After day two of training camp, head coach Craig Berube discussed his first impressions of Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan, Bobby McMann, Marshall Rifai, Jake McCabe, and the Morgan Rielly-Chris Tanev pairing.
2024 Training Camp – Day Two Lines (Combined Groups 1&2)
Forwards
Knies – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Nylander – Jarnkrok
McMann – Tavares – Robertson
Pacioretty – Holmberg – Grebenkin
Hirvonen – Kampf – Reaves
Cowan – Quillan – A.Nylander
Barbolini – Shaw – Abruzzese
Clifford – Pare – Steeves
Defense
Rielly – Tanev
OEL – McCabe
Benoit – Liljegren
Rifai – Timmins
Mermis – Villeneuve
Webber – Mattinen
Kokkonen – Niemela
Chadwick – Myers
Goaltenders
Woll
Stolarz
Murray
Hildeby
What do you like about Matthew Knies and how he might fit next to Auston Matthews?
Berube: His size, for sure. He is a big guy. He skates well. He is a physical player with some hands.
Right now, he is on a line with Matthews and Marner. He is a guy who goes to the net and is going to create loose pucks in the offensive zone, be a good forechecker, and be responsible defensively.
A lot of the players and staff have talked about becoming harder to play against. Among the teams who are hard to play against in the NHL, what do they do so well?
Berube: Check. Physical. Make it difficult.
Any time you play a team that checks well and doesn’t give you any time or space—making it hard to get to their net and making it hard at both ends—it is difficult.
Auston Matthews mentioned Bobby McMann and Marshall Rifai as standouts in camp so far. What have you noticed about those two guys?
Berube: Again, they are both aggressive players who skate well. One is a D, and one is a forward. That is what you notice with them: their ability to get in there, battle, and win battles. They are both strong guys, and both can move.
What happened to Steven Lorentz, and how serious is the injury?
Berube: Upper body, and it is day-to-day. That is all I know.
Any early thoughts on Easton Cowan?
Berube: We all know Easton is a good player. He has had a really good junior career.
For me, when I watch him out there, he is just a worker. He is a dog on a bone all the time, with some hands. He has tenacity and grit. He grinds it. He finds a way to get it done. That is how I view him.
Have you liked what you have seen from the Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev pairing so far?
Berube: They have been fine. They are going to try to form some chemistry. It has been two days. I am not going to jump ahead here and talk about the future. So far, they have been good.
What kind of impact can Chris Tanev make on the group this season?
Berube: He is a character guy. We all know that. He is a team guy. He lays it on the line every game — every night and every shift — whether it is blocking a shot or being hard to play against. He is a really good penalty killer. He adds a lot to any team.
Have you learned anything about John Tavares that you didn’t already know?
Berube: I have watched Johnny T for a long time, back to when he was starting with the Islanders. He has been a really good player in the league for a long time. He is a leader and a hard-working guy with skills and ability. That is what you will get out of him: second and third efforts.
We talk about this with the team. The NHL is a second and third-effort league. You need a second and third effort from everybody in all situations. Johnny has always been a second- and third-effort guy.
There is a top-heavy roster construction in terms of contracts in Toronto. What do any of the young players need to do to make a Craig Berube team during the season?
Berube: I don’t think a young player coming in needs to look at being on the top line. They are just trying to make the lineup at some point at some position. Maybe you come out of junior hockey or college as a really good scorer, but you are just trying to find a role.
A couple of things stand out for me if you want to crack the lineup: You have to have a really good work ethic, and you have to be highly competitive. You are looking to find a role more than anything.
How close are you to a lineup for Sunday?
Berube: Pretty close. I will sit down with Brad [Treliving] and the coaches. We will go over it.
We only have six games. It is definitely important to get our NHL guys in there. Obviously, there are young players who are fighting for jobs that you want to see, too, who have shown me something in the first two days.
Was there a focus on penalty kill today?
Berube: Yeah, we wanted to get there early. It is a new system with the penalty kill. It is important to get some dry runs in there so that they are familiar.
We will work on penalty killing a little bit more on the day of the game with both groups — the team that is going to play and the team that is not going to play.
What stands out about Jake McCabe’s game?
Berube: A lot like Tanev, he is a character guy. He lays it on the line out there from shift to shift. He is a really good leader and penalty killer. He is hard to play against. He’s a good player defensively, but he can add some offense, too.
