Are Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren trending towards being top pair defensemen for the Leafs?
Without Jake Muzzin, TJ Brodie and Morgan Rielly in the lineup, Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin were thrust into the Leafs' top 4. Not only were they given the opportunity and responsibility of playing tougher minutes at 5-on-5, but they were also inserted on special teams as well.
Many had been wondering if Sandin and Liljegren were defensemen that the Leafs could build around given that the rest of their blueline (before the addition of Conor Timmins) is over 30. So far, they have excelled with more responsibility and pressure. Their best game of the season came the other night against Dallas which included just under 2 minutes straight of killing a 5-on-3 PP from the Stars at the end of the second period.
Following that game, Keefe had tremendous praise for the young Swedes, saying, "those guys had an incredible game... Those two young guys took on a lot...and they were really, really good. I think you learned a lot about their character. The team needs them to step up in a big way, and they've done exactly that."
The injuries on the blueline have given the Leafs and Sandin and Liljegren exactly what they needed. From the Leafs' perspective, they needed to see what they had in the two Swedes. For Sandin and Liljegren, they needed to prove that they have taken steps in their development, which is safe to say they have. There is no way that they should be separated when the blueline is healthy again as they have grown together and seem to excel together at both the AHL and NHL levels. They have developed some excellent chemistry together and the Leafs could be looking at the future top pair within the organization. A quick glance at the player cards below would indicate that they're ready for more responsibility. They're receiving that now and they don't look out of place. Quite the contrary, they seem to be thriving.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 9 | 208 ANSWERS Are Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren trending towards being top pair defensemen for the Leafs? Are Liljegren and Sandin ready for more responsibility with the Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 196 | 94.2 % |
| No | 12 | 5.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
