Matias Maccelli was about to make a putt on a golf course in Turku, Finland when his buddy started screaming that he had been traded to the Maple Leafs.
“I didn’t make that putt, but I still played a decent round,†Maccelli said during an introductory conference call with ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ reporters Monday. “I was obviously super pumped, excited to be part of the Leafs.â€
Maccelli, 24, is a five-foot-11, left-shot playmaking winger who has played both sides of the ice. There’s a decent chance he auditions on right wing this fall, in the spot vacated by Mitch Marner. That’s prime real estate, given Auston Matthews would be his centre with Matthew Knies on the left wing.
“I would definitely love that,†Maccelli said. “Playing with guys like that would be great. So I’ll make sure I’ll be in shape. If I get a chance to play with Auston or any of the top guys in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, that would be super good.â€
That was probably the idea when GM Brad Treliving acquired him for a conditional third-round draft pick in 2027. It will become a second-round pick in 2029 if Maccelli records at least 51 points in the 2025-26 NHL season.
“We just felt, at the price that it cost us, that this was a chance for a young player who’s got some dynamic skill and ability,†Treliving said recently. “It was certainly worth a bet.â€
It was a buy-low trade for Treliving as he looked around for a top-six winger. Maccelli turned into that three seasons ago in Arizona, when he had 11 goals and 38 assists in 64 games and earned some Calder Trophy votes as rookie of the year in 2022-23. He finished fourth.
He followed that up with 17 goals and 40 assists in 2023-24, when he was third in team scoring. But the team’s move to Utah brought some bumps and bruises. Injuries left him behind the eight-ball, and he fell out of favour with the coaching staff. He averaged just 13 minutes and 44 seconds of ice time, the lowest of his career. He ended the season with eight goals and 10 assists in 55 games, and he was a minus-13.
“It comes down to ice time and opportunity,†Maccelli said. “It wasn’t obviously the best year for me. But I know I’m a better player than (that). I’ve got it in me so I’ve got to show people that again.â€
Maccelli was at his best playing on the left side with centre Nick Bjugstad and right winger Lawson Crouse. He played more with those two than with any other pair, and they were Arizona’s top line in terms of possession in 2023-24. So it might be more likely that Maccelli will end up on the left wing with John Tavares.
“He was a player that our staff had been excited about for a while,†Treliving said. “With some of the players that we have, ultimately it will come down to the fits and the matches and where they all go. So you play around with it on the board.â€
Maccelli, born in Finland to an American mother whose last name he uses, played two years in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He has represented Finland both on its world junior team and its national senior team. He played in the top Finnish league, for Ilves, and in the American Hockey League before getting the call to the Coyotes. He has yet to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“I’ve been working a lot this summer on my game, more than previous years,†he said. “I have to be comfortable again with the puck and making plays.
“(I have been doing) a lot of stuff in the gym trying to get stronger, faster, and then some stuff on the ice — shooting and passing, normal stuff. Just trying to get some reps.â€
He has no links to the Leafs other than Shane Doan, who was an executive in Arizona before joining Treliving’s staff.
“I’m super, super excited for this opportunity to play for the Leafs next year. And I can’t wait to get going.â€
Robertson files for arbitration
Leafs winger Nick Robertson was one of 11 NHL players who elected salary arbitration over the weekend. Both sides can continue to negotiate. Arbitration hearings will be held from July 20 to Aug. 4. Robertson also announced he married his girlfriend, Emma. “Same team forever,†he posted on Instagram.
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