Keefe provides update on Jake Muzzin
Jake Muzzin has been out of the Leafs' linup since being injured in a game against Arizona on October 17th. The Leafs designated the injury as a neck injury and subsequently placed Muzzin on IR to free up a roster slot. The IR meant that Muzzin would be out for 7 days and re-evaluated. Following his short stay on IR, the Leafs moved him to LTIR, freeing up $5.6M in cap space that has allowed them to carry a full 23-man roster.
Muzzin joined the Leafs in LA, but not because he was beginning to skate, rather to see a specialist regarding his injury. The Leafs are still waiting the results of those further tests from the specialist, but Sheldon Keefe provided an update on Muzzin this morning saying that there is still no timetable for his return. He also said that not having Muzzin has been a "significant absence" and the "penalty kill hasn't been the same" without him.
While Muzzin being on LTIR provides the Leafs with needed cap flexibility, it also hinders their blueline depth significantly and has made the errors by Justin Holl much more noticeable. Not only has Muzzin's absence created a massive hole on the Leafs' blueline, but he is missed in the room as well. He and Mitch Marner are very close friends off the ice and not having Muzzin around daily to provide that extra boost when he needs it may be contributing to Marner's play early on.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 2 | 259 ANSWERS Keefe provides update on Jake Muzzin If you could bring in one of these defensemen to fill Jake Muzzin's spot, who would it be? | ||
| Jakob Chychrun | 108 | 41.7 % |
| John Klingberg | 67 | 25.9 % |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 42 | 16.2 % |
| None/other | 42 | 16.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
