Squaring off with nearly identical records entering Wednesday’s contest, the Toronto Maple Leafs were presented with a key opportunity to get out of a rut against a quality Minnesota Wild team, with a four-game road trip on the horizon before the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Leafs answered our poll. In part 1, we reveal the teammates most Leafs would like to be stuck with in an elevator, and more.

Crag Berube was forced to shuffle the Leafs' lines at practice ahead of Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Wild with the imminent return of Max Pacioretty.

Asked about the state of extension talks with not only Marner but John Tavares and pending RFA Matthew Knies earlier this month, Leafs GM Brad Treliving said, “Those are things that we always are looking at and talking about and rumbling around, but nothing to report right now.”

The Maple Leafs’ annual outdoor practice — which took place is Shanahan’s old stomping grounds — provided a chance to fans to get close to their heroes and a nice break from a relentless practice-game-fly schedule.

Why UFA Mathieu Olivier loves Columbus | Jon Cooper keeps superstars accountable | The Capitals’ big advantage + 7 more NHL

It’s often been said that the Toronto Maple Leafs are the passion that unites us all, and that’s starkly evident on an unseasonably warm Monday in January, ahead of the team’s annual outdoor practice.

“It can be the most random time in the summer and no matter what, you’ll see 'RR' pop up on your phone,” Nick Robertson said. Every group chat needs an instigator; someone to keep the dialogue alive during low points. On and off the ice, Reaves fills that role.

You can look to John Tavares and Matthew Knies’ imminent returns and hope they can spark the lineup, but this is still a team with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner. Offence should not be this difficult and they have the raw talent to at least make games interesting. Tonight was far from it.

The Toronto Maple Leafs took to Prince of Wales Rink in Etobicoke on Monday, with hundreds of fans coming out to check things out in person. The event was free to the public, with most of Toronto’s main roster hitting the ice for about 45 minutes.

The Ottawa Senators are hosting the “battle of Ontario” for the only team of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans travel to the nation’s capitol to see the second meeting of the Ontario teams this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikita Grebenkin has been called up from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, while Connor Dewar has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 20, the team confirmed Saturday.