The Toronto Maple Leafs will begin to experience life without Mitchell Marner Wednesday night in their season opener against the visiting Montreal Canadiens.
Marner, a Maple Leafs stalwart since the 2016-17 season, was sent to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal when the sides could not reach agreement on a long-term extension with Toronto.
The right winger recorded 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) last season.
“You can’t really dwell on the past,” Toronto captain Auston Matthews said. “We wish him the best.”
Even with Marner, the Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs last season in the second round. The Maple Leafs have made the postseason for nine straight years but have not survived the second round in pursuit of their first Stanley Cup championship since 1967.
“We have a lot of belief in our ability as a team and our group and our core,” said defenseman Morgan Rielly, the longest-tenured Leaf. “We’re motivated as much as anything because of the way last season ended, which is obviously a familiar feeling.”
The Canadiens appear to be on the rise. They rallied from a slow start to make the playoffs last season behind captain Nick Suzuki, who had a career-best 89 points (30 goals, 59 assists) and defenseman Lane Hutson, who had six goals and 60 assists to win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
“We’ve grown up a little bit,” Suzuki said. “We have a lot of nice, talented new players coming in, and that will help our group. We have higher expectations from the outside, higher expectations inside. We have a ton of talent, I think the most talent that we’ve had in a long time.”
The Maple Leafs are without goaltender Joseph Woll, who is away from the team due to a personal matter.
The Leafs claimed former Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau off waivers Monday from the Carolina Hurricanes to back up Anthony Stolarz.
Toronto also claimed forward Sammy Blais off waivers from Montreal. Blais played for Toronto coach Craig Berube with the St. Louis Blues.
“He knows what I expect of him. I know what I’m getting,” Berube said Tuesday.
During the offseason, Toronto obtained forwards Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy. Maccelli is in line to begin the season on the first line with Matthews and Matthew Knies.
Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky appear set as the Canadiens’ top line.
Montreal traded for defenseman Noah Dobson in the offseason and added forward Zack Bolduc. The Canadiens are also anticipating a full season from forward Ivan Demidov, a candidate for Rookie of the Year, after he joined the team late last season.
Sam Montembeault is scheduled to get the start in goal for the Canadiens in the opener.
Montreal lost in the first round of the playoffs last season.
“It’s a different challenge for us,” Montreal forward Brendan Gallagher said. “It doesn’t get easier, it gets tougher now. Last year to just get the opportunity to play playoff games was a grind, and for us it’s starting over, and now you come in with those expectations.”
Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis will be looking to carry last season’s strong finish into this season.
“We’re not starting over,” St. Louis said after practice Tuesday. “It’s just that we’re going to keep going.”
Toronto was 3-1-0 against Montreal last season.
