The Maple Leafs’ development clock has picked up speed the past couple of years. As of Wednesday, it leaps to A.M. time.

Mornings, afternoons and evenings should be a little brighter now that No. 1 overall pick Auston Matthews is officially at training camp, ready for his first practice and likely into an exhibition game either Thursday in St. Catharines or Saturday in Buffalo, both against the Sabres.

It’s presumptuous to state that, after eight difficult years without a star No. 1 centre, the Leafs now have one secured before he’s completed one real practice. But that’s the kind of rosy future many predict for the 19-year-old gifted giant from Arizona. Matthews will put on his No. 34 for the first time and join 52 other Leafs who have either been in Halifax the past few days or, like himself, recovering from the World Cup.

Before turning his attention to Team Canada duties, Toronto coach Mike Babcock said his intention was to play Matthews on a line with slick William Nylander at wing, at least at the start of camp. Many pundits think expectations on Matthews should be kept to a minimum, which would see Nazem Kadri stay as the projected first-line centre with James van Riemsdyk on his left, while Tyler Bozak would play with new physical left winger Matt Martin and any number of offensively oriented wingers on the right.

Keep in mind the Leafs had so many injuries and trades last year that camp will have many reunions and experiments going on. But if Matthews is ready for prime-time ice, so much the better. Meanwhile, 2015’s first round-pick, Mitch Marner, was as good as advertised on Monday night, with two assists from the wing and great vision on display, despite the 6-3 loss to Ottawa.

FASHION STATEMENT

If the World Cup souvenir tables were any indication, Matthews sweaters will be a big seller for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment this Christmas season.

A Leafs official said the youngster’s Team North America jersey ranked with the hottest-selling Canadian players/numbers around the rink during the two-week tournament. Now that it has been confirmed Matthews will wear 34 — the same as his father’s during his years as an NCAA pitcher — that name and number will be seen even more frequently.

A manager at a suburban Sport Chek store confirmed the Matthews buzz.

“We were holding off taking any sweater orders until the number was officially released,” he said. “But, yeah, there is interest, big-time.”

FIRST ROSTER CUTS

The Leafs came home from five days in Halifax a lot leaner.

On Tuesday, it was announced 23 players have been re-assigned, 14 to the Marlies and nine returned to their Canadian Hockey League junior teams.

Heading to the farm team, which begins its camp within a week, are goalies Jeff Glass and Ryan Massa, defencemen Taylor Doherty, Jon Jutzi, William Corrin, Daniel Maggio, Brenden Miller and Ty Stanton, along with forward Eric Faille.

Junior-bound are 2016 picks Jack Walker and Nikita Korostelev (forwards), plus Keaton Middleton and Nicolas Mattinen (defence). From the 2015 class are blue-liner Stephen Desrocher and forward Martins Dzierkals. J.J. Piccinich, a 2014 pick, is out as well. Tye Felhaber and Tyler Wong were junior-aged free-agent forwards.

It leaves 53 in camp (32 forwards, 16 defence and five goalies).

C’MON HOME, TEEDER

The next home-town banner ceremony for an honoured Leaf will be Wednesday evening in Port Colborne when Ted (Teeder) Kennedy’s No. 9 is presented to civic officials.

Kennedy’s son Mark and Mayor John Maloney will accept the banner, which hung at the Air Canada Centre for 17 years, at a rink at the Vale Health and Wellness Centre at 7 p.m. With new banners being created for the franchise centennial, the 18 old banners are being sent back to the birthplaces of each player.

Hall of Famer and team captain Kennedy came from nearby Humberstone, won five Stanley Cups for the Leafs and scored 560 points in 696 games.

LOOSE LEAFS

Left winger David Broll, who played five games with the Leafs in 2013-14, is back near his Mississauga home after signing with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast ... Babcock squeezed in another superlative for Nikita Zaitsev on Monday: “I’m thrilled to have him. He’s going to be a real leader for (Russians Rinat) Valiev and (Nikita) Soshnikov.” ... The Senators confirmed on Tuesday that former Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf will be an alternate for road games. Kyle Turris will have the “A” at home, while captain Erik Karlsson and veteran alternate Chris Neil stay the same. The Leafs are undecided about a captain for 2016-17.

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GETZLAF VOUCHES FOR ANDERSEN

So, Ryan Getzlaf, what kind of goaltender are the Maple Leafs getting in Frederik Andersen?

“Freddie is one of the best kids we have had come through in a while in the way he approaches the game, in the way he carries himself within the locker room,” Getzlaf, a former teammate of Andersen’s with the Anaheim Ducks, said on Tuesday.

“When you’re talking about the length of the season, he has been there for the grind, so he knows what it’s about. I expect him to do very well.”

Upon acquiring Andersen from Anaheim in June for two draft picks, the Leafs signed the 26-year-old to a five-year, $25-million US contract. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Andersen, who played in a career-high 54 games in 2014-15, is in it for the long haul.

“He is big, he plays big and he is calming in the net,” Getzlaf said. “There is nothing more you want than a goalie who can settle the game down and kind of take over.”

— Terry Koshan