Leafs announce a pair of roster changes ahead of matchup against a banged-up Canadiens team
The Leafs are in Montreal tonight to square off against the Canadiens in what should still be a highly competitive matchup, since the Habs seemingly always love to play spoiler against the Buds.
Ahead of the Hockey Night in Canada primetime matchup, the Leafs have announced a pair of roster moves, which should peak the interest of Leafs Nation, starting with a move on the blueline that will see one of the team's most productive defenders re-inserted into the lineup. Conor Timmins, who leads all Leafs blueliners in points per game with 11 points in 15 games, will draw in, with veteran Jordie Benn coming out.
Timmins coming in for Benn could be a solid decision for the Leafs, as it adds a bit more skill to the lineup from the back end. Timmins is without a doubt the better puck-mover and point producer.
In what should be a very popular move for Leaf fans, Wayne Simmonds will draw back into the lineup for what will be just his 11th game of the season. Simmonds is expected to skate in Dryden Hunt's spot on the 4th line. Hunt will come out of the lineup after seeing just 5:45 of ice time on Jan 17th against Florida and 6:32 on Thursday against Winnipeg.
The Habs and Leafs always seem to get a little bit more physical with one another, so I can certainly see the merit in wanting to dress Simmonds from Sheldon Keefe's perspective. Having Simmonds in the lineup may be a bit of a deterrent for guys like Josh Anderson and Arber Xhekaj, who may otherwise want to try to take a run at one of the Leafs' star players like Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 21 | 239 ANSWERS Leafs announce a pair of roster changes ahead of matchup against a banged-up Canadiens team Will Wayne Simmonds drop the gloves with Arber Xhekaj tonight? | ||
| Yes | 156 | 65.3 % |
| No | 83 | 34.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
