The Leafs' defense will be improved this season and the reason is actually quite simple
In a deadline deal to shore up the blueline depth, Kyle Dubas traded two second round picks and a third round pick to Seattle for Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell. Blackwell was essentially a "throw in" in the trade, but provided the Leafs with an energetic penalty killer that could play third and fourth line minutes. The real prize for the Leafs was Giordano who immediately made an impact on the Leafs' blueline.
Adding Giordano pushed Justin Holl to the press box and an injury to Rasmus Sandin vaulted Timothy Liljegren into full-time status. Giordano was paired with Liljegren for most of his time with the Leafs last season, playing 180 minutes in all situations with the youngster. He provided a calming and defensively responsible presence next to Liljegren which allowed Liljegren to play the best hockey of his young career.
In their time together, Giordano and Liljegren ranked first in expected goals against and third in expected goals per 60 minutes. They obviously weren't offensive juggernauts and didn't play against top lines most of the time, but they were a very effective third pair that Keefe was able to trust 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. Given how well they played together since Giordano's arrival, expect Keefe to keep them together to at least begin the season, thanks to Giordano signing a 2-year, $1.6M extension earlier this summer.
Not only did Giordano help Liljegren play some of his best hockey, but he also provided a calming presence in the Leaf room. After acquiring Giordano, the Leafs went 15-3-2 to close out the regular season and are 18-6-2 with him in the lineup including the playoffs. Although Giordano creates a log jam on the left side and makes fitting Sandin into the lineup more difficult, Giordano is too valuable to take out of the lineup.
If the Leafs want to see Liljegren develop further and take another step towards reaching his potential, continuing to play with Giordano is their best bet. What that means for Sandin is still unknown as he remains unsigned, but the Leafs also need to clear cap room to sign him. Dubas has also stated that he prefers Sandin on the left side, for what that's worth.
Is the plan to shift one of Jake Muzzin or Mark Giordano over to the right? We don't have to wait long now to get a clearer picture, as we are just over a month away from training camp. What we do know is that the Leafs' defense is better with a full season of Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano on the team.
*stats courtesy of moneypuck.com and statmuse.com*
| POLL | ||
AOUT 11 | 540 ANSWERS The Leafs' defense will be improved this season and the reason is actually quite simple Who is Giordano's most likely partner to start the season? | ||
| Liljegren | 347 | 64.3 % |
| Holl | 30 | 5.6 % |
| Brodie | 87 | 16.1 % |
| Sandin | 76 | 14.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
