The Toronto Maple Leafs have shaken up their top six with Ryan O’Reilly now on the team.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe had the 2019 Selke Trophy-winning centre lined up between captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner to form a new-look line for their game against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
The line started the game, allowing Leafs fans to give a big ovation to O’Reilly during introductions.
O’Reilly, 32, had served at the St. Louis Blues’ top-line centre prior to the trade on Friday, while speculation surrounding the Maple Leafs pointed towards a potential role as a top-6 winger, or as the third line centre behind Auston Matthews and Tavares.
Noel Acciari, also acquired in the trade, slotted into the Maple Leafs lineup as their fourth-line centre. He replaces a rotating cast of players that have filled into that spot for Keefe throughout the season, most recently by Pontus Holmberg, who was returned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Saturday morning.
Keefe said during morning skate he plans to experiment with his two new acquisitions at both centre and wing.
In 40 games withthe Blues this season, O’Reilly has 12 goals and seven assists, having missed time earlier this year with a broken foot. Acciiari, 31, has 10 goals and eight assists in 54 games.