The sight of Auston Matthews without Mitch Marner on his wing? That’s the new reality for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they head into training camp for the 2025-26 campaign. Marner’s move to the Vegas Golden Knights has left a spot wide open, and with nearly a decade of chemistry between him and Matthews now gone, everyone’s wondering the same thing: Who’s stepping in alongside Matthews and Matthew Knies? The answer could define the Leafs’ identity this season.
Who Will Replace Mitch Marner on the Maple Leafs’ Top Line?
For Matthew Knies, 22, the question hits close to home. He was honest about how strange it feels to imagine a Toronto lineup without Marner, but didn’t waste time pointing out that the team still boasts plenty of firepower.
“Without Mitch … it’s going to obviously be different. Definitely weird in the locker room not seeing him at first,” Knies said.
He shared those thoughts while meeting fans at a recent promotional event in Toronto.
Last year was a breakout campaign for Knies, racking up 29 goals and 58 points. Nearly doubling his numbers, he thrived alongside Matthews and Marner, but now he knows the top line will have to build fresh chemistry. That group’s spark won’t be easy to recreate.
So who takes Marner’s place? Knies didn’t hesitate: the first name out of his mouth was William Nylander.
“Willy is pretty dynamic,” he said. “That wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.”
After topping forty goals in three straight seasons, Nylander seems like the obvious answer from within the roster. On the other hand, he’s grown used to playing with captain John Tavares, so shifting him up shakes up Toronto’s second line and its balance as well. Toronto’s second line has been successful, and moving Nylander would definitely bring changes.
Looking beyond Nylander, new addition Matias Maccelli brings some playmaking chops, while Max Domi has experience from his previous stint in Toronto.
General manager Brad Treliving and new coach Craig Berube face a choice: load up the top line or spread the offense across the roster. That call could shape how the group looks on opening night.
Knies is clear on what he wants: whoever lands on that line needs to fit with his budding power-forward game. At 6-foot-3 and over 227 pounds, he’s become a real force at the net and added an edge to his style. With Matthews’ knack for finishing, the right fit could make this first line a handful for opponents every night.
How Is Matthew Knies Preparing for More Responsibility in 2025-26?
This fall, Knies might take on an even bigger role beyond Toronto. He’s got an invite to Team USA’s Olympic orientation camp in Colorado Springs, a first step toward skating at the 2026 Games in Milan. Matthews already looks like a lock for that roster, and Knies wants to join him there.
“That is going to be a cool experience, just to meet a lot of those (Americans) to see what they do on and off the ice,” Knies said. “Pick each other’s brains. Hopefully, I get a strong start to the season and make that team.”
The names in that room are big, veterans Patrick Kane and the Tkachuk brothers among them, so Knies is using the experience as extra fuel heading into the NHL campaign.
He trained over the summer in Minnesota, working with other pros, while getting over a rib injury he picked up during the previous spring’s playoffs. That kind of preparation is meant to set him up for a quick start back in Toronto.
SIX MORE YEARS OF MATTHEW KNIES! 🔹 pic.twitter.com/bnJsk52zNn
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 1, 2025
Marner’s departure means more than losing a playmaker. It changes the locker room vibe, something Knies openly acknowledged. The shift goes beyond the score sheet.
Meanwhile, Knies is stepping into a leadership role himself. He signed a six-year, $46.5 million extension earlier this summer, locking in his place as a core piece of Toronto’s future.
“Every day here, I learn more…It’s tremendous how much my game has matured and how I’ve learned to be a leader and a great teammate,” he said.
The Maple Leafs might be heading into the post-Marner era, but for Knies, this is just the start of showing what he can do both as a player and as a leader, on the ice and in the room.
