Grading the Leafs: Jake Muzzin
For much of his tenure as a Toronto Maple Leaf, you could make an argument that Jake Muzzin has been the best two-way Leafs' defenseman. This season, however, is probably not the one you'd want to base your argument on.
Muzzin has uncharacteristically struggled this season, and while many of his issues may stem from the struggles of his most common defensive partner (Justin Holl), you simply can't absolve the veteran blueliner of all of the responsibility.
Muzzin is off to a really slow start offensively, managing just 1 goal and 8 assists for 9 points across 30 games, putting him on pace for around 24 points this season, which would be his lowest total in a full season (assuming he does play the full season) since 2013-14 in Los Angeles - but then again, he did win the Stanley Cup with the Kings that year.
Defensively, Muzzin is not faring much better. His takeaway to giveaway ratio is poor, giving away the puck more than 4x as much as he recovers it and his Corsi and Fenwick numbers are the worst in his 12-year NHL career. Quite simply, the Woodstock, Ontario native is not playing to the level that we have become accustomed to - and certainly not up to his own standards.
That said, Muzzin remains one of the Leafs' most important pieces on the blueline for his experience and the snarl that he has in his game. Muzzin is always engaged physically, laying big hits and making life miserable for forecheckers. He doesn't shy away from playing in the dirty areas and, while his struggles are well documented this season, his veteran savvy should allow him to turn his season around, as long as he sticks to the fundamentals that helped him to achieve success in the best league in the world.
Grade: D-
For the Leafs to have postseason success, their top players and their leadership group need to be playing their best hockey. With Muzzin on pace for probably the worst season of his career, the Leafs may need to make a tough decision. Do you hold onto a 32-year-old Jake Muzzin, who has put a lot of hard miles on his body throughout his career and could be entering what may be a very rapid decline, or do you look to move him and his $5.625M cap hit for two more seasons after this one?
This is not an easy conversation to have if you're the Toronto Maple Leafs' management group. Especially after GM Kyle Dubas traded prospects Carl Grundstrom, Sean Durzi and a 1st-round pick to acquire him.
The problem here is that Muzzin is the owner of a no-trade clause, so if he refuses to waive, the Leafs are stuck with him. My suggestion here is simply for the Leafs to dismantle the Muzzin/Holl pairing and give 2017 1st-rounder Timothy Liljegren the lion's share of minutes alongside Muzzin. If nothing else, perhaps Liljegren can revitalize Muzzin and help him turn his season around, while Muzzin can impart some of his vast knowledge and championship experience on the young blueliner, which could be invaluable moving forward.
