Maple Leafs defenceman Frank Corrado knows his current position with the Maple Leafs isn’t optimal. But getting into a pair of games with the Toronto Marlies, the team’s AHL affiliate, has done a lot to fulfill his appetite to play.



“It felt like I was serving a purpose again,” Corrado said on Friday. “Like I was doing my job and playing on a hockey team.”



With the club as part of a two-week conditioning stint, Corrado made his Marlies season debut earlier this week when he suited up as a top-paring defenceman in back-to-back games against the Manitoba Moose. So far, he hasn’t shown any signs of rust.



“I’ve seen a lot of growth in his game,” Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe said. “It’s a credit to him given the work he’s continued to put in, despite not playing, and also to the credit to the Leafs coaches and training camp that continue to work with him to improve his...