Practice Report: Conor Timmins may not be ready just yet

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a practice at home today before the San Jose Sharks come to town tomorrow.

Conor Timmins

When the Leafs acquired Conor Timmins, he wasn’t coming to be the saviour on defense that many were calling for at the time as injuries mounted. That saviour has been Mark Giordano and Justin Holl (and to a lesser extent Liljegren and Sandin).

Timmins was in a position where his conditioning stint was coming to an end, the Arizona Coyotes didn’t want him, Timmins didn’t want them, and the Coyotes were out of roster spots with no one waiver eligible. So instead of having him waived, the Leafs sent a big prospect to guarantee they got him.

Timmins has been on the Leafs roster ever since the trade, skating as a healthy scratch. This is his first full practice with the team, where he skated with Victor Mete on the third pair, but after practice Sheldon Keefe said he hasn’t seen enough from him to give the green light. Timmins will get another chance tomorrow.

Keefe is calling it a day-to-day process with getting Samsonov back in net, though he is very close. Confirms that Robertson is in Wednesday, though says he's not seen enough of Conor Timmins in a full practice yet to green light him.

— Lance Hornby 🇺🇦 (@sunhornby) November 29, 2022

Today was Conor Timmins first real full practice (in terms of drills/length) with Leafs & first time with a regular partner (Victor Mete)

Sheldon Keefe says no decision has been made on when Conor may draw in @TSN_Edge

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 29, 2022

I would advise not expecting much from the oft-injured defender who only has 41 games on NHL experience and 87 games of pro experience by age 24. He didn’t exactly get a vote of confidence today.

What pair is Conor Timmins on by the end of the season?

Ilya Samsonov

Sammy was on the ice today, practicing, and expected to get a game in soon. It won’t be on Wednesday, but he’s to be considered day-to-day at the moment. Happy to have him back.

Ilya Samsonov: I have no pain. Happy to be back.

— David Alter (@dalter) November 29, 2022

Nick Robertson

Nick Robertson will get back in the lineup tonight on the third line with David Kämpf and Zach Aston-Reese (sorry, but this line gets more ice time than the fourth line, so they’re the third line). Simmonds and Malgin the scratches. The fourth line of Kerfoot-Holmberg-Engvall stays intact with Järnkrok on the second line with Marner and Tavares.

Sheldon Keefe says Nick Robertson will play tomorrow. They’ll make a decision Conor Timmins’ status tomorrow.

— David Alter (@dalter) November 29, 2022

Börje Salming

The Leafs will be auctioning off their game-used jerseys after tomorrow’s game with the Börje Salming patch on the shoulder in support of ALS Action Canada.

Patches will also go on sale publicly tomorrow with all profits going to ALC Action Canada.

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Toronto Maple Leafs to Raise Funds for ALS and Honour Börje Salming