances,” the 18-year-old left winger said. “We obviously didn’t bury anything, but that will come with time and that first game was a first stepping stone and I’m excited to play. I’ve been itching to get out there again, so I’m looking forward to it.”
What is McKenna focusing on in his final dress rehearsal before Tuesday’s NHL debut against the Canadiens?
“I had a couple turnovers, but I think that was bound to happen with my style of play,” he said. “So, obviously you want to limit that and that just comes with confidence. For me, just making the right plays, making smart decisions. If I need to, obviously you don’t want to dump it, but if needed just being simple and making the simple plays.”
Hiller has praised McKenna’s hockey IQ and self-awareness.
“I’m looking to see if he makes some subtle adjustments to his game,” the coach said. “I’ve talked to him about it. ‘What did you like? What was different in the pre-season game versus just the hard camp scrimmages and drills?’ And he identified a couple things. I think pretty naturally he understands how the game goes so I’m just looking forward to seeing him make those subtle adjustments.”
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Former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson will be coaching against Ottawa on Wednesday night, but not in the nation’s capital. Toronto’s new associate coach will be behind the bench at Scotiabank Arena with Hiller.
“I think the hard one for him will be going back into Ottawa,” Hiller noted. “That’s what I think. He gave us some input this morning on some of the stuff that Ottawa does well. So, that’s a resource for us. But I think there’ll be a lot more questions about that once we go into Ottawa.”
Toronto’s first regular-season trip to Ottawa is not until Jan. 20.
Assistant coach John Gruden will be running the bench for the Leafs at the Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday.
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Roslovic was on the ice early on Wednesday morning to help warm up Leafs starter Sergei Bobrovsky.
“I like that,” he said. “I like to shoot on the goalies. It looks like you’re just shooting in the glove, but you can pick your spot. Bob’s awesome too, and you kind of learn what goalies do, so you can find some weaknesses in the other ones.”
Leafs winger Steven Lorentz served as Bobrovsky’s warm-up shooter during the 2023-24 season in Florida. Roslovic is angling to take over the role in Toronto.
“Hopefully he won’t kick me out of my job yet,” Roslovic said with a grin. “It’s for him and getting him what he needs in the morning is important. So I enjoy doing it. I enjoy the shooting aspect of it. The camaraderie part of it, too. It’s fun.”
Lorentz is in the group playing in Ottawa on Wednesday night.
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After sitting out on Saturday, winger Dakota Joshua will again not play on Wednesday.
“Dakota’s dealing with a core injury,” GM John Chayka said. “He’s been dealing with it since I took the job and as he ramps up it’s been hard to get into game shape and be ready to play. So, he’s still kind of day to day and we’re hoping that it progresses, but it’s been a while now.”
Joshua has participated in all the practices at training camp while wearing a regular sweater.
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Projected Leafs lines for Wednesday’s games:
TORONTO
Knies - Matthews - Roslovic
McKenna - Tavares - Nylander
Cowan - Paul - Sissons
Pezzetta - Groulx - MacEwan
Rielly- Raddysh
McCabe - Tanev
Ekman-Larsson - Stecher
Bobrovsky
Akhtyamov
OTTAWA
Lorentz - Blueger - Duhaime
Brisson - Koblar - Lettieri
Quillan - Haymes - Tverberg
Sim - Rybinski - Holinka
Andrae - Blankenburg
Rifai - Myers
Chadwick - Danford
Smith
Stolarz
Hlavaj
