Keefe provides a roster announcement ahead of upcoming 5-game road trip
It's no secret that the Leafs have had some injury issues in the early going, particularly when it comes to the blueline. With Jake Muzzin, Timothy Liljegren and Jordie Benn all currently sidelined with no clear timetable for return, as well as goaltender Matt Murray, who will miss at least another couple of weeks, Sheldon Keefe issued a bit of an update on his injured bodies.
Keefe stated on Friday that none of the Leafs' injured players are expected to travel with the team on their upcoming road trip, which means that all of the abovementioned names are likely to miss at least five more games each.
There is a caveat here, as Keefe said there is still a chance that a player could end up cleared to play before the end of the road trip. If that does occur, he hasn't closed the door to the idea of having them join the Leafs while they're already on the road. He did not, however, give any hints or indicators as to which injured blueliner is closest to full health or potentially ahead of schedule.
Both Liljegren and Benn have been skating with the team as extras during practice and while Muzzin's injury originally appeared quite concerning, the fact that he was placed on IR and not LTIR could be an indicator that his injury is not as bad as it first seemed.
The Buds kick off their Western road trip on Saturday in Winnipeg, with dates in Vegas, San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim to follow before they return home for a November 2nd meeting with the Philadelphia Flyers.
| POLL | ||
21 OCTOBRE | 373 ANSWERS Keefe provides a roster announcement ahead of upcoming 5-game road trip Which defender is most likely to return on the 5-game road trip, if any? | ||
| Liljegren | 124 | 33.2 % |
| Muzzin | 36 | 9.7 % |
| Benn | 91 | 24.4 % |
| None | 122 | 32.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
