A new-look Leafs defense has Justin Holl on the outside, looking in

The Toronto Maple Leafs, desperate for a rapid turnaround after a slow start to the season, appear to have split up a prominent pairing from the 2020-21 season in Jake Muzzin and Justin Holl.

The pair took on a large percentage of the tough matchups for the Leafs last season in the North Division, including routine matchups against phenom Connor McDavid, successfully shutting down the reigning Hart Trophy winner over a trio of games, leading to a 3-game sweep in Edmonton where the team yielded only a single goal across that span.

Muzzin and Holl have been less than stellar this season, combining for only a single point, with Muzzin owning a -8 rating and Holl a -7. Simply put, the team needs better from them.

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke with the media on Saturday, revealing that the team is committed to helping Muzzin get back on track.

"For a guy that's been so good for so long, you have confidence that he's going to find it. We're talking him through it, reassuring him, challenging him. He doesn't need too much of that because he's a very self-aware guy," Keefe said.

Muzzin is expected to line up with T.J. Brodie on Saturday, with Travis Dermott taking Brodie's spot on the top pair, alongside the newly-extended Morgan Rielly. Meanwhile, Holl has been scratched in favor of rookie defenseman Timothy Liljegren, who will slide into Dermott's spot on the bottom pair, next to Rasmus Sandin.

"I haven't made any guarantees to Hollsy in terms of whether he's going to go right back in or not. We're just going to watch them play. If this turns into a healthy competition on our back end, that'll be good for everybody."

If Liljegren can make the most of his opportunity on Saturday and make it an easier decision for the coaching staff to extend his shot in the lineup, this could be troublesome for Holl, who may find it challenging to get himself back into the lineup after such a troublesome start.

The Leafs elected to protect Justin Holl in the Seattle Expansion Draft over forward Jared McCann in July in what may prove to have been a monumental mistake unless Holl can figure it out - and fast.

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