The Toronto Maple Leafs are not having much luck with their defense.
The Toronto Maple Leafs blue-line is beset with injuries. Conor Timmins, Jake McCabe, and Timothy Liljegren are all injured, with no specific return date. It sounds like Timmins and McCabe could be getting close while Liljegren will be out for a while.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said during the off-season that he would “overhaul the defense.” Adding John Klingberg doesn’t count as an overhaul, and he hasn’t been a good enough addition.
Eventually, an elite number-one to push everyone on the depth chart down a notch is going to be needed if the team wants to win the Stanley Cup, while a stay-at-home style defenseman with size who won’t get pushed around would be the best realistic option for right now.