This should convince you who are Matthews' regular line mates :OMG!!!!!! You watch the games? How special. You must be an expert on all things hockey. I am so humbled to be debating such a hockey mind like you.
matthews doesn't play exclusively with rookies, just like Laine doesn't play exclusively with mark...who is also still considered a NHL rookie, but whatever.
it is my opinion Laine will be a better over all player. Deal with it.
Frequency
JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK MITCHELL MARNER TYLER BOZAK 30%
LEO KOMAROV WILLIAM NYLANDER NAZEM KADRI 23.75%
CONNOR BROWN ZACH HYMAN AUSTON MATTHEWS 21.25%
MATT MARTIN BEN SMITH NIKITA SOSHNIKOV 13.75%
LEO KOMAROV WILLIAM NYLANDER AUSTON MATTHEWS 1.88%
AUSTON MATTHEWS ZACH HYMAN WILLIAM NYLANDER 1.25%
JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK TYLER BOZAK BEN SMITH 1.25%
CONNOR BROWN ZACH HYMAN NAZEM KADRI 1.25%
MATT HUNWICK AUSTON MATTHEWS BEN SMITH 0.63%
LEO KOMAROV TYLER BOZAK
http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/toronto-maple-leafs/
For Matthews to play with Kadri on the same line one has to play wing, and that hasn't happened except on pp.