Keefe believes Thornton can keep up with Marner, Matthews

Some people were surprised to see Joe Thornton on a line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner when the Toronto Maple Leafs opened training camp, but head coach Sheldon Keefe has faith that the trio will work.

"One of the things that has really surprised me in this camp is watching Joe. We've done a ton of skating the first few days ... and Joe is in the middle of the pack. He's not at the bottom," Keefe told the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons. "He's beating guys he’s 20 years older than. People that don't watch him that much know that he plays a slow game.

"He's not as slow (as) you'd think."

The 41-year-old has played center for practically his entire 22-year NHL career, but he appears set to feature on the left wing of a line with Matthews and Marner to kick off the season.

Thornton noted that he played left wing during his recent stint with HC Davos in Switzerland and recently said that being on a line with the dynamic forwards makes him "feel young again."

Keefe isn't expecting the veteran to keep up with Matthews and Marner for an entire game or the whole season, but he plans to ensure the line stays fresh and Thornton doesn't burn out.

"He's going to do his thing below the hash marks, and I've been up-front with him. We're going to give him a chance to see if this can work, acknowledging the fact those guys will play significant minutes and he won't be able to play that many," Keefe said. "We're going to manage his offensive and defensive starts. You're still going to see Zach (Hyman) on that line. We're not just throwing Joe out there figuring he'll play 20-22 minutes. … This is what we want to give him a chance to do early on."

One of the game's all-time greatest playmakers, Thornton registered seven goals and 24 assists in 70 games with the San Jose Sharks last season.