The Toronto Maple Leafs have 6 defensemen to dress in Game 1 of the playoffs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have three games before the regular season ends and the playoffs begin.

With these remaining games, Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe will have to make some important decisions about what to do with his playoff roster, specifically the blue line.

The Leafs' blue line isn't the greatest, but they'll put together what they can and hope the league's best 5v5 offense is good enough to get them where they need to be.

I'll see who should patrol the blue line for Game 1 of the series.

When you talk about blue-blooded players, you're talking about ex-fans like Darcy Tucker and Wendell Clark, one player who doesn't get enough credit for how deadpan the Maple Leafs are is Morgan Rielly.

RIelly is a player who has elevated his game in recent playoff history, and the Torontonian, recruited from British Columbia, is a star who puts his face in front of the puck to keep it from going behind the net. While he may not be the No. 1 quarterback, he's in the legitimate No. 2 category.

The question is who should partner him, but since his acquisition it has mostly been Lyubushkin. Since the deadline, in the limited games the Leafs have had a healthy roster, Keefe has used Rielly, McCabe, Brody and Liljegren, but he's usually paired the two of them with players who have played much less. Who I think Rielly should be paired with for the playoffs, we'll get back to that.

Rielly is an automatic play, and I think the next two players should be as well.

After Rielly, the next two defensemen who should be involved in the playoffs are fellow defensemen Jake McCabe and Simon Benoit.

Sheldon Keefe, however, indicated that with a healthy lineup, he could use Benoit in a No. 7 quarterback role. I strongly disagree and think he's earned his playoff spot.

The pairing has consistently played together at the back and is a safe pairing for the most part. McCabe has quietly had the best season of his career. The Wisconsin native posted career highs in both goals (8) and points (28) while averaging the most ice time of his career (20:44). He had 200 hits in a season for the first time in his career.

Although he doesn't have the same experience as McCabe, Benoit is one of the best signings of the Brad Treliving era. Benoit has become a physical threat in the backfield, also posting 200 hits on the season. This duo should be paired up for upcoming serials.

Although we haven't covered this duo at length, Joel Edmundson and Timothy Liljegren should be put together. Leafs coach Rielly has used Liljegren in the fourth role since the first injury and he has played well when healthy.

Edmundson, who acquired a pair of mid-round draft picks at the trade deadline, returned to the Maple Leafs lineup Thursday night against the Devils and played 19:22 while blocking three shots and making five tackles. He lost a rush for the game-winner, but expect to need a few plays to get back up to speed.

The former Stanley Cup winner will need to keep their shenanigans in check when playing against physical Atlantic Division opponents. Keefe has used him as the sixth quarterback for most of his time here (just 8 games), so it will be interesting to see how he stacks up in the playoffs.

If Liljegren is healthy and able to regain his velocity, those two should come together.

If they use my lineup, the Maple Leafs will be left with four defensemen: TJ Broady, Ilya Lyubushkin, Mark Giordano and Conor Timmins competing for the last spot.

Who gets into the lineup will depend on whether Liljegren and/or Edmundson are unavailable.

If all goes well, my first choice to pair with Morgan Rielly would be Ilya Lyubushkin. The big, physical Russian defender has struggled of late, but I think his game is a bit simpler than the rest and easier to fix than the struggles of the other three.

If Lubushkin can't be a quiet steady partner for the Leafs' top defenseman, my next pick to pair with Rielly would probably be TJ Brody. The veteran defenseman has recently made great passes in the offensive zone to score teammates, but his own play this season has been abysmal.

Brody seems to have adapted Jake Gardiner's style of hockey, where he allows his opponent to make contact in hopes of a turnover. Unfortunately, Brody's foot speed has declined significantly, causing him to run away from the contract. The results usually turn into a less dangerous situation and a scoring opportunity for the opposition.

I would put Timmins in the lineup unless Lilliegren is unable to play in the first game, and in that case I would pair Timmins with Edmundson.

The only way Giordano will be in my lineup is if the back four are injured.

A playoff defense should be:
Morgan Rielly – Ilya Lyubushkin
Simon Benoit is Jake McCabe
Joel Edmundson – Timothy Liljegren

I don't think it's very likely that Brody will sit out the playoffs, no matter how bad Keefe has been.