from Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star,
Left, right. Left, right. Stand off.
Military drill cadence. Also the martial plan to which the Maple Leafs have reverted on their blue line, as per the combo rigidity of Sgt. Mike Babcock.
So, tell me again why the club traded for Jake Muzzin late last month.
Doubtless the ex-King has enhanced Toronto’s rearguard. But here we are, a couple of days before the trade deadline, and still the Leafs need a right-handed shot on a defence where the only natural starboard shooter is Nikita Zaitsev. And the upshot of that quandary is having the overtaxed Ron Hainsey restored on the right side with Morgan Rielly.
Hainsey, who was dropped to the bottom pairing for about a minute and a half, is back on the top pairing. Muzzin tumbles to the third tandem, yoked with Travis Dermott. In Thursday’s loss to the Capitals, Muzzin had 19:56 of ice time, compared to Rielly’s 25:11. Rielly, of course, is on the first power-play unit. But Muzzin helps kills penalties. And he has been fifth in ice time since being acquired.
Surely that can’t have been the plan.
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