Colin Greening’s time in Toronto will begin as a member of the Maple Leafs rather than their American Hockey League affiliate down the street.

The 29-year-old winger is expected to practice with the NHL team in Edmonton on Wednesday afternoon after being acquired from Ottawa in the nine-player Dion Phaneuf blockbuster.

Greening has 256 games of NHL experience under his belt, but not much of it has come lately. He skated in just one game with the Senators this season and 26 a year ago.

Instead he’s spent virtually all of the season with AHL Binghamton, scoring seven goals and 13 points in 41 games. It’s certainly not how he envisioned things going when he signed a $7.95-million, three-year extension with Ottawa in 2013 or even as recently as training camp, when Greening spoke of “an opportunity for me to kind of change the narrative of the story.”

On a rebuilding Leafs team he might finally get that chance.

Toronto is currently making its way through Western Canada down three forwards – Joffrey Lupul was placed on injured reserve Monday, while Tyler Bozak and Shawn Matthias also stayed home – and didn’t have any extra players at the position for Tuesday’s 4-3 loss in Calgary.

Greening joins the Leafs along with defenceman Jared Cowen. Tobias Lindberg, the prospect acquired from Ottawa in Tuesday’s trade, is skating with the Marlies.