Out for a minimum of 10 games, the Maple Leafs will develop a next-man up mentality, but a veteran defenseman who has played the role before will be asked to do more. And he’s up for the challenge.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were dealt quite the blow to their defense corps when they lost minutes-leader Morgan Rielly with a knee injury on Monday.
Already without TJ Brodie (oblique) for at least the upcoming four-game road trip and Jake Muzzin (out indefinitely with a cervical spine injury), the Maple Leafs are without their top-three defensemen.
“Each time we’ve lost a guy and then for a moment maybe you think, oh that sucks, it seems like our team plays better," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said.
The Maple Leafs have dropped just one game in regulation in their last 11 games and will take on the red-hot New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. Toronto’s opponents have won 13 consecutive games and are aiming to set a new franchise record in that department.
And while the Maple Leafs will develop a ‘next-man-up’ mentality, it’s Mark Giordano who will be leaned on heavily to help pick up the slack.
The 39-year-old defenseman is averaging 18:39 of ice time, his lowest since the 2008-09 season. Although Keefe has initially stayed away from pushing the 2019 Norris Trophy winner too hard, it’s not necessarily been at the request of the player.
“As a player, I don’t know many guys who will tell you they want less ice time,” Giordano said following practice on Tuesday. “It’s important for us as a group of six to fill those minutes.”
Giordano skated with Justin Holl as the top defensive pair at practice. He also skated on the second power-play unit as Rasmus Sandin moved up to skate on the first unit.
In addition to expected penalty kill responsibility, Giordano will be pushed to the limit, and that’s the way he likes it.
“Every time I have a conversation with Gio whether it’s ‘do you want days off? Do you want to miss practices? He wants nothing to do with that,” Keefe said. “He wants to keep the engine firing and he tells us the more he plays the better he feels.”
While Giordano certainly can’t do it all, Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin will be expected to step up and fill the remaining minutes in the top four.
“I think yesterday was a big step for me and Timothy playing together,” Sandin said of his game as of late. “We did some things well that I think we can bring to the next game.”
Sandin said both he and Liljegren managed the puck well in their 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Monday and he expects that to continue as he continues to see more responsibility.
“It’s definitely time for all the other guys [himself included] to step up and fill those big shoes,” Sandin said. “It’s up to us.”
With everyone moving up a step, Mac Hollowell was called up to skate on the third pair with Jordie Benn and will make his NHL debut on Wednesday.
Victor Mete, who has played five games with the Leafs this season, was also called up. But Hollowell will get the first chance to play.
“It’s time, you’ve got to give a guy like him an opportunity to go,” Keefe explained of his decision. “He’s played well for us in pre-season. It’s a chance for us to get him in and allow him to use his speed and ability to move the puck in an NHL environment.”
Hollowell had been around the Maple Leafs organization since he was drafted in the fourth round (118th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft. Called up many times over the last few seasons, the 24-year-old Hollowell never had a chance to play until now.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment since I was a little kid,” Hollowell said. “Just to get my name called feels really good.”
The Niagara Falls, Ontario native expects he’ll have some family head down to New Jersey for the game on Wednesday.
Beyond the roster
Should things go awry, the Maple Leafs could look to make a trade to add some defensive depth. Although Rielly is on LTIR, the nature of his injury is such that they would still have to find room to activate his $7.5 million cap hit when he returns. The Leafs don’t have to use all of the space and can use some of it to add some depth.
The other issue is the Leafs are already at the maximum-allowable 50 standard player contracts in the organization. The Leafs would have to find a way to trim that number via trade or other means.
The club placed veteran forward Wayne Simmonds on waivers for the second time this season. Should he go claimed, that would help open up some room.