The National Hockey League has announced that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be playing their first game on Sept. 29th against the Montreal Canadiens.
Headlining a group of up to nine different players making their debut is the number one overall pick in the NHL draft this past June, Gavin McKenna.
The game will be the Toronto Maple Leafs' home opener, and we will see a whole bunch of Leafs make their debuts this upcoming season.
Looking at the current projected lineup, it looks like this.
McKenna - Matthews - Nylander
Cowan - Tavares - Knies
Paul - Sissons - Roslovic
Joshua - Blueger - Duhaime
Rielly - Raddysh
McCabe - Tanev
Ekman-Larsson - Andrae
Bobrovsky
Stolarz
The lineup has seen a significant overhaul from last season, with new general manager John Chayka making numerous moves and tinkering with the roster.
Outside of McKenna, there could be up to eight Maple Leafs making their debuts with the team.
They include Nick Paul, Colton Sissons, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, Darren Raddysh, Emil Andrae and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Gavin McKenna could make his NHL debut beside Auston Matthews
The thing that has most people projecting and hoping for is that Gavin McKenna starts on the first line with Auston Matthews.
The projection is that Gavin McKenna's playmaking combined with Auston Matthews's shot would be a match made in heaven.
However, McKenna is a rookie, and growing pains are to be expected.
That said, there is a world where McKenna is Matthews' linemate in his debut and is his left-winger, and while there may be growing pains, the fit and playstyle matchup between the two players is nearly seamless.
And it may take time for things to jell; chemistry between the two and inexperience with McKenna may factor in, but the superstar speed, skating ability, and raw tools and talent both players possess could see an immediate impact night one.
It will certainly be a test for Gavin McKenna; the last three first overall picks in the NHL have all been exceptional in their rookie seasons. Players like Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Matthew Schaefer all won or finished up in rookie of the year voting.
Morgan Rielly is still projected to open the season on Toronto's rebuilt blue line
Defenseman Morgan Rielly has been the subject of trade rumours all offseason. Being a Maple Leaf his entire career, he has seen his fair share of ups and downs, and the rumour mill has never been hotter than it is right now.
There are a plethora of reasons why Toronto wants to ship off Rielly; the reality is he has a full no-move clause for the next two seasons, and he decides whether he is playing here in Toronto or not.
As of right this minute, he is still in a Leafs jersey; that may mean he is more likely to stay on the team.
As of right now, though, he appears, at least according to the depth chart, to be on the blue line with newly acquired Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Chayka was incredibly proactive this offseason and got ahead of the market, acquiring Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade with the Lightning to return to his hometown team.
Raddysh had the breakout of the century, putting up 28 points and 48 assists, with an absolute clapper of a shot, great speed, and an explosive offensive game.
With Raddysh being brought in, Rielly is not going to be the quarterback on the pp1.
This could benefit Rielly as he has less time on ice and can be free of expectations/ pressure and bounce back in 5-on-5 play.
In 5-on-5 play, I expect the blue line to be incredibly speedy, with fantastic puck-moving ability and generating a lot of scoring chances for the Buds.
Defensively, their game might not be as responsible as you want, but there is a possibility we see significant bounce-back from Rielly with a pairing like Raddysh.
Ultimately, it will be up to Rielly on whether he stays or goes elsewhere, but as of right now he projects to be on the blue line in Toronto next season, and that may end up being a good thing cause a bounce-back season from Rielly would be a big help for the Leafs.
Which Maple Leaf will have the biggest performance in their debut
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