Through 34 outings, there’s no question that the Matias Maccelli experiment has had its ups and downs.

Still, over the past 10 games, the 25-year-old has looked like the best version of himself in a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater.

Like the rest of his teammates, the winger has found his stride since the holiday break, and it’s come just in time for his return to Utah.

Prior to joining the Maple Leafs, Maccelli spent the first four seasons of his NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes now turned Utah Mammoth organization. Suffice it is to say, he should have plenty in the tank for his first game back at Delta Center. When the two teams met in early November in Toronto, the 2019 fourth rounder offered up one of his best performances in the blue and white as he notched a goal and an assist in a 5-3 Leafs victory.

It took a few wake-up calls, but Craig Berube’s message finally seems to have clicked with the pass-first dangler. Since sitting out nine straight games in early December, Maccelli has looked like a different player. He’s still a bit passive at times, but there’s no question he’s finding ways to make an impact every night—and that’s why he’s stayed in the lineup.

At the very least, his recent play has given Leafs Nation a sliver of hope that he can – in fact – hack it in Toronto. On paper, he’s not a Berube type player, but just like Nick Robertson, Maccelli has found a way to adapt and evolve his game to keep his coach happy.

Meantime, earlier in the season, the Leafs’ deployment of Maccelli—brought in to make things happen offensively—felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Now, they’re putting him in more favourable positions to succeed. The sample size is small, but he’s looked effective on the first power-play unit, using his playmaking savvy to create time and space for the big boys. Nevertheless, his five-on-five game has its flaws, which is why his ice time continues to fluctuate night to night.

After a rocky start in Toronto, Maccelli is finally finding his footing—at least somewhat. Over the past month, he’s shed the borderline unplayable label he carried early in the season. Inconsistency has followed him since the start of his career, but lately he’s been doing the little things that matter, the things that keep him in the lineup.

Maybe, just maybe, this trade isn’t a lost cause after all.

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