Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski/USA Today Sports

Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have been tied at the hip on the Leafs’ top line since training camp began and Craig Berube has confirmed they’ll remain together, at least to begin the season.

Most of the talk through training camp has been about William Nylander adjusting to playing down the middle, but something that has quietly flown under the radar is Leafs head coach Craig Berube reuniting Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews from the moment camp began. Marner and Matthews spent the second half of last season on separate lines and Berube was asked about reuniting the pair to begin this season.

“Well, just from previous years watching them play, they’ve been very good together for a long time, I kind of like to work in pairs. You can rotate another guy in and out, but, can just go back to (David) Perron and (Ryan) O’Reilly who were similar but at times I had to split them up. They needed a new linemate for a bit. They know where each other are, that’s a huge thing, but for me, watching these guys from training camp and not just these two guys, just the work ethic and their competitiveness that they go into practice and it’s full out, which is great to see. When we got our best players competing like that and working in practice, everybody follows in line.”

Marner and Matthews were also asked about being reunited to begin the season. Marner touched on how their relationship has grown since joining the Leafs and the chemistry they have built.
“We’ve had a great bond ever since day one together and you know it’s a great relationship. Then off the ice, we have a hell of a relationship that we could communicate very clearly about how we want each other to play and be like.”
Matthews, on the other hand, credited Marner for coming into camp highly motivated and poised for a dominant season, which should help Matthews collect his fourth Rocket Richard Trophy.

“He’s come into camp really focused. I think he looks good. Obviously, very motivated.”
With just two pre-season games left for the Leafs, we should see Marner and Matthews in the final exhibition game on the weekend before they kick off the regular season next week against the Montreal Canadiens. Matthews is looking to put up another 100+ point season while Marner is looking to crack the century mark for the first time in his career.