The Maple Leafs are still early in preseason, but Monday’s practice offered a clear sign that Jim Hiller is already testing some new ideas on the back end.
Toronto kept its training camp groups intact for the most part, with Group 1 serving as the closest thing to the NHL roster and Group 2 made up of players who are expected to head to the AHL within the next week. The forwards in Group 1 stayed the same, but the blue line did not.
The most notable change came with Morgan Rielly. He had previously been paired with Emil Andrae, a setup that looked like it could have been a logical opening-night option if the Leafs wanted to shelter Rielly and lean on his offensive ability in the right spots. Instead, Monday’s alignment had him moved up alongside Darren Raddysh.
That pairing raises an obvious question: can Rielly handle those minutes anymore? If both he and Raddysh are more comfortable pushing the puck than locking things down, it could leave Toronto with a defense pair that feels a little light in its own zone.
Meanwhile, Andrae was pushed down to the extra pair, and Troy Stecher slid into the projected No. 6 role. That also points to a possible Ekman-Larsson-Stecher combination, one that would give the Leafs two defensemen who can move the puck but may also need some protection.
The bigger picture seems to be a familiar one. If Rielly-Raddysh and Ekman-Larsson-Stecher are the looks Toronto wants to explore, then Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev may be the pair asked to carry the heavy defensive burden and absorb the toughest matchups. The idea mirrors what Hiller has done up front, where the bottom six is built to take pressure off the top six so the skill players can lean more toward offense.
On the blue line, that would mean more freedom for players like Raddysh, Rielly, and Ekman-Larsson to join the attack and less concern about spending every shift stuck in survival mode.
The Leafs will get another chance to see how these combinations hold up when they face the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday in their next preseason games.
In Other News...
Leafs Fans Just Got A Reality Check On This Prospect
Tinus-Luc Koblars first taste of preseason action offered a reminder that even promising prospects rarely arrive in Toronto as finished products. The Maple Leafs second-round pick had a modest debut, and it was enough to cool some of the buzz around him after fans had started to imagine a quicker path to the NHL.
Last season in Sweden, Koblar put up 14 points in 47 games with Leksands in the SHL, a solid base but not the kind of production that screams instant readiness. The early read is that he may still need more time before jumping to the NHL, and perhaps even before taking the next step into the AHL, which is why another season in the SHL is being viewed as a sensible part of his development. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Opening Night Blue Line Sends A Clear Early Message
The Maple Leafs have their opening-night blue line in place, and the first look says plenty about how the team wants to start the 2026-27 season. Morgan Rielly is back on the top pair after missing preseason games because of a viral infection, and hell be flanked by newcomer Darren Raddysh in a setup that instantly gives the group a different feel. Behind them, Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev form the second pair, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stetcher round out the third.
Theres also a fourth pair in the mix with Emil Andrae and Nick Blankenburg, which gives Toronto a fuller picture of how the defensive rotation may settle in once the games begin. The pairings hint at a staff that wants a mix of stability, mobility and experience, even as it asks Rielly to jump right back into a leading role after the lost time in camp. For a team still shaping its early-season identity, the blue line is already sending a clear message about who the Maple Leafs trust most when the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]
Hiller Is Pushing Morgan Rielly Back To The Center Of It
Morgan Rielly has started to look like the kind of defenseman the Maple Leafs have always wanted him to be when he is at his best, and Jim Hiller is clearly leaning into that idea. During practice, Hiller pointed to the pairing with Darren Raddysh as a potential offensive defenseman combination, while also highlighting Riellys mindset and physical condition as reasons for optimism about where his game is headed.
The bigger sign for Toronto may be what Hiller said about Riellys renewed passion for the game, because that kind of confidence can change how a player carries himself on the ice. Hiller also gave an update on Dakota Joshua, saying the forward is close to being ready but not yet at full capacity, a reminder that Toronto is still juggling lineup decisions even as a few important pieces begin to settle back into place. [Read more 🡒]