Maple Leafs Make Roster Adjustments Ahead of Matchup Against Utah

Expected to come out of the trade deadline with a revamped lineup and the need to get things kickstarted again, the Maple Leafs ended up getting thrashed 7-4 by a Colorado Avalanche who ran roughshod over the Buds all night.

So heading into their first ever match against the middling Utah Hockey Club, the team is riding a tough three game losing skid, and are hoping to stop the bleeding before it gets worse.

Craig Berube decided that a change to the lineup was necessary, and it's a pretty significant one too.

Berube switched his second and third line wingers as Bobby McMann gets a promotion to play alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, meanwhile Pontus Holmberg heads to the third with newcomer Scott Laughton and Max Domi as Calle Jarnkrok sits again.

McMann also earned himself a spot on the second PP unit, as the big-bodied power forward found a role as the net-front presence used for screens and tipped shots.

McMann has 17 goals and 11 assists in 55 games, but has also added a plus-5 and 90 hits in 14:36 TOI; three minutes more than he played last season, showing how quickly he's gained the trust of his head coach.

Something needed to change over the last few games, and while Holmberg did find a small offensive spurt at first with Tavares and Nylander, the consistency isn't there and the more offensively gifted Bobby McMann deserves a more prominent role.

Jarnkrok being out yet again is a little bit of a concerning issue as he just made his return and it was assumed that Craig Berube would sit either Nicholas Robertson or potentially Max Domi to give them a break, but that hasn't been the case.

While it's no guarantee that the new lineup will bring success, it's worth giving McMann a shot knowing how inconsistent Holmberg is (regardless of his ability to draw penalties), and he's earned the right to showcase his skills more.

Toronto will take on the Utah Hockey Club for the first time in franchise history as they head to Salt Lake City and the Delta Center on Monday night; the puck is scheduled to drop at 10PM ET.