"Over the course of Auston Matthews' career, although he's been the team's best player, he's also been paired with some great talent around him. Whether it was Zach Hyman, Mitch Marner, Matthew Knies or William Nylander, Matthews has always had a few awesome wingers to play with. As of right now, the internet has put Matias Maccelli into the Mitch Marner spot, keeping Knies on his left-side, but what if the team changed that philosophy this year?"
"Nick Robertson has been an intriguing player since he arrived in the NHL, but he's yet to find a groove. Despite barely getting any ice-time last year, Robertson still managed to score 15 goals and if his first preseason game was any indication of how this season could go, Robertson may be ready for a breakout campaign. The 24-year-old played every situation, had a ton of jump and scored a goal, all while playing first-line minutes."
"Making the leap to the NHL is a big adjustment, so playing top-line minutes immediately may be a tall task for Cowan, but he's shown more than enough at the junior level for me to believe that he can make an impact in the pro's. Cowan can help retrive pucks, while Robertson and Matthews are lethal goal-scorers, who he should be able to feed nightly."
Toronto's preseason pairing of Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson suggests a potential first-line with Auston Matthews. Robertson scored 15 goals last season despite limited ice-time and showed first-line capability in the preseason, playing every situation and scoring. Robertson needs top-line minutes to be effective rather than a third-line role. Cowan’s junior-level performance indicates he can adapt to NHL minutes and help retrieve pucks, feeding lethal goal-scorers Matthews and Robertson. Placing Cowan-Matthews-Robertson together could maximize offensive production while accelerating Cowan's development and unlocking Robertson’s breakout potential.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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