The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't have any turnover on their defense from last season to this one , but they still wanted to see improvement from their highest-paid and longest-tenured defenseman. Morgan Rielly delivered immediately, scoring the game-winning goal in the third period. He jumped up into the play after Matthew Knies had a breakaway stopped and gave Toronto the lead for good in a 5-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener. Rielly was Toronto’s best performer in all-around play, recording a team-best 1.24 expected goals at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20252026&game=20004]. This is particularly impressive since Toronto only had a 45 percent share of the puck. The Leafs want Rielly to be more aggressive with the puck, and it showed in his play, bringing back a similar offensive vintage to the defenseman who recorded 20 goals and 52 assists in 82 games during the 2018-19 season. “He looked great. I feel like he did everything out there today for us,” Maple Leafs forward Calle Järnkrok said of Rielly. Rielly was presented the team’s championship belt, given to the player of the game following a Leafs win, by Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews. A SUMMER OF COMMITMENT At the beginning of training camp, Leafs GM Brad Treliving revealed he had a conversation with Morgan Rielly before the 2024-25 season that the player ‘took to heart’. Treliving mentioned that Rielly spent a lot of time in the gym this summer and took to heart the messages he had for him. Forward Bobby McMann, who spent most of the summer with Rielly at the club’s workout facility, confirmed the defenseman's commitment: 'My Goal Was To Leave No Stone Unturned': How Morgan Rielly's Summer Could Set Him Up For Success With Maple Leafs [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e30cbadf-cca1-43aa-b32f-43c6a5414f19.jpeg] 'My Goal Was To Leave No Stone Unturned': How Morgan Rielly's Summer Could Set Him Up For Success With Maple Leafs Shortly after the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-reveal-73-player-training-camp-roster-for-2025-26">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in May, Morgan Rielly and general manager Brad Treliving sat down to review the year. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/my-goal-was-to-leave-no-stone-unturned-how-morgan-rielly-s-summer-could-set-him-up-for-success-with-maple-leafs] “It was kind of me and him going at it together in the summer. And he showed up every day, put the work in, continued to be a professional this far into his career,” McMann said. He’s still hungry. He still wants it. And he wants to win so bad, and he wants the best for himself. And you can see that”. THE STRATEGIC SHIFT When Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube took over the bench last season, there was a change in philosophy that was more focused on a collective defensive approach. Berube suggested that while Rielly committed to the new style, he felt that maybe it took out some of the aggressive attack in his game. Since the acquisition of Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins in March, the team felt it’s only helped Rielly feel more secure about jumping into the play. Bruins Trade Brandon Carlo To Maple Leafs In Surprising Deal [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c21a080e-c721-4263-88ec-4a68ba8ad7f4.jpeg] Bruins Trade Brandon Carlo To Maple Leafs In Surprising Deal The Boston Bruins have traded defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Fraser Minten, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round pick. The Bruins are also retaining 15% of Carlo's salary. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/bruins-trade-brandon-carlo-to-maple-leafs-in-surprising-deal] “He's really good at protecting his partner and doing all that stuff,” Berube said of Carlo. “So I think Mo has got a lot more freedom. And quite frankly, when he came over here, I thought Mo's game changed quite a bit”. With the Leafs looking for offense wherever they can get it, improving from defense would help. Toronto finished last in the NHL in goals scored by defensemen last season. Even a modest improvement from Rielly goes a long way to changing things for the better. RIELLY'S REACTION Despite the big game, Rielly didn’t want to soak in the praise after the win, rather pointing out some of the mistakes and poor puck play the club displayed against a fast Montreal team. “Lots of good things. I'm not trying to say we sucked. But, we're going to look to improve and build our game,” Rielly said. “We have high expectations for our group. And I think at times in the middle of the game, we didn't manage the puck that well. And then obviously in the third, we came out and played well. So we're happy with the result”. 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