Leafs defenseman leaves pre-season game and does not return during the 1st period
As the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres head to their locker rooms through 20 minutes with the score deadlocked at 1-1, there is some concern over a possible injury on the Leafs' side of things. Per Leafs reporter David Alter, Klingberg had left the bench during the first period.
No official update has been provided, meaning that it could be an injury or it could simply be some sort of an equipment issue. If it's an injury, the timing is less than ideal, as Klingberg is just now becoming acclimated to the Leafs' system and settling into his new role as the QB of the Leafs' top PP unit.
There's no clear indication as to where a potential injury may have occurred during the first period, so we'll have to just wait and see how this one develops. Perhaps Klingberg returns for the 2nd period and the concern will all have been for nothing.
The Leafs signed Klingberg to a 1-year, $4.15M deal on July 1st. The veteran blueliner is hoping for a huge bounce back year after struggling to effectively implement his game during the 2022-23 season, which he split between the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild.
***Update at 7:40pm ET - Klingberg not on the bench to begin the 2nd period***
