“Wasn’t a Lot There”: Berube Blunt While Scratching Maple Leafs Forward

“I think he obviously wants to play. We all know that — everybody wants to play — but he has handled it positively,” said Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube when asked about Matias Maccelli and his not being in the lineup. Based on the way the forward has played of late, that’s not about to change.

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Berube added, “He knows that he has to be better. We put him in the Washington game, and there wasn’t a lot there. I thought he struggled in that game. We won the last couple, so I am not going to change the lineup. We’ll see.”

Berube isn’t the only one waiting for Maccelli to find some version of his high-end game that will allow the Maple Leafs to call on him regularly. Jeff O’Neill of TSN OverDrive said last week, “Let’s just be real, Dakota Joshua and Matias Maccelli have done jack squat.” Joshua has since turned things around with two goals and three points in his last two games.

Maccelli is running out of runway to impress in Toronto. Brought over in an offseason trade in an attempt to fill in some of the hole left by the departing Mitch Marner, it has not been a fit. He’s got four goals and nine points in 22 games. He’s not been terrible, but he’s not brought the offense Toronto needed when they acquired him.

Has Maccelli’s Opportunity Passed Him By Already?

To say there’s not “a lot there” is a damning statement from the coach. It could lead people to wonder if Berube has already passed judgment on the forward and if his opportunity has already passed him by. An RFA at the end of the season, there’s a bit of Nick Robertson feeling beginning to form with this player.

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