For much of the Auston Matthews era, the Leafs quality at right defence has been an issue. Though many would point to a lack of defensive traits alongside this, be it physicality, size, or penalty kill proficiency, last season GM Brad Treliving acknowledged a need for skill on the right side of the blueline as well.
The Leafs have turned to a number of players to fill this need over the years, including the signing of John Klingberg last season. While Klingberg was ultimately not a factor for the Leafs, as in a poor outcome, it does outline a curious situation.
On a surface level, Conor Timmins seems to fulfil some of the attributes that the Leafs have been so desperately seeking, yet he continues to find himself out of the gameday lineup. In various statistical and analytical categories, Timmins stands out.
His size and offensive talents are obvious to all. All the while, only the smallest pockets of Leafs Nation have any qualms about his apparent lack of favour within the organization. Just the same, few fanbases around the league seem to be interested in his services. Let’s explore the curious case of Conor Timmins in this profile.
Stats
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 60 | 4 | 9 | 13 | ||
| 2016-17 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 67 | 7 | 54 | 61 | ||
| 2017-18 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL | 36 | 8 | 33 | 41 | ||
| 2018-19 | Did Not Play | Statistics Unavailable | ||||||
| 2019-20 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2019-20 | Colorado Eagles | AHL | 40 | 3 | 24 | 27 | ||
| 2020-21 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 31 | 0 | 7 | 7 | ||
| 2020-21 | Colorado Eagles | AHL | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2021-22 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022-23 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022-23 | Tucson Roadrunners | AHL | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 2022-23 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 25 | 2 | 12 | 14 | ||
| 2023-24 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 25 | 1 | 9 | 10 | ||
History
Timmins was a well-regarded prospect in his draft year, playing on a fantastic Soo Greyhounds team in 2016–17, putting up nearly a point per game. This was enough to see Timmins selected near the top of the second round in the 2017 NHL Draft.
The following season seemed to be going according to plan, with Timmins increasing his scoring rate in the OHL, as well as producing for Team Canada at the 2018 U20 World Juniors. In the early days of the 2018 calendar year, Timmins seemed like a draft steal by the Colorado Avalanche.
However, the good times would not last. Timmins suffered a severe head injury that saw him miss the remainder of the 2017–18 season, as well as the entire 2018–19 season. For Timmins, a once-promising career had flown off the rails. Fortunately, Timmins not only recovered but persevered. Unfortunately, this would not be the last of Timmins’ injury woes.
Timmins would take the ice in 2019–20 to great success, producing as an AHL rookie, and even making an appearance in a couple NHL games. In 2020–21 Timmins would spend most of his time in the NHL in a limited role, though his jarring lack of offensive production tells us that he was not yet ready to assert himself. Though Timmins had continued growth as a prospect, he had appeared in only 79 games through the three and a half years since the injury that ended his junior career.
Timmins was traded to the Arizona Coyotes as a big part of the package to send Darcy Kuemper to the Avalanche. Given that the Stanley Cup soon followed Kuemper to Denver, the Avalanche certainly do not regret their decision. The deal did not work out as nicely for the Coyotes, as Timmins was injured just six games into his tenure, requiring surgery and ending his season almost as quickly as it began.
Although Timmins did see a handful of games of rehab in the AHL upon his return to health, he played just two games for the Coyotes in the 2021–22 season before he was dealt to the Leafs. With just 7 points in 41 games at the time, this was a gamble that former Leafs and Soo Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas took, and initially, one that paid off. Timmins seemed like a new player, scoring 14 points in 25 games with the Leafs and earning a contract extension along the way.
Once again, bad luck was plentiful for Timmins. Perhaps last season he might have been pencilled into the Leafs opening night lineup, but it was not to be. Timmins suffered a knee injury in late September, keeping him from a regular role and putting him behind the proverbial 8 ball once again. Worse still, once Timmins had begun to see some game action he came down with mono. The Leafs were hard-pressed to rely on Timmins, or even to truly evaluate his fit in their lineup, choosing instead to add players at the trade deadline.
In the three seasons since being traded from the Avalanche, Timmins has played in only 64 combined NHL and AHL games. Needless to say it has been a tumultuous seven seasons for Timmins since being drafted. He has shown clear signs of talent, but has consistently been denied the chance to cement himself into a lineup. As he will be 26 years old this season, time is wearing thin.
Profile
It might be an old-school train of thought, but Timmins’ dimensions do help him. At 6‘2″, his right shot is valuable to NHL teams. Timmins is not a physical player though, which might alienate some of those keen on those measurables. This limits his effectiveness during in-zone defence, though especially at lower levels Timmins has still managed to be an effective defender.
Instead, it is with his puck skills that Timmins achieves most of his successes. While his skating and puck control are enough help here, Timmins’ standout skill is his passing. Particularly in the offensive zone, Timmins is among the Leafs most creative and effective playmakers, including the Leafs forwards. This translates all over the ice, and effective breakout passes often lead to strong possession metrics.
Timmins is not a dynamic shooter or puck carrier. Naturally, his playmaking disposition does not help in this sense, but even at lower levels of competition, Timmins did not score many goals.
Fit
At this point, there is very little fanfare, discussion, or expectation that Timmins will be a regular in the Leafs lineup, yet he clearly brings a lot to the ice. It is entirely possible that he has completely fallen out of favour now that the Soo Greyhounds alumni, Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe, are no longer at the helm.
Consensus is that he will not factor into the Leafs plans, but perhaps his being overlooked is a symptom of his limited availability more than anything. Naturally, some better luck on the injury front would go a long way.
With a new coaching staff in place, Timmins will have a blank slate to impose himself on the lineup. Even before factoring in handedness, it is possible that Timmins asserts himself as one of the Leafs top six defencemen outright.
The Leafs might be looking for answers on the power play, where it might be argued that Timmins is already at least as effective as Morgan Rielly and Timothy Liljegren (who is also looking to breakout). Of the three, Timmins might have the best chance at being a regular penalty killer as well. Proficiency on the penalty kill would go a long way toward making the team, as the Leafs are likely seeking a right shot to operate behind their new best defenceman Chris Tanev.
The issue for Timmins is that the Leafs have added competition at right defence, which could undermine his efforts for a regular spot. Nicolas Mattinen is much bigger and more physical, and would be the Leafs best one-timer option from the blueline as well. Philippe Myers fits the mould of a physical defensive presence much more naturally, a style that the Leafs might prioritize. Even our fifth-ranked Leafs prospect Topi Niemela might have a shot here.
Thanks to his well rounded profile, Timmins would make a good defence partner for many of the left shots on the Leafs roster. Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are probably the two best fits for Timmins, as they should be able to help with transition defence. By the same token, Simon Benoit is an option who would be a greater help during in-zone defending.
If Timmins does not make the team he will have to clear waivers. Other teams should be interested in his services, not only as a right handed defenceman, but also as a high upside player in his mid-20s.
Around the league there are murmurs that unsigned veteran puck moving options are being considered, like Kevin Shattenkirk, Tyson Barrie, and Justin Schultz, as well as a less proven option in Calen Addison. Within the vacuum of the 2024–25 season, Timmins is a superior option to these players. Given his tenuous footing in the Leafs organization, teams might be willing to wait for the opportunity to claim him off waivers than to trade for him, though it is not impossible that the Leafs can recoup some assets.
Timmins will be an RFA at the end of his current contract, in the last year of a deal that costs $1.1M against the salary cap. Offensive production is often rewarded, meaning that Timmins can earn a healthy raise if he stays healthy and plays up to his potential. This only underscores the strange limbo in which Timmins finds himself, a volatile projection with more variance than many 26-year-old NHLers.
