Latest Matias Maccelli update isn't what Maple Leafs fans were hoping to hear

Acquired this past offseason, Matias Maccelli was expected to come in and potentially be the new top-line playmaker for Auston Matthews as he's shown great hands and a knack for finding the open man.

His start to his Maple Leafs tenure hasn't been great however, and he's been a healthy scratch multiple times including a stretch where he missed nearly two weeks while sitting in the press box.

Fans have wondered if the team is going to trade him, and we've heard reports that there are teams certainly interested in bringing Maccelli aboard though nothing has materialized as of yet.

According to Elliotte Friedman, don't expect a deal to really happen anytime soon either.

Speaking on The FAN Hockey Show on Dec. 29, Friedman explained that the Maple Leafs have tried hard to get Maccelli traded however haven't found any suitable deals and are instead going to try and see if a bigger role will help him:

We've already seen Maccelli starting to find his footing a little bit more and he's playing himself more and more into the lineup. He's still got some issues defensively, but his offense has picked up and he has 15 points in 30 games (6 goals, 9 assists).

But it's over the past five games where he's picked it up. He has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) and his possession numbers have actually been better on the man advantage than at 5 on 5.

There's no reason to give up on Maccelli just yet, as he's still only 25 years old and on a new team, with a new coach and now just getting more regular playing time. Giving him every chance to succeed should boost his confidence, and in turn increase his production.

With how good the Maple Leafs power play has been (50% over the last five games) and in the limited time Maccelli has been on the first unit; there's a lot of hope he can turn this season into a fairly successful one all things considered.

It may have been a tough start to the year for the Maple Leafs and Matias Maccelli, but perhaps their inability to trade him could end up working out really well in the end especially if he starts tearing it up offensively.