Who will the Toronto Maple Leafs best defensemen be paired with come October 13th in Montreal?
The Toronto Maple Leafs mostly used TJ Brodie with Morgan Rielly last year, but after the trade deadline they often used Ilya Lyubushkin, who is now gone.
The Leafs have several options, due to there being nine NHL defenseman on the roster (if you include Sandin, at least).
So, which one is going to partner with Rielly?
Toronto Maple Leafs: Who Will Be Morgan Rielly’s Partner?
Option 1: TJ Brodie
This is the most obvious and safest option for Sheldon Keefe this year.
Brodie is a great two-way defenseman who in his first year with the group was paired with Reilly and really helped the assistant captain raise his game to the next level. These were on the top penalty-killing unit and were the go-to options in tight situations.
In his second year, Brodie struggled a bit times, looking slow and tired, but who could blame the guy it seemed as if he had a new partner every week. Drawing away from the negative. Brodie is as advertised, a strong defensive player who is heavily relied on in defensive situations. He is a responsible option for this team and someone who knows and is comfortable with Reilly’s playing style. I think this is the option most of Leaf Nation anticipates seeing on the ice this fall.
Option 2: Timothy Liljegren
The young buck certainly had himself a season. Drafted by in 2017, Liljergen had a lot of promise, however, he took a very long time to develop. Media and fans always put Sandin over him in prospect rankings and this had a lot of the fanbase deeming Liljergen a bust.
This past year; his first “full” year in the league, we saw the highs and lows of young NHL defensemen. The year started off really slow and awful at times but finished off strong with Liljergen posting the best numbers on the Leafs blueline.
I want to particularly highlight the last quarter of the year when he was paired with Giordano. This is when he played the best hockey of his career, really becoming the player he was projected to be. Many, including myself, were taken aback when he was scratched in the playoffs.
Liljergen is on track to be one of the top defensemen on this team and I think he should be given the chance to prove it. Being one of only two right-handed shots on the team, I think this could allow Rielly to have a different style of partner.
Liljergen, much like Brodie plays a more sheltered game and is responsible in his own zones while also providing good offensive numbers. While I don’t think the impact would be as immediate as Brodie, Liljergen could definitely learn a thing or two from the veteran and really elevate his game to the next level.
Option 3: Jordie Benn
This is the oddball option on the board. Benn has been around the league for over a decade and has played on a handful of different teams and in the recent years many of those being Canadian Franchises.
Much like his brother Jamie, Benn is a big physical presence standing at 6’2 and 200lbs. He is a rarity on this team and that’s a good thing. Benn can lay the body while also clearing opponents out of the crease; something the Leaf defense-core has lacked in recent memory. While he isn’t the youngest option nor best option, he does represent a very different look for the Leafs.
Now I’ll throw the question out to you, the reader, did you like one of the players I listed, do you think they’ll get the job? If not, then who do you think Reilly should be paired with this season?