Have the Maple Leafs Already Found Matthews’ Next Right-Winger?

Jack Roslovic being in Toronto lately, hanging out with Austin Matthews, is exactly the kind of okay… maybe news that makes Maple Leafs fans start connecting dots. There’s really nothing out there on the rumour mill about a first-line fit, with Roslovic on the right side. However, given their friendship and history, you have to think that’s a possibility.

In fact, the rumour fuel keeps pointing at the same thing: Matthews’ top-line spot on the right side is up in the air, and Toronto might be leaning toward someone they know makes sense. There seems to be some angst among fans that the team hasn’t been beating the bushes in search of that missing link.

But maybe there’s a reason.

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Roslovic Isn’t Anything Like Marner Was

Roslovic isn’t Mitch Marner. So there’s really no pretending that fans could compare those two skill sets straight up. Marner was a player who could create chances out of nothing. Roslovic is more of a goal-scorer type. And he’s not exactly known as this “unique” puck-movement wizard.

But here’s the part that actually matters: chemistry and comfort. Roslovic has been a close friend of Matthews for a while. And that stuff is real. They knew each other before the NHL ever got involved, and now it feels like they’re just picking up where that connection left off.

Do people underestimate how much that “we’ve done this before” feeling helps when you’re trying to build a new top line quickly? It’s not just talk, either. When two players trust each other’s habits, timing gets cleaner, passes show up at the right moment, and it’s easier for the whole thing to start clicking without a ton of slow learning.

What Kind of Player Does Matthews Really Need on the Right Side?

Also, what does Matthews really need on the right side? Because he was successful with Marner, things sort of default to a player like him. But maybe Matthews doesn’t need the kind of skill that nobody else has. Perhaps he just needs someone who can keep up, make smart reads, push play forward, and get pucks to the net, onto his stick, or into his wheelhouse.

Roslovic’s game is more direct than a lot of people expect, and even if he’s more “shoot first” than “setup artist,” the setup part can still happen if he’s consistently getting it moving toward the net and creating second chances. But, still, who says that won’t work?

The Maple Leafs Don’t Seem in a Hurry to Land a Right Winger

What’s kind of telling is that the Maple Leafs don’t seem like they’re working hard to land a super specific marquee right winger for the top line. That doesn’t mean they won’t adjust things later, or that the roster won’t change in camp, but right now it feels like they’re willing to go with “this could work” instead of “we must solve it with one big splash.”

From where I sit, Roslovic as a top-line right-side option is a responsible possibility. Not because he’s Marner 2.0, but because speed, timing, and chemistry can cover a lot of gaps, especially when you’re building around a guy like Matthews who makes everyone else better when the line finally gels.

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