With the NHL trade deadline right around the corner, there has been plenty of speculation as to whom the Maple Leafs might try to move as they look to shore up draft picks and talent. Obviously, Morgan Rielly won’t be going anywhere.

Head coach Mike Babcock was singing the young defenceman’s praises after Toronto’s game-day skate on Thursday.

“He’s one of those guys you like to have on your team and he’s going to be a big part of the future of our club,” Babcock said.

Rielly has seen an increase in both ice time and responsibility this season and has done well matching up against other teams’ top players while pairing with Matt Hunwick on Toronto’s top defensive unit. But that isn’t to say there isn’t room for improvement.

“He’s a great skater, he’s a great competitor, he’s still got to improve a lot in the D-zone,” Babcock said. “But he’s getting better, he’s shutting down more plays. At the same time, we have to get him to be better offensively, when to go when not to go. Make sure you know where to go with the puck before you get it. All those things.”

THE F-DOT

The Leafs were well aware that they were playing the NHL’s best faceoff team in Carolina last night. Tyler Bozak, who was firing at a team-best 56.43% success rate heading into the game, said it’s something Toronto was preparing for.

“We watched some tape this morning,” Bozak said. “Obviously, I know (Jay) McClement from playing with him (on the Leafs). I’ll probably take some with him when he’s on the penalty kill.

“They’re veteran guys, they’ve been around a long time. They know what works and what doesn’t,” Bozak said of the Canes’ faceoff men. “You get some younger guys and they kind of have one move that they do and once you figure it out, you kind of have them. But when you’re playing against guys like Jay and the Staal brothers, they have a bunch of different things they can throw at you and figure you out pretty quick so you have to be on your toes.”

McClement had a 55.17% success rate heading into last night, while Jordan Staal was a team-best 58.27% and older brother Eric was 56.02%

BOYES OF WINTER

You would figure that with him being a winger and all, Brad Boyes, who was playing in his 800th NHL game on Thursday night, would have pretended to be his favourite forward while playing road hockey as a kid. But not so.

“I was always in net, my brother always put me in net,” Boyes said. “When (Felix) Potvin came in and had the paddle down, that was kind of the move I’d try to simulate. I didn’t have that much choice, unless I was by myself because I was the younger brother.”

Even though it was a long time ago, Boyes still remembers his first game, which came with San Jose, not the Leafs who drafted him 24th overall in 2000.

“I was minus-2 on the first two shifts and I was thinking on the bench, ‘it can’t get worse, so just go out and play,’” Boyes said.

When asked if, at that moment, he thought he would ever play 800 games, Boyes replied: “I was more worried about game No. 2.”

IS CHALLENGE OFFSIDE?

Babcock has been pretty successful with the coach’s challenge this season but the Leafs lost out on one in Philly on Tuesday night when a Peter Holland marker in the second period was called back when Boyes was deemed to be offside.

Babcock seems to be neither here nor there about the rule.

“I don’t have a bunch of feelings about (the rule). It was just something put in, so we try to take advantage of it,” he said. “This would be my question: The last three games, the other teams had two goals called back for offside and we had one called back for offside. If all three of those goals had of counted would it had made any difference in the game? I mean, it might have in the score. So I don’t know if it made it better or worse or different.”

OFF-SEASON BUDS

With Cam Ward sidelined indefinitely due to a concussion, Eddie Lack was going to be seeing more time in the Hurricanes net.

Lack, who was bringing in a .891 save percentage and a 2.97 goals-against average into Thursday’s game, has practiced a bit in the summer with Leafs goaltender James Reimer.

“He’s a great guy, a great goalie,” Lack said, adding that the two keep in touch during the season. “It’s fun seeing him succeed.”

Lack said the two work out together in Kelowna, B.C., with puck-tracking guru Lyle Mast.

LOOSE LEAFS

Reimer on fellow Manitoban and goaltending great Turk Broda, who along with Tim Horton and Dave Keon is getting a statue on Legends Row: “He’s a legend, a legend in the league, not just in this franchise. It’s great to see people honoured and the great players that have played for this team.” … Babcock joking about Horton being honoured: “Most of us celebrate Tim Horton every day (by drinking the coffee) … Babcock on Shawn Matthias. “Matty just has to be Matty. Play a real simple game, be real heavy on the puck down low and don’t get doing too much. Just do what you do and do it really well” … Captain Dion Phaneuf needs just five games to reach 800 for his NHL career; winger Joffrey Lupul needs five for 700.