It is mid-January and the Toronto Maple Leafs are leveling off after winning 15 of 20 games under new head coach Sheldon Keefe. Defenceman Tyson Barrie, 28, is one of the players who has benefitted the most from Keefe’s new possession-heavy system and as a result, his outlook on life in Toronto has changed.



As the Leafs travelled through Florida before returning to Toronto, The Athletic was granted an up-close look from Jan. 10-16 into the life of one of their most important defencemen.



Friday, January 10



It is an overcast morning in Toronto as Auston Matthews drives west out of Toronto’s downtown core with Tyson Barrie in the passenger seat. The Maple Leafs team charter is waiting to depart at 11 a.m. and head south to sunnier skies. The Leafs are playing the Florida Panthers on Sunday evening, but the opportunity to spend a few extra hours in the sun on an off day has the players in high spirits.



On the flight, Barrie sits beside...