Marner moving toward elite group of Maple Leafs

Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas at season’s end to negotiate a new contract.

Marner is on pace for exactly 100 points. We’re going to go out on a relatively safe limb and say he joins Sittler and Gilmour in that exclusive club.

RIELLY’S RISE

No one has had the view of Morgan Rielly’s ascension to becoming one of the elite defencemen in the NHL like Hainsey, considering the two usually are joined at the hip when the opponents’ best players are on the ice.

Where has Hainsey seen the biggest improvements in 2018-19 as Rielly has skated into the Norris Trophy conversation?

“It’s all aspects of the game,” Hainsey said. “I wouldn’t want to whittle it down to just one because it isn’t just one.

“His offensive play has continued to grow. It’s obvious by his numbers, the way he involves himself with the forwards in the play, either on the rush or in the offensive zone, has continued to improve and you have seen the results.

“Defensively, he has been part of the penalty kill all year, which has been a big thing for him. Defending the rush, being better in the neutral zone, all those things, there is not just one thing. It’s a bunch of stuff.”

Rielly has 64 points (17 goals and 47 assists) in 67 games, leading NHL defencemen in goals and in even-strength points with 47.

Hainsey, whose mark of plus-37 leads the NHL (Rielly was tied for second at plus-31), stressed that he and his partner aren’t getting complacent.

“Always stuff to work on,” Hainsey said. “You never play a game where you get through it and say ‘Oh man, that was great all the way through.’”

LOOSE LEAFS

The Leafs had Thursday off in rainy, cool Vancouver. The team is scheduled to practise at noon local time on Friday at Rogers Arena before travelling to Edmonton to face Connor Mcdavid and the Oilers. The Leafs are 7-3-0 in their past 10 visits to Edmonton … The loss to the Canucks dropped the Leafs to 1-8-2 in their past 11 visits … When Josh Leivo scored in the third period, he became the first ex-leaf to score against Toronto in his first regular-season game against the club since John-michael Liles, playing for the Carolina Hurricanes, did it in January 2014 … The Leafs on Thursday announced the signing of defenceman Mac Hollowell to a three-year future entry-level contract. Hollowell, a fourth-round pick last year by the Leafs from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, leads Ontario Hockey League defencemen in scoring with 72 points in 59 games.