HORNBY: Maple Leafs are out of their depth with blue-line injuries

It seems the Maple Leafs will need more depth to replace their depth defencemen.

With the news Friday that Carl Dahlstrom’s shoulder injury will require surgery and six months off, while Jordie Benn’s groin issue will cost him at least three weeks, the club is looking at a thin blueline behind its six projected starters.

That’s a major concern when the position is already considered a weak one compared to Toronto’s thick offensive broth.

Both the Dahlstrom and Benn mishaps occurred Wednesday during the team’s 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

“Bad news on that (Dahlstrom) front,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday before a game in Belleville against the Ottawa Senators.

“I haven’t spoken to him yet, but there’s never a good time for something like that, particularly when you’ve come off a summer of training and competing for a spot in the NHL.

“And it takes a shot at our depth as well.”

Swedish veteran Dahlstrom saw time with the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks, before working his way through the Marlies to get a late-season chance with the Leafs last spring. At 6-foot-4, 231 pounds, he was in the hunt to fill a physical role with the departure of Ilya Lyubushkin.

Same with the 35-year-old Benn. While Keefe said the three-week recovery was actually a faster timeline than the club expected, it will be harder for Benn to find full-time work once the Leafs settle on a six-man to eight-man plan, including reserves, when already tight to the salary cap.

The signing of Rasmus Sandin on Thursday likely settles most of the starters, which would also include Morgan Rielly, TJ Brodie, Jake Muzzin, Mark Giordano and Justin Holl. Victor Mete is still in camp and then it’s down to the few Marlies who are capable of making the jump. As well as Benn being out, Timothy Liljegren (hernia surgery) will be missing until late November. At least Muzzin has resumed practice after a few days off to work through some back discomfort.

There is also the option of obtaining outside help, with the never-ending rumours about Arizona trading Jakob Chychrun.

MARNER BACKS IT UP

All of this blue-line uncertainty has fuelled talk of utilizing forwards on defence in certain conditions, which includes all-star winger Mitch Marner.

It would happen only when the Leafs are behind late in a game or on the power play, but is an intriguing concept nonetheless, given how Marner can efficiently cover 200 feet of ice.

“As soon as (Keefe) gave me the heads-up about it, I was all in,” Marner said. “I thought the idea was cool.

“Back in the day (minor hockey) if we were blowing teams out, the D would want to play forward and the forwards on D.

“Obviously it’s different playing defence on the power play compared to even strength, but you get those opportunities sometimes, such as late in a power play when a man comes back out 5-on-5.”

Other than learning to defend a 2-on-1 by himself, or a 3-on-2, Marner says he has had enough practice skating backwards, given those instances when the Toronto power play breaks down and he’s the last man back.

“We’ll see — when (the experiment) really comes into play,” he said. “You have to make sure you’re not being too reckless.”

Keefe said that while Rielly is taking some shifts on his unfamiliar right side at camp in the wake of the injuries, it’s more likely he stays on the left with regular partner Brodie.

AUSTON REVVING UP

Hart Trophy winner and 60-goal centre Auston Matthews stayed home Friday, and it looks at this stage that he will play no more than three exhibitions.

Appearing, so far, only last Saturday against Ottawa, he might be in the lineup Monday in Montreal, then in one of the back-to-backs Thanksgiving weekend versus the Detroit Red Wings. Of course, he’s not idle, with all those Leafs not playing in games required to practise in the morning, as well.

“I’m good with three or four games, or I can (play) just a couple before the regular season, feel it out, get your legs back, your timing,” Matthews said Friday. “One game is too little.”

SAY THAT SLOWLY

Forward Pontus Holmberg presents the Leafs with a bit of challenge, a Swede who is not fairly fluent in English.

Holmberg, a native of Vasteras, about 100 miles west of Stockholm, had not played in North America until joining the Marlies late last season. William Nylander has said he intends to help.

“We’re used to Russian players (struggling with language), but with Swedes it’s a little more unexpected,” Keefe said. “We’ve paired him a lot (with other Swedes), for the language issue for sure, but for skill sets and the way it’s worked, we’ve played him with Willy, trying to make sure he’s helping Pontus along.

“I do think a lot of that (communication) will come from being around the dressing room, but at the same time we can’t rely on that, we have to try different things (perhaps English lessons). As we get to know him better, we’ll find out what some of his limitations are and might look outside for help. But I think he’s progressing well, certainly faster than a Russian player.”

lhornby@postmedia.com

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