The Toronto Maple Leafs held a practice on Monday in preparation for their evening matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and with it came another shake-up on defense. Morgan Rielly, who has spent much of the past month skating alongside Philippe Myers, found himself paired with Jake McCabe at the morning skate.

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ new defensive structure worked well in the club’s 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. Specifically, Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe formed a new pairing on the blueline that left all parties leaving Scotiabank Arena feeling promising.

Fraser Minten will play for the Leafs for the first time since Dec. 14 and will centre a line with Max Domi and Nick Robertson on the wings. “I like the player,” Berube said in reference to Minten. “Patches went out, he’s a guy who has played up here and he’s a smart player, we put him in the middle of the ice. I have trust in him.”

NHL analyst Stephen Nixon believes the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade Morgan Rielly for a variety of reasons.

NHL insider Chris Johnston recently spoke about the importance of Jake McCabe to the Toronto Maple Leafs. While trade rumors swirl around Morgan Rielly, Johnston talked about McCabe’s strong play and steady presence on the team’s blue line.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' decision to demote defenseman Morgan Rielly has led to even better results than anyone could have imagined. Heading into Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens, it was already becoming pretty clear that Morgan Rielly was no longer the Maple Leafs' top defenseman.

Specifically, Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe formed a new pairing on the blueline that left all parties leaving Scotiabank Arena feeling promising. With Rielly’s offensive upside and McCabe’s ...