Evidence grows that Treliving has to get it right on Leafs blue line

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That trade deadline can’t come soon enough.

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Once general managers across the National Hockey League are done dealing at 3 p.m. EST on March 8, we can move on with our lives, free of the speculation that has been dominating every hockey conversation in the days before the deadline hits.

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As it pertains to the Maple Leafs, the conversation is around the glaringly obvious need for a right-shooting defenceman (or two, if GM Brad Treliving can swing more than one trade).

In the loss to the Golden Knights on Tuesday, one that ended the Leafs’ seven-game winning streak, the importance of adding such a player to the blue line was underlined.

Timothy Liljegren remains day to day with undisclosed injury and, after the Leafs had a day off on Wednesday, it’s possible coach Sheldon Keefe will have to use six left-shooting defencemen on Thursday against the Arizona Coyotes, as he did versus Vegas. 

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It wasn’t ideal and it’s not something that can continue beyond the deadline if the Leafs want to give themselves the best chance for post-season success.

Beyond Liljegren, the Leafs’ defence corps depth of right-handed shooters extends to Conor Timmins. The latter remains in recovery mode from mononucleosis and, when he has been healthy, he has played in just 16 games.

If the Leafs had confidence he could be a full-time top-six D-man, Treliving wouldn’t be beating the bushes for another righty. 

Regarding the usage of six left-shooting defencemen against Vegas, Keefe said afterward that “the pairs in general were a bit of a challenge.”

And Morgan Rielly, who started the game to the right of TJ Brodie before the pair was split up following some shoddy play, said playing on the right was “challenging.”

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“But I feel good over there,” Rielly said, not sounding overly convincing. “We try to work on that stuff in practice. There’s room for improvement.

“There’s an answer that I don’t want to give, but (playing in the defensive zone on the right side) is the opposite of what you’re used to, when you’re closing gaps, when you’re crossing over. 

“It’s not about excuses. It’s actually easier in the offensive zone. There are good things as well. It’s just trying to get familiar with it.”

What Treliving has to do is get a righty who won’t need to get familiar with it. Whether it’s a bigger name like Chris Tanev or Matt Dumba, or a piece such as Sean Walker, Ilya Lyubushkin or Alexandre Carrier, the heat is turning up on Treliving to get something done. 

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COYOTES CONUNDRUM

The Leafs will resume their five-game home stand when the woeful Coyotes visit Scotiabank Arena.

While the plight of the present-day Coyotes carries more relevance as it pertains to the game on Thursday, we can’t ignore the run that the franchise has had in Toronto.

The Coyotes are 10-0-2 in the past 12 meetings with the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, not having lost to Toronto in regulation since Oct. 17, 2002. That night, the Leafs won 5-3 on the strength of two goals by Shayne Corson and three assists from Alex Mogilny.

So, yes, it has been a minute since the Leafs celebrated at the final buzzer with a regulation victory against the Coyotes at home. Toronto won in overtime in 2019-20 and in a shootout in 2013-14, and that has been it for more than 21 years at home.

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As for the game at hand, the Coyotes arrive in free fall, having gone 0-11-2 in their past 13 games while being outscored 60-31. That included a 6-3 loss against the Leafs in Tempe, Ariz., last Wednesday.

Former Leafs forward Alex Kerfoot is one of four Coyotes to play in every game and is fourth in team scoring with 34 points in 58 games (two more points than he had in 82 games with the Leafs in 2022-23).

Defenceman Sean Durzi, drafted by the Leafs in the second round in 2018 before he was sent to the Los Angeles Kings in January 2019 in the Jake Muzzin trade, leads the Coyotes in ice time with an average of 22 minutes 36 seconds a game.

Durzi, who was acquired by the Coyotes from the Kings in a trade last summer, just happens to shoot right.

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LOOSE LEAFS

Auston Matthews, who scored his 50th and 51st goals against Arizona last week, has seven goals in 13 career games versus his hometown team … Though John Tavares missed a recent game, on Feb. 17 against Anaheim with a minor injury, the Leafs captain dismissed the idea that he appeared to be dealing with discomfort on the bench during the loss to Vegas. “That was just an equipment issue,” Tavares said. “Physically, I’m great.” Now, to get that great feeling going on the scoresheet. Tavares, playing in a reduced role on the third line, has just three points in his past seven games … Keefe’s next victory will be his 200th in the regular season since taking over behind the Leafs bench from the fired Mike Babcock in Nov. 2019. Keefe, who has a record of 199-88-38 for a .612 winning percentage, will be the 87th coach to reach that milestone in NHL history … When winger Calle Jarnkrok returns after recovering from a broken knuckle, his next point will be the 300th of his NHL career.

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