Injury Updates: Johansen, Danforth, Muzzin

Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen will be out of the lineup after surgery this morning. While little is known about the specifics of the procedure, it is worth noting that Johansen left the Predators’ 5-4 shootout win last night with an apparent leg injury.

Johansen has struggled at times throughout this season, with just 28 points in 55 games. Nashville as a team has failed to live up to pre-season expectations and could be an interesting team before the trade deadline as they sit seven points out of the final wild card position. Predators GM David Poile has never been shy about adding to his team in previous deadlines, but Johansen’s injury may push the veteran GM to be a seller.

Some other injury updates:

• Although the Columbus Blue Jackets are gearing up to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline, it does appear that one player could be returning to their lineup this season. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that forward Justin Danforth is skating 4-5 times per week and hopes to play again this year. Danforth was expected to miss 4-6 months after his surgery in late October to repair a labral tear, meaning that a late-season return could fall right in his expected recovery window.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs have addressed the short term future of defenseman Jake Muzzin this afternoon. After meeting several specialists it was announced that Muzzin will be kept out of the lineup for the rest of the season. Muzzin suffered a cervical spine injury in October and has only appeared in four games for the Maple Leafs. Muzzin is signed through 2023-24 at a cap hit of $5.625MM, and his absence has left a large gap on Toronto’s backend. Many NHL insiders expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to add to the defense before the March 3rd trade deadline as they push to win a playoff round for the first time since 2004.