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TSN Toronto Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs, who practised at Ford Performance Centre on Friday ahead of Saturday’s home game against the Detroit Red Wings.

At the end of practice, coach Sheldon Keefe brought the players together and announced that Morgan Rielly had signed an eight-year extension with the team. The players immediately offered loud stick taps and playfully mobbed the 27-year-old. 
 
"That was fun," Rielly said. "I told Keefer not to say anything, but he did anyway. It was fun. It's a good feeling when you're around your friends and they feel happy for you. It's a big relief, for sure."
 
"He's a modest guy," said Keefe, "but I felt it was important to give him that acknowledgement and a cool moment for his teammates to acknowledge it. I'm sure he appreciated it deep down." 
 
"It's awesome," said captain John Tavares. "We were all pretty fired up when Keefer gave us the news. No one embodies this team and playing here better than him. Such a great player and person and someone I look up to."
 
Rielly is in the final year of his contract and didn't want to become a distraction. He was confident a deal would get done sooner than later despite the flat-cap environment. 
 
"It's been a good process," he said. "It was pretty respectful and I'm just glad it's over."
 
The contract is worth $60-million and carries an annual average value of $7.5 million. 
 
"His willingness to want to stay and make something work with us that I think is a little bit below the market, that made it work," said general manager Kyle Dubas. "Everything he brings inside the room every single day, but most importantly what he brings on the ice, we just thought it would be really difficult to replace."
 
"It means a lot," Rielly said. "Over time you get comfortable and you start to feel passionately towards what you do for a living. I've just gotten to that point here in Toronto where it really feels like home. So, it's a pretty cool feeling."

 The team believes Rielly will age well because of his mobility as well as his ability to adapt and improve defensively. They also trust he will do everything in his power to maximize his talent. 
 
"He's going to have a lot of pride in himself and in carrying his end of the deal and performing throughout those eight years," said Dubas. "A lot of people you hear that about and you don't know, with Morgan you know."
 
Selected by the Leafs fifth overall in 2012, Rielly has played his entire NHL career in the centre of the hockey universe. He's seen some tough times from Salute-Gate to a last-place season to the recent playoff disappointments.  
 
"There's a reason why the organization's gone through a number of changes over the years, but he's the one guy that has lasted," Keefe pointed out. "[He] loves being a Leaf and that passion comes through in how he conducts himself every day."
 
Shortly after taking over as coach midway through the 2019-20 season, Keefe approached Rielly and asked if he'd be willing to give up his spot on the top power-play unit so that the team could get Tyson Barrie going. 
 
"Not many players would take that information well, especially players of his ability," Keefe noted. "He understood the situation at the time and was all about it. It's one thing to say that, but then it's how you conduct yourself when you leave the office and how you approach the next day and how you are around your teammates and how you play, you know, those are the most important things and he didn't let it affect him."
 
Rielly, who is in his ninth NHL season, now has a real chance to play his entire career in Toronto. 
 
"It's not all that common and it's very difficult to do," the Vancouver native said. "I haven't done that yet, but it's hard not to let your brain wander a little bit now." 
 
If Rielly (580 games played) stays relatively healthy, he has a chance to become the most tenured Leaf of all-time. George Armstrong (1,188) is the franchise games-played leader. 
 
"For the team to offer me that faith is pretty special," Rielly said. "I look forward to holding up my end of the bargain and trying to accomplish the ultimate goal."

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Rielly had a new partner at Friday's practice as the team overhauled the entire blue line. Rielly skated with Travis Dermott, Jake Muzzin linked up with T.J. Brodie while the two young Swedes, Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, joined forces. Justin Holl, who played every game in the top four last season, will be a healthy scratch on Saturday. 
 
"We just haven't played well enough as a unit defensively," Keefe said. "That's as a team and includes the forwards and their contributions as well, but just the D pairs and the D core has not played well enough. It's not just Justin Holl, but Justin Holl has not played near his level. He's earned a greater degree of expectations and responsibility here through his play and the way he's performed for us, but hasn't been to that level here to start with. He's not the only one, but he's not going to play tomorrow."
 
The Leafs have allowed 18 goals in five-on-five play this season and Muzzin has been on the ice for a team-high 11. Brodie, usually as steady as they come, has also been slow out of the gates. 
 
"It is no secret that we expect a little bit more from our top guys," said Dubas. "Morgan has played well, but the other guys would stand in here and tell you they are playing a little bit below the level they were at last season. That said, I think they have all earned the benefit of the doubt a little bit in terms of their history, that they are going to find a way and come back. If they were players that we had taken a bit of a leap on and said, 'We will try to put them in this situation and see how it goes,' I would have major concern. They are guys that have all been very good players in the league and very good players for us. I know what they are doing off the ice to get themselves back and rolling. I have a lot of faith they will get back to the form they showed last season and at the best points in their career."

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The Leafs are off to their worst eight-game start (3-4-1) since Dubas took over as general manager. 
 
"We've generally always started well," he said. "This isn't the start we envisioned. My hope is that we are able to use this to go through and endure some difficulty and some question marks and some criticism and learn how to deal with it well to propel us forward.
 
"Detroit is coming in tomorrow night. They are playing well. They got off to a good start (4-2-1). We know that they are going to work. They are a young team aspiring to continue to grow within our division. We have to come out and match that. Otherwise, we are going to have a tough night. It is on us to come out tomorrow night and show what we are made of and build off of the comeback on [Wednesday in Chicago, 3-2 OT win over the Blackhawks] and start to stack wins together."
 
Mitch Marner only has two assists so far, but appeared to turn a corner in Wednesday's win. 
 
"As the game went on in Chicago, you saw him more in motion with the puck," Dubas observed. "He looked like his usual self. He was having fun and building momentum ... When he is not producing, which is not very often in his time with us, he still brings a lot on the penalty kill and just his overall energy and the way that he plays. I never worry about the production coming back with Mitch. It was great to see him look like he was having fun and playing free on Wednesday in Chicago. We look forward to watching him tomorrow night. When he is at his best, he is one of the most fun players to watch in the league."

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Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes and staring down the prospect of a fifth straight loss, things got emotional in the dressing room on Wednesday night in Chicago. 
 
"A couple guys stepped up and kind of got us, quite frankly, pissed off," said goalie Jack Campbell. 
 
The message? 
 
"Time to wake up," said William Nylander, who eventually scored the overtime winner. "Enough, like, feeling sorry for ourselves. Nobody's going to get us out of this. It's only the guys in the locker room. We're not playing to where we can play. That's what was being said."
 
Gritty winger Wayne Simmonds was among the louder voices. 
 
"Simmer was kind of the one who set the tone for us there," said Tavares said. "He's been through a lot. He's seen a lot ... You never have to question his commitment, his desire, the competitive nature to him and what he brings to the table. Tremendous amount of respect for him as a person and a player and the type of game he plays."
 
"When he speaks up, guys listen," echoed Auston Matthews. "That gave us a little kick in the ass."

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At one point during Wednesday's game, a frustrated Matthews barked at a teammate on the bench. 
 
"We're going to hold each other accountable," the 24-year-old centre said. "We all love each other, but sometimes we got to yell at one another and hash some things out so that's perfectly fine with all of us. You say what you need to say and you move on and keep playing." 

Matthews appeared to have an edge to him all night. The Lady Byng Trophy finalist even picked up his first penalty of the season, a cross-checking call at the end of the second period. 
 
"Saw lots of urgency," said Keefe. "A guy that was showing just how badly he wants to win, how badly he wants his team to do well. We want him to be a guy that leads by example in the effort and determination that he plays with, but also in how hard he competes and how [much] he wants it."
 
Matthews assisted on Nylander's winning goal and stared down a Chicago fan during the celebration afterwards. 
 
"That guy was in our kitchen a little bit and we were just having some fun," Matthews said. "I was just happy we got the win and that extra point just felt really, really good, like, a big sigh of relief for us."

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Petr Mrazek is ready to return from a groin injury and will get the start on Saturday against the Red Wings as the Leafs open up a five-game homestand.
 
Lines at Friday's practice: 
 
Bunting - Matthews - Nylander 
Kerfoot - Tavares - Marner 
Engvall - Kampf - Kase 
Ritchie - Spezza - Simmonds 
Amadio
 
Rielly - Dermott 
Muzzin - Brodie 
Sandin - Liljegren
Holl
 
Mrazek 
Campbell 
Hutchinson