The Maple Leafs will acquire defenseman Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes, according to multiple reports. The deal is still pending league approval, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Here’s what you need to know.
The 24-year-old Timmins was the 32nd pick in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. He has seven points in 41 career NHL games and is a right-shot blueliner. He has 34 points in 52 AHL games.
In order to acquire Timmins, Toronto dealt 6-foot-9 center Curtis Douglas. The 22-year-old Douglas has one assist in 13 AHL games this season.
The Maple Leafs are struggling with injuries to their defense. Morgan Rielly has been placed on long-term injured reserve with a knee injury, the team announced Tuesday morning.
The team is already without defenseman Jake Muzzin, who is out indefinitely with a cervical spine injury, and fellow blueliner T.J. Brodie, who was placed on injured reserve last week with an oblique injury.
Still pending official NHL trade call but it will be one for one.
As @CraigSMorgan mentions, Coyotes feared losing Timmins for nothing on waivers so found a trade partner in Toronto https://t.co/sV9Ugeu8kk — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) November 23, 2022
Why did the Maple Leafs acquire Timmins?
The Leafs are missing their No. 1. 2, and 3 defencemen at the moment. One of those guys — Muzzin — may not return at all this season. Rielly could miss the next month. Brodie is progressing back slowly from an oblique injury.
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Timmins is helpful depth amid all of that. Right now, because of the injuries, the Leafs are using Mac Hollowell as their No. 6 defenceman. He’ll play his first NHL game on Wednesday night. One more injury and the Leafs might have had Hollowell, Victor Mete, and Jordie Benn all in their lineup at once. More support — with some upside — for that lot make sense.
What are the Maple Leafs getting in Timmins?
Timmins has been injured often and missed a lot of hockey the past few years. In his earlier years he showed as a very intelligent defenseman who could move pucks at a high level and was trending to being a second- or third-pair defenseman. His skating was his main issue historically.
Now after years of inactivity, his projection is less clear. He can be an NHL defenseman for Toronto, but it’s hard to tell if he will be a good one.
What potential has Timmins showed in the NHL?
Timmins was a promising prospect for Colorado but struggled with injuries. He ended up playing postseason games for the Avalanche, including all 10 in 2021.
The team moved him that summer in the deal for Darcy Kuemper, but Timmins’ bad luck with injuries continued in Arizona, where he played only eight games since the start of 2021-22.
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(Photo of Connor Timmins: Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP Photo)