Conor Timmins is among the Toronto Maple Leafs defensemen who sets up great numbers whenever he plays however doesn’t appear to get a possibility to play. Why not?

What will occur with him this season if he remains healthy? I think he needs to have a strong opportunity to make the routine lineup. Here are 3 reasons.

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Reason One: Timmins Has Shown Offensive Potential in His Past Performances

On November 23, 2022, the Maple Leafs obtained Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for forward Curtis Douglas. Timmins rapidly made an impression, scoring his very first NHL objective in early January 2023 and signing up 10 points in simply 12 video games. While that preliminary hot streak wasn’t sustained, Timmins revealed he was a puck-moving offending gamer who might create numbers when provided the opportunity.

In the 2022-23 season, Timmins played 25 video games for the Maple Leafs. In those video games, he scored 2 objectives and included 12 helps (for 14 points). His efficiency was strong enough that the company signed him to a two-year, $1.1 million per season agreement in November 2023. He had actually revealed the capability to contribute offensively, particularly from the blue line. For the group, that mattered. He was raw however was likewise viewed as an important possession that Toronto might even more use.

Reason Two: Timmins Had a Strong 2023 Preseason with Impressive Statistics

Timmins’ prospective ended up being obvious throughout the 2023 preseason. He had a standout camp and preseason, consisting of a four-point video game versus the Buffalo Sabres. Despite suffering a knee injury at the end of training school that sidelined him for 2 months, Timmins went back to the lineup and contributed. He scored 10 points in 25 video games.

Timmins has actually revealed his ability throughout his profession with the Maple Leafs. In 50 regular-season video games, he has actually scored 3 objectives and included 21 helps for 24 points. That tasks to an 82-game rate of 5 objectives and 39 points. These numbers are uncommon on the Maple Leafs blue line. They would have made him the second-highest-scoring defenseman on the group last season. For those fans who take a look at the analytics, Timmins has actually installed great underlying numbers. He’s had an excellent 57% Corsi For and 60% in Goals For, Scoring Chances For, and High Danger Scoring Chances For.

Reason Three: Timmins Is a Bigger Defenseman. Can His Physical Presence and Potential Fit Under New Coach Berube?

Timmins brings a physical component to his video game. He’s 6-foot-2 and weighs 205 pounds. He has actually balanced over a hit per video game, with 57 hits in 50 video games for the Maple Leafs. While he’s not a banger like Simon Benoit, he does bring some physicality to the ice. This physical edge might line up well with brand-new Head Coach Craig Berube‘s choice for huge, physical defensemen.

Given Berube’s training design, is it possible that Timmins could get a fresh chance to show himself? It would appear as if there’s some concern about the health (a knee injury) of his primary competitors, Jani Hakanpaa. If Hakanpaa is healthy, he will bring a considerable physical existence with 1,030 hits in 332 video games. Still, Timmins’ mix of offending capacity, strong stats, and physical play needs to not be neglected.

The Bottom Line for Timmins

From what I’ve seen from Timmins, he is worthy of a possibility to discover a routine area on the Maple Leafs lineup. He’s revealed that he can produce offending possibilities. He’s had outstanding offending stats, and his physical existence makes a strong case for a minimum of a possibility to be consisted of in the mix. As the group aims to enhance its blue line, offering Timmins a more constant function might pay considerable dividends.

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