Maple Leafs acquire Timmins from Coyotes to bolster blue line

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for minor-league forward Curtis Douglas, the teams announced.

Timmins, 24, has registered seven assists in 41 career NHL games across four seasons. He shoots right and stands at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds.

The St. Catharines, Ontario, product was originally chosen 32nd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2017. He was flipped to the Coyotes in the 2021 offseason as part of the deal that sent Darcy Kuemper to the Avs.

Timmins has been hampered by injuries. Since finishing his junior career in 2017-18 - highlighted by winning a gold medal with Canada at the 2018 world juniors - he's been limited to just 93 games between the AHL and NHL.

Timmins has ties to the Leafs organization, though. While Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas was running the OHL's Soo Greyhounds, he selected Timmins in the fourth round of the 2014 OHL priority selection draft.

The Leafs are currently without their top three defensemen - Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake Muzzin - due to injuries, so it's possible Timmins could soon get into the lineup.

Timmins comes with cost control, too. He carries an $850,000 cap hit this season and will be a restricted free agent at season's end. He won't be unrestricted until 2026.

Douglas, meanwhile, stands at a towering 6-foot-9 and 242 pounds. The 22-year-old center has yet to make his NHL debut but has recorded 39 points in 91 career AHL games. He was originally a fourth-round pick by the Dallas Stars in 2018.

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