Analyst reveals that a young Leafs blueliner has solidified his spot on the team this year and in the future
The Leafs have had a lot of bodies coming in and out of the lineup this season and a lot of players who have come in and exceeded expectations. Mac Hollowell is one, Erik Kallgren is one and although he didn't start the season in Toronto, I think you can certainly argue that Conor Timmins is one. Having come in and recorded 10 points in 12 games, Timmins has undoubtedly earned a roster spot with the team, and TSN's Mike Johnson had quite a bit to say about Timmins on Monday after yet another outstanding performance on Sunday night in Philly, with the former 2nd round pick scoring his first career NHL goal and adding an assist to help propel his team to a 6-2 victory over the Flyers.
Johnson joined Julia Tocheri and "Al's Brother", Mike Distefano, on Leafs Lunch on Monday, where he really sung the praises of Timmins, pointing out that he may have, in fact, leapfrogged veteran Jordie Benn and secured a roster spot in Toronto going forward, albeit as the team's 7th defenseman.
"I think he's probably played himself into the 7th D spot, ahead of Jordie Benn. I think their top six is their top six - it's gonna be Brodie and Rielly, Giordano and Holl, and Liljegren and Sandin - that's established... I don't think he makes it through waivers again. He would absolutely get claimed, so you can't really send him to the minors, which is good for Conor Timmins. He's a right shot, which we know they need and the one thing he's really good at and has shown an ability to do right away is pass the puck - and if you play for Toronto, the primary thing, besides defending for a defenseman to be good at is passing the puck. He's got a real nice feel for that kind of stuff. I'm impressed and I think the Leafs have been impressed.
"He's fast tracked [improving his game] to a large degree, so I don't think he's going anywhere now and he'll be a part of their plans for the rest of the year and he'll be a part of their plans going into the future."
-Mike Johnson on the emergence of Conor Timmins as a viable roster player for the Leafs
"He's fast tracked [improving his game] to a large degree, so I don't think he's going anywhere now and he'll be a part of their plans for the rest of the year and he'll be a part of their plans going into the future."
-Mike Johnson on the emergence of Conor Timmins as a viable roster player for the Leafs
The Leafs having too many NHL-caliber defensemen is actually a great problem to have - especially come playoff time, when injuries increase in frequency and guys are playing through injuries and need to slide in and out of the lineup for maintenance days. Timmins has also had a great attitude about staying ready and maintaining his focus, even when he's not in the lineup, so that when he does come in, he can be effective and help his team win. We've seen it on a number of occasions so far, and we're like to see it again going forward.
With several of the Leafs' blueliners coming up on their contract end dates either this summer or next, we could see Timmins, as Johnson mentioned, beginning to carve out a larger role with the team in the future. He's certainly earning it with the way he's playing this season.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 9 | 615 ANSWERS Analyst reveals that a young Leafs blueliner has solidified his spot on the team this year and in the future Has Conor Timmins earned a roster spot with the team for the remainder of this year and next? | ||
| Yes, he's been great | 433 | 70.4 % |
| Maybe, but nothing is guaranteed in this league | 158 | 25.7 % |
| No, he's just another replacement level player | 24 | 3.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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