Leafs Forward Shockingly Left Out of Lineup Despite Strong Recent Performances
The Maple Leafs are seeing a lot of their injured players returning which means some get left out including one forward who has been a bright spot for Toronto.
It's a good sign the Toronto Maple Leafs are getting players back from injury, as it was tough to see half the lineup missing including stars like Auston Matthews and Jake McCabe.
But with those returning players, it means those in the lineup previously need to be shuffled around. For one Maple Leafs forward, it means pulling duty as a defenseman; at least for practice.
Tuesday saw forward Connor Dewar taking reps as a defenseman during practice, both a sign that Toronto wants to keep him in the loop but want to give their returning players some proper line time.
Connor Dewar's Demotion Not A Negative
While it is a bit rough for Dewar to just be taken out of the lineup, it's a positive that the team wants him to work on his defensive game; one of the key things he's added to Toronto's fourth line.
Since returning from an injury as well earlier this season, he hasn't been an offensive producer but gives Toronto a solid defensive forward who has started to pick it up recently.
Alongside Steven Lorentz, Dewar has been fantastic at shutting opponents down, and given Toronto a relentless engine on the ice, finishing checks, and not being afraid to get into the nitty gritty.
Only having one assist this year, Dewar is unlike previous seasons where he had double digits and perhaps the injury had something to do with it.
However, as we've seen with Auston Matthews, Craig Berube likes to employ a more defensive approach, and that leads to less offensive chances; especially for a fourth-liner.
Berube did the same thing earlier this season when Ryan Reaves was suspended, and although it's unlikely we ever see Dewar line up as a defenseman, he can still learn different techniques and find ways to help the team.
It's unfortunate that Dewar gets himself taken out, although Craig Berube also has a propensity to make last minute changes, but for now Dewar can focus on getting himself ready whenever he's called on next.
