Sheldon Keefe appears to be fed up with Justin Holl
The Leafs made a trade on Saturday evening that sent Nick Ritchie and a conditional pick (3rd in 2023 or 2nd in 2025, Arizona's choice) to the desert for defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and (currently on waivers) Ryan Dzingel.
In one trade, Dubas managed to improve the right side of the Leafs D corps while clearing cap space for this season and next. A tidy piece of work if I do say so myself. Now that it seems at least some of the Leafs defensive issues have been addressed, the focus shifts to the left side.
Sheldon Keefe was asked after practice today what can be done to keep Jake Muzzin from taking on too much responsibility. Muzzin has struggled with injury this season and his play has certainly suffered for it. Keefe made it clear that he doesn't think Muzzin is the issue, when presented with the question of how to take the weight off, he answered «improve the team around him.»
It's a short, blunt answer, but it's a telling one. Improving the team around Muzzin certainly starts with the person beside him. Justin Holl has had a rough season to say the least, winding up on the wrong end of the highlight reel entirely too often. If the Leafs want to make life easier for Jake Muzzin, setting him up with a better D partner is the first step. With Keefe's comment, without mentioning him by name he's pointed the finger directly at Holl.
Enter Ilya Lyubushkin, nicknamed «The Russian Bear». He's big, mean, clears the net front and throws some pretty monstrous hits. He may not be a sexy name like Josh Manson, but for what the Leafs need, he's an excellent addition. I expect to see him playing on the Leafs' second pair when he arrives from Arizona - even if he starts his tenure in Toronto on the third pairing, just to get his feet wet.
This leaves the Leafs with 8 NHL defenders. One of Holl, Travis Dermott or Timothy Liljegren will and up either on waivers, traded or, in Liljegren's case sent directly down - that much is clear.
Liljegren has proven himself as an NHL defenceman this year. He's earned a spot on the roster, so that leaves Dermott or Holl to move. Based on Keefe's comments today, I expect it will be Holl that is moved and his departure will clear more cap space. Dermott's ability to play the left or right side make, combined with his lower cap hit him the more valuable player for the Leafs. Of course if there's one thing we've gotten used to over the last few seasons, it's surprises from Kyle Dubas. After this trade, I'm very interested to see his next move.
