Muzzin practiced with the Maple Leafs for the first time Thursday and while he was paired with Morgan Rielly on the top pairing, coach Mike Babcock intends to start him on the left side for now, reports Mark Masters of TSN.ca.

EDGE Analysis

This is a bit of a surprise, as speculation about a right-side deployment with Rielly has been the talk of the NHL since the deal went down. It may eventually come, but for now the Toronto blue line appears to be in major flux. The Leafs did experiment with Muzzin as a second defender on the power play, but even that remains up in the air. Muzzin is a beast five-on-five and brings 40-point ability, but we need to see what Babs decides once his new defender gets comfortable. Muzzin starts his career in blue and white Friday against Detroit.