Keefe says Edmundson was "miserable" to play against in Leafs-Habs playoff series

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe might still be searching for his first deep playoff run as an NHL coach, but the same can’t be said of all of his players.

One player on the Leafs’ roster with considerable playoff experience is defenceman Joel Edmundson, who the Leafs traded for last week from the Washington Capitals.

Edmundson, now 30, has 75 career playoff games in the NHL, including a Stanley Cup win in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues and a final appearance with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021.

Back in 2021, Keefe got a first-hand look at Edmundson as the Leafs and Canadiens met in the first round of the playoffs, which Montreal ultimately won in seven games despite going into the series as big underdogs.

While he didn’t register on the scoresheet, Edmundson played over 21 minutes a night for those Canadiens, including 28:38 of a Game 6 contest that ended up in overtime.

And it didn’t seem like Keefe had all that many answers for his new defender back then, though he’s glad to have him on his roster now.

“You just remember that he made it miserable to get to the net. I can’t remember how many times you are watching the video back, and you think there could be five or six minor penalties called. But that is playoff hockey and the way that it goes. He is ultra competitive around the most dangerous area when protecting the net. That is a big part,” Keefe said at Monday’s practice.

“Also, I think he is another guy — and you’ve heard me say this a lot — who is comfortable in who he is no matter what the game brings. As the temperature rises and the pressure rises, I think he is very confident and comfortable in who he is with his personality, his character, his toughness, and the experience that comes with that.”

Edmundson’s suited up just once for Toronto since the trade — a 3-2 win over his former Canadiens side on Saturday — in which he picked up 19:03 of ice time in his Leafs debut.

And while there are still 18 games left in the regular season and more than a month until the playoffs begin, it’s clear that the team plans to use Edmundson in a big role moving forward as they make their postseason push.

The Leafs return to action on Thursday night when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.

You might also like:
• PWHL game featuring Montreal and Toronto to be played at Bell Centre