Leafs' defensive depth being tested yet again; thankfully, they've answered the call all season long
The Leafs put together probably the most complete 60-minute effort of the season in last night's 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, but unfortunately for the Buds, they did not come away from this one completely unscathed as they lost 22-year-old Rasmus Sandin to an unfortunate neck injury.
Sheldon Keefe revealed following last night's huge win that Sandin being pulled from the game was purely a precautionary move. However, when the Leafs took to the ice for practice on Wednesday, Sandin was nowhere in sight.
The Buds have had horrendous injury luck this season, having started the year without Timothy Liljegren (sports hernia surgery) and then fighting through injuries to Jake Muzzin (cervical spine injury), T.J. Brodie (oblique), Morgan Rielly (MCL/knee), Carl Dahlstrom (shoulder), Jordie Benn (groin, shoulder), Victor Mete (lower body) and now Sandin (neck).
There's no question that the Leafs' depth on the blueline has been tested this season. They have used a dozen different defensemen at various points this season and, surprisingly, have really embraced that "next man up" mentality. Just how good have they been? Well, they're among the top teams in the league in several defensive metrics and goaltending metrics. They also currently sit deadlocked with the Carolina Hurricanes for 2nd in the NHL's overall standings with 46 points, trailing only the Boston Bruins (52).
Now, with Sandin sidelined until presumably after the holiday break, Jordie Benn skated in Sandin's spot alongside 23-year-old Timothy Liljegren. Benn, 35, really stood out for the Leafs in his limited run with the team in between injuries, often slotting in with Morgan Rielly on the team's top pair after Brodie had gone down with his oblique injury. For someone like Benn to have come in and played as well as he did in that role, it was pretty impressive and absolutely invaluable to the Leafs, who were in direct need of the kind of leadership and gutsy play that Benn was able to provide in that role, despite not really being a top-pairing caliber player in his career prior.
Really, when your team calls on you to step up your game and fill a role that you may not be used to filling, all you can really do is give it your best. Not only did Benn do that, but he probably exceeded all expectations thrust upon him in that role. I suspect we'll see the same from him while playing alongside Liljegren.
Hopefully Sandin is dealing with something minor and will be fine following the Christmas break, but in the event that he does miss some additional time, the Buds are in fine shape, thanks to their tremendous depth at the position and that aforementioned "next man up" mentality.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 21 | 190 ANSWERS Leafs' defensive depth being tested yet again; thankfully, they've answered the call all season long How would you rate Jordie Benn's play with the Leafs this season? | ||
| A | 52 | 27.4 % |
| B | 103 | 54.2 % |
| C | 30 | 15.8 % |
| D or lower | 5 | 2.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
