Morgan Rielly's third-pair role at Leafs camp adds fuel to trade speculation

Friday brought Morgan Rielly back to camp after an illness, but his placement on the third pairing has started to fuel trade rumours once again.

Thursday was the opening of the on-ice portion for the Toronto Maple Leafs' training camp and while stories like Gavin McKenna's role and how Auston Matthews looks were dominating the headlines, there was one key absence from the first day of festivities.

Morgan Rielly was not seen skating with the main group on Thursday as he dealt with a viral infection, though GM John Chayka believes he is going to be ready for the start of the season. It's a bad sign that the injury bug is already hitting Toronto, and with Rielly looking to bounce back, it's a rough start to say the least.

Morgan Rielly in unfamiliar territory as Toronto's third-pairing defender

Though that's not the only thing concerning Rielly that has people talking. On Friday it was noticed that Rielly ended up pairing with Emil Andrae on the third blueline group, but also strikingly, he did so while on the right-hand side:

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This is certainly new territory for Rielly, who is often see as the number one option as well as playing on his more dominant left side. Granted, this is Rielly's first day bucket camp so no doubt Jim Hiller is trying to ease him back in, however it's still quite the odd look.

It's interesting to note that while it was assumed Oliver Ekman-Larsson was just a placeholder for Rielly on Thursday, he once again lined up alongside Darren Raddysh, which could be a sign of what to expect some the start of the regular season.

Rielly's new role already has people wondering about a trade

But it certainly doesn't bode well for Rielly if he wanted to quiet down any trade rumours, as fans were quick to jump back on that bandwagon given his third pairing role:

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Obviously this doesn't mean there is any fuel to that fire, but it is interesting to note just how quickly things can flip-flop in Toronto. First we heard Rielly might be dealt, then not. Then came his preferred trade list and a looming deal, but here he is at camp. We don't have any idea one way or another if Rielly is going to be traded, though it won't stop everyone from speculating.

For Rielly though, he needs to show why he's managed 549 points in nearly 1,000 NHL games. After two seasons where his offence dropped off considerably, this is the perfect chance for him to take a backseat and face better matchups, and allow him to thrive and get his confidence back.

If he can manage to showcase some of the old Rielly we've seen previously, then perhaps the trade discussion will die out once and for all. He's already the longest-tenured Maple Leaf, and if he plays well enough - he could see his entire career out in Toronto.

But for now, he's got a lot to work his way back from and it all starts on the third pair.

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