Line identities begin to form for new head coach Berube at Maple Leafs training camp

Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies are generating chemistry on and off the ice these days. 

"Me and him play tennis here and there," said Knies. "I smoke him."

Matthews didn't wait for reporters to ask about that comment before responding. 

"He's never beat me in tennis," Matthews said with a smile. "Never. He literally walked into the gym and told me he said that and I said, 'I can't believe you'd lie to the media like that.' It's crazy."

It's a good thing the pair of Arizona natives are on the same side at Maple Leafs training camp where Knies is skating on Toronto's top line with Matthews and Mitch Marner. 

"It's a privilege," the 21-year-old said. "I have to earn my keep there. I'm going to work my tail off to stay there and support them. It's a huge honour to play with those guys."

New head coach Craig Berube likes the potential fit. 

"He is a big guy," said Berube. "He skates well. He is a physical player with some hands. He is a guy who goes to the net and is going to create loose pucks in the offensive zone, be a good forechecker, and be responsible defensively."

Knies posted 15 goals and 20 assists in 80 games as a rookie last season. He was elevated to the top line early in the year after Tyler Bertuzzi struggled to gain traction beside Matthews and Marner. 

Bertuzzi eventually got on a roll and returned to the top line. Knies played with John Tavares and Marner during the playoffs and was second on the team with two goals in the seven-game series against the Boston Bruins. 

The University of Minnesota product now looks poised to take another step this season. 

"I didn't know how big Kniesy was until you sort of walk up and see him," said new Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev. "He's a big boy with a lot skill and a really good shot." 

Knies packed an extra 10 pounds onto his 6-foot-3 frame during the summer. He weighed in at 227 pounds at training camp. 

"Lots of ice cream and stuff like that," he said with a laugh. "No. I've just been working hard in the gym, on the ice, trying to get my full potential. I feel better than ever and stronger than ever ...  I'm looking forward to using that extra muscle to defend the puck and create momentum with it."

"He's a man already," said Matthews. "I'm looking forward to seeing the progress he's made. I think it's pretty evident watching him skate out here."

It's a big season for Knies, who is entering the final year of his entry-level deal with the team. 

"I haven't really thought of it any differently than any other year," he insisted. "It's the same as last year. Just try and make an impact, be a contributor, be a reason as to why we go farther in the playoffs, be someone who helps the team win on a daily basis, that's where my main focus is and I don't think it's really changed."

Knies politely declined to say if any contract talks have taken place with the team. 

"I don't really want to get into that," he said. "But I want to stay here. I know a lot of guys want to stay here. It's a pretty awesome place to play."

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Tanev and Matthews are in the same group at camp, which means they have gone head-to-head during a lot of the battle drills. 

"I didn't realize how well he can play offensively and transport the puck and move," said Matthews. "And, obviously, just defensively he's so sound. His stick is very annoying just the way he gets sticks on pucks and knocks pucks out of the air and stuff like that. He makes it really hard to pass through him. It's been great going up against him during camp and just trying to push each other in different ways."

"It's pretty impossible to get around that guy," added Knies.

As expected, Tanev has been lining up beside Morgan Rielly so far at camp.

"We've played together before," Tanev reminded reporters. "I feel like our games gel."

Tanev and Rielly also skated together for Team Canada at the 2016 World Championship. 

"They have been fine," said Berube. "They are going to try to form some chemistry. It has been two days. I am not going to jump ahead here and talk about the future. So far, they have been good."

Tanev, 34, says he likes Berube's system, which he describes as "zone-style defence but still as aggressive as possible."

Tanev finished last season with the Dallas Stars. The Leafs were so eager to get him that general manager Brad Treliving traded for Tanev's rights before signing him to a six-year, $27-million deal ahead of the opening of free agency.  

"He is a character guy," said Berube. "We all know that. He is a team guy. He lays it on the line every game — every night and every shift — whether it is blocking a shot or being hard to play against. He is a really good penalty killer. He adds a lot to any team."

"He's super steady," said defenceman Jake McCabe. "A great presence for us on the back end. A calming presence. Great with his stick. Will-do-whatever-it-takes type of guy and that's the kind of guys we want around here." 

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Berube says McCabe is a lot like Tanev. 

"He is a character guy," the coach said. "He lays it on the line out there from shift to shift. He is a really good leader and penalty killer. He is hard to play against. He's a good player defensively, but he can add some offence, too."

McCabe produced a career-high eight goals and 28 points in 73 games last season. 

"I want to take another step as a leader on this team and just keep pushing us in the right direction," he said. 

"As far as leadership goes, I think he's one of the more vocal guys in the room and on the bench," said Matthews. "That's something we really appreciate."

McCabe is entering the final year of his contract and extension talks have already taken place. 

"I love it here and I think they enjoy my game too," the 30-year-old from Wisconsin said. "That's why you have agents and now it's training camp time, so I'm just looking forward to being with the fellas here and ramping up our game and getting ready for the season." 

"It's been awesome having him here," Matthews said, "so hopefully that will continue past this season, but we'll see." 

McCabe is skating alongside free agent addition Oliver Ekman-Larsson so far at camp. 

"He's a super smooth guy out there," McCabe observed. "He's great with the puck. He's got a nice long stick. A good veteran guy."

"He's a good skater," Ekman-Larsson said of McCabe. "Moves the puck well. Plays the game the right way. So I think that's a really good partner to have."

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Berube is setting the tone early in camp with a series of fast-paced battle drills. 

"It's been tough," said Matthews. "It's been really hard, but I think it's been good, good for our group to be in that kind of environment. It's been really competitive."

Berube wants to make things uncomfortable and it did get tense for a moment in Friday's workout when defenceman Simon Benoit and forward Max Domi got into it during a drill. Benoit hit Domi hard along the boards and Domi responded with a couple cross checks. The pair exchanged words and in the next rep during the drill Domi pulled Benoit to the ice and was on top of him for a few moments. 

"I was just trying to show him my new dad strength," said a smiling Benoit, who missed Thursday's practice to be with his girlfriend, who just gave birth to their first child. "We know it's going to be different under Berube. He wants us to work hard, play hard, and it's no hard feelings. We talked to each other afterwards. It's all laughs and all buddy buddy."

Domi and Benoit hashed things out at the stretch circle after the practice. Benoit was told to lead the stretch and received stick taps from his teammates. 

"He looked a little bit like a zombie coming in today," said McCabe, who partnered with Benoit during much of last season. "Us current dads can kind of chuckle at new dads. We've been there and done that. I got two good sleepers now so I slept a good eight hours last night."

Benoit plans to ask for advice. 

"I'll ask about how to make her sleep," the 26-year-old said with a smile. 

Benoit was still wearing a hospital wristband when he met with the media. 

"Long hours at the hospital," he said wearily. "I have to go back there today."

Benoit and his girlfriend have not settled on a name for their newborn daughter. 

"It was pretty special," he said of holding her for the first time. "I was just trying to understand how that came from me and my girlfriend. Most from her (smile) ... It's just special. She just looks at you and there's not really a word for it, it's just exceptional."

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New associate coach Lane Lambert started implementing the penalty kill structure during a session at the start of the practices on Friday. 

"We wanted to get there early," Berube noted. "It is a new system with the penalty kill. It is important to get some dry runs in there so that they are familiar."

"That was a good intro," said McCabe. "We're only two days in so you've got lots to cover for system-wise. With specialty teams, D-zone coverage, you name it. That's what training camp is for. It was a nice introduction today with Lane."

Toronto finished 23rd in penalty killing last season and it was a big issue during the playoffs against Boston. 

"He brings new ideas," said Benoit of Lambert. "He brings a new system ... I like the way he approaches things and we'll see how we can dial that to have good numbers on the PK, for sure."

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Steven Lorentz, who is at camp on a professional tryout, missed practice on Friday. 

"Upper body, and it is [a day-to-day injury]," said Berube. "That is all I know."

Roni Hirvonen took the vacated winger spot on a line with David Kampf and Ryan Reaves. 

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Lines at Leafs practices on Friday: 

GROUP 1

Knies - Matthews - Marner 
McMann - Tavares - Robertson
Cowan - Quillan - A. Nylander
Steeves - Pare - Clifford 

Rielly - Tanev
Rifai - Timmins
Mermis - Villeneuve 
Chadwick - Myers

Woll
Murray

GROUP 2

Domi - Nylander - Jarnkrok
Pacioretty - Holmberg - Grebenkin
Hirvonen - Kampf - Reaves
Barbolini - Shaw - Abruzzese 

Ekman-Larsson - McCabe
Benoit - Liljegren  
Kokkonen - Niemela
Webber - Mattinen

Stolarz
Hildeby