The Leafs appear to have settled on their top 6 defenders for the playoffs
The Leafs were back at practice on Thursday and while there's still a few days before the start of the postseason, the Leafs appear to have nailed down their top-6 defense pairings. Unfortunately for Rasmus Sandin, since suffering a knee injury that's sidelined him for over a month, he's not going to be among them. Neither is Justin Holl.
During line rushes on Thursday, Sheldon Keefe seemed to be rolling with Morgan Rielly - Ilya Lyubushkin as the team's top pair, Jake Muzzin and T.J. Brodie as the second pair and Mark Giordano and Timothy Liljegren rounding out the third pair. Sandin and Holl skated as the team's extras.
Obviously, having 8 NHL defenseman is going to be huge for the Leafs if they can make it out of the first round and go on a lengthy run, but for the time being, Sandin and Holl must not be feeling too great about having to sit in the press box for the games that really matter.
That said, Sheldon Keefe has shown this season that he's not afraid to mix it up and change guys in and out of the lineup for matchup purposes, so there is still a chance we could see one or both of Sandin and Holl in the first round.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 28 | 321 ANSWERS The Leafs appear to have settled on their top 6 defenders for the playoffs Should the Leafs roll with the top six for as long as possible or move guys in and out of the lineup every few games? | ||
| Keep the optimal pairings | 234 | 72.9 % |
| Move guys in and out to keep them fresh | 87 | 27.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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