Leafs still in a bit of a holding pattern with newly acquired defenseman
The Leafs acquired Conor Timmins last week from Arizona in exchange for Curtis Douglas to add more depth to their depleted defense corps. Without the likes of Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, TJ Brodie and Jordie Benn, the Leafs have been forced to play Justin Holl, Mark Giordano, Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren much more than they are used to. At 6'2 and 205 pounds, Timmins adds some needed size to the Leafs' backend after losing Muzzin, Brodie and Benn. However, after taking line rushes on the bottom pairing with Victor Mete yesterday, Timmins remained on the ice at the morning skate today after the rest of the team had departed. When a player stays out late, that usually means he is a scratch for the upcoming game.
With Timmins being a scratch again tonight, that means Mac Hollowell will remain in the lineup as the Leafs look to win their fifth straight. Timmins will make his debut sooner rather than later, but the Leafs want to make sure he is up to speed. In a week of practice though, Sheldon Keefe has been impressed with what Timmins has displayed.
"The puck comes off of his stick really nice, whether it is making a pass or shooting it on the net. There are some real good offensive tendencies there. He is a smart player," said Keefe of what he has noticed about Timmins in practice. Given Mete's ability to play both sides, when Keefe feels Timmins is ready to make his Leaf debut, it will likely be Hollowell that comes out of the lineup.
| POLL | ||
30 NOVEMBRE | 129 ANSWERS Leafs still in a bit of a holding pattern with newly acquired defenseman Will we see Timmins make his debut before the end of the week? | ||
| Yes | 94 | 72.9 % |
| No | 35 | 27.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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