Maple Leafs & Timmins Can Benefit From Load-Managing Giordano

The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t really make a big splash in free agency before the season started, but it’s not hard to see who their most valuable signing of the offseason was. After swinging a trade with the Seattle Kraken in March 2022 for defenseman Mark Giordano and forward Colin Blackwell, the team managed to bring back the former on a ridiculously cheap two-year deal worth $800,000 annually. Considering his namesake in the league and the minutes he still plays at his age, it’s safe to say that this is about as heavy a discount as you can get for someone like Giordano.

So, that was the team’s most valuable off-season addition. Now, let’s take a look at their most valuable in-season addition so far. Six weeks ago, the Maple Leafs acquired 24-year-old defenseman Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for American Hockey League (AHL) forward Curtis Douglas. To say they’ve gotten their money’s worth so far is an understatement. In 12 games with the team so far, the former Soo Greyhound has ten points, including his first NHL goal which came Sunday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Timmins’ play so far is creating a great problem for the Maple Leafs. They already have six capable NHL defensemen, and with his injury history and lack of experience in the league, you would think that the St. Catharines native would be an easy candidate to sit. But, with his production so far, it’s nearing the point where the team may be hurting themselves by keeping him out of the lineup. Considering the overbearing workload Giordano has had to deal with so far this season, the answer could be sitting right in front of them. 

Mark Giordano – The Workhorse of the Back End 

I’m sure that before the season started, the Maple Leafs didn’t envision using Giordano as much as they have. With a 1-2-3 of Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake Muzzin, the presence of Justin Holl (who they tend to use in heavy minutes), and Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren looking to take a step forward, there really didn’t seem to be a need to rely on him for top minutes. 

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Brodie, Timmins, Tavares & Nylander

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