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Jake Muzzin

Injury Updates: Johansen, Danforth, Muzzin

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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.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Muzzin, Matheson

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Erik Karlsson wants to win. That’s what he told Pierre LeBrun and Ryan Rishaug on the Got Yer Back podcast, explaining that if a trade was brought to him that included joining a contender, he’d have to consider it.

Karlsson, through all of the trade rumors and speculation, has never indicated a desire to leave the San Jose Sharks organization, where he has settled down with his family. He holds a no-movement clause and can determine his fate, even if a team does step up with the massive asking price that has been rumored. After a four-point effort on Wednesday, Karlsson leads the league in assists and is on pace for 110 points.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t given any update on the status of injured defenseman Jake Muzzin, and Chris Johnston explained on TSN’s Insider Trading yesterday that there has been no movement toward a return to play. When he went down to a cervical spine injury, the team explained that he would be re-evaluated in February. Clarity on his status will be important, given the Maple Leafs’ cap situation. If Muzzin misses the rest of the year, they can continue to use his $5.625MM cap hit for a replacement.
  • Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson has been fined $5,000 for his interference on Florida Panthers forward Eric Staal in last night’s game, which became a bit of a circus. Ninety penalty minutes were handed out between the two teams, though none of them were for directly tied to the incident in question. Matheson and Matthew Tkachuk would fight later in the game.

Snapshots: Schenn, Chychrun, Muzzin

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Few players currently active in the NHL have had as stunning career revivals as Luke Schenn has had in recent years. Just a few seasons ago the 2008 fifth-overall pick would be known to most as a Toronto Maple Leafs draft disappointment who ultimately settled in as a bottom-of-the-lineup depth defenseman. Then Schenn signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, won two Stanley Cups, and went to Vancouver where he has become a steady rock on an otherwise volatile defense. Now, his agent is singing Schenn’s praises on social media as a potential trade deadline acquisition for a contending team.

According to Schenn, though, a trade isn’t his first choice for how to proceed on his expiring contract. Per The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, Schenn “wants to re-sign with the Canucks” and has said that his top priority “is to be part of a winning team” in Vancouver. (subscription link) Can the Canucks devote some of their limited financial flexibility to Schenn, who for all his virtues remains a 33-year-old physical defenseman? Schenn’s side of the equation seems settled, so the open question is whether Schenn’s interest in signing an extension is shared by his team.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The Jakob Chychrun situation in Arizona remains unsettled, as the team has still not found a suitable trade deal for their star defenseman. Per PHNX’s Craig Morgan, they’re not going to budge on their asking price any time soon. According to Morgan, that price is two first-round picks and a second-rounder or a “good prospect,” and teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, and Florida Panthers, among others, are “still believed to be in the mix.”
  • The Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran penned a closer look at the Maple Leafs’ situation with defenseman Jake Muzzin, examining not only whether he can return from the neck injury that sidelined him, but whether he should. Based on the comments of the health experts McGran interviewed, it seems Muzzin is facing the choice of whether to potentially risk his long-term personal health in order to get back on the ice.

Jake Muzzin Out Indefinitely With Cervical Spine Injury

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The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t getting Jake Muzzin back for a while. Toronto announced today that Muzzin is dealing with a cervical spine injury and is out indefinitely. His status will be re-evaluated in late February. Meanwhile, the team has also placed T.J. Brodie on injured reserve with an oblique injury and recalled Mac Hollowell and Pontus Holmberg from the minor leagues.

Muzzin, 33, has suffered several head, neck, and back injuries over the last few years, leading to his early exit from multiple playoff series and a relatively low number of regular season appearances. In 47 games last year he registered just 14 points, the lowest total of his career, and he failed to make it through even four contests this season before suffering this latest injury.

It hasn’t even been limited to his time in the NHL. Muzzin suffered a serious back injury in minor hockey as well, causing him to miss the entire 2005-06 season after being drafted 11th overall by the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL Priority Selection. While he would return from that injury and play a partial season for the Greyhounds in 2006-07, it caused him to fall considerably in NHL drafts, with the Pittsburgh Penguins eventually taking him 141st overall.

A warrior who can play a physical game but also contribute offensively, he would eventually become captain of the Greyhounds and quickly make his way to the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. By 2015 he was playing with Canada at the World Championship (where he won gold) and then again at the World Cup in 2016 (where he won gold).

Now, with his career seemingly in jeopardy, he sits at 683 regular season games and 294 career points. Muzzin received votes for the Norris Trophy in both 2016 and 2019, finishing 11th in the latter.

Though they would certainly rather a healthy, effective Muzzin in the lineup, his placement on LTIR earlier this season did open up some flexibility for the Maple Leafs. They still have quite a few question marks on the back end (especially with Brodie now out of the lineup) but inserted Jordie Benn over the weekend to add some extra physicality (and apparently, game-winning goals). If Muzzin is going to spend the entire season on the shelf, it would allow them to make an acquisition of some sort.

Maple Leafs Notes: Liljegren, Muzzin, Moldenhauer

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tailspin with four losses in a row, but at least they are getting a reinforcement. Timothy Liljegren, who was expected to take another step in terms of responsibility and ice time this season, will re-enter the lineup on Saturday, according to Luke Fox of Sportsnet.

Now 23, Liljegren was the 17th overall pick in 2017 and has played just 74 games in the NHL to this point. He showed flashes of top-four potential last season, with 23 points in 61 games, but was injured in training camp and placed on long-term injured reserve.

  • One of the reasons why Liljegren is so necessary is the injury to Jake Muzzin, which wasn’t updated by head coach Sheldon Keefe today. As Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reports, Muzzin is awaiting some test results from a neck specialist. The 33-year-old Muzzin has dealt with several head, neck, and back injuries over the last few seasons, so the team will go slow with his recovery.
  • Maple Leafs prospect Nick Moldenhauer has committed to the University of Michigan for next season, where he’ll continue his development after his USHL career comes to an end. The 2022 third-round pick has ten goals in his first 11 games for the Chicago Steel this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Move Muzzin To LTIR; Clifford To IR

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October 26: Muzzin has now been placed on LTIR retroactive to October 18, according to CapFriendly. The soonest Muzzin would be eligible to return to the Leafs’ lineup is now November 11, meaning they’ll be without him for at least the next two weeks. Kyle Clifford has also been moved to regular injured reserve, with Filip Kral recalled, filling his roster spot.

October 19: After their minor league club signed Danny DeKeyser to a PTO earlier today, the Toronto Maple Leafs have brought up another AHL defenseman to the active roster. Filip Kral has been recalled, as the team moves Jake Muzzin to injured reserve. Muzzin is out with a neck injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

Kral, meanwhile, could be looking at his first NHL game should he get into the lineup. The 22-year-old defenseman was a fifth-round pick of the team in 2018 and has developed nicely over the years, to the point of being one of the final cuts this fall. The 6’2″ Czech-born defender played three seasons in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs, before returning home to play another year overseas.

Last season, he posted 21 points in 58 games during his first full season with the Toronto Marlies, and now he’s an NHL call-up just a week into the schedule. As David Alter of Sports Illustrated notes, Jordie Benn and Timothy Liljegren are both joining the Maple Leafs’ practice today, though neither can be removed from LTIR until November 5.

That means a little bit of runway for Kral, though it seems likely that Victor Mete will get the first crack with the main group tomorrow night.

Evening Notes: Muzzin, Brown, Utica

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin left the game earlier this evening with a neck injury and will not return, the team announced. The injury appeared to occur after Muzzin and Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller came together in an awkward collision in the corner, Muzzin tumbling to the ice, leaving gingerly. It’s unclear how severe the injury is and whether or not Muzzin will miss any additional time after tonight.

Being without the veteran defenseman would be another tough injury break for the Maple Leafs, who already lost goaltender Matt Murray to an abdominal injury this weekend. The silver lining with Murray hitting LTIR was that it allowed the cap-tight Maple Leafs to recall three players, including defenseman Victor Mete. If Muzzin were to miss time, but not enough to warrant a trip to LTIR, Toronto still has just south of $1.6MM in LTIR to utilize, meaning they could recall another player.

  • Also done for the night is Washington Capitals forward Connor Brown, who suffered a lower-body injury, said the team. Brown was the recipient of a big hit from Vancouver Canucks defenseman Noah Juulsen. According to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Brown immediately grabbed at his right knee before leaving the ice without putting any weight on it. For the Capitals, who are carrying 14 forwards and have roughly $2MM remaining in LTIR space they can utilize, managing their roster should Brown miss any bit of time won’t be the challenge it has been for other teams this season, but that of course doesn’t account for the talent Brown himself brings to the lineup. Through three-plus games this season, Brown had yet to register a point, but did have 39 points over 64 games last season with the Ottawa Senators.
  • An interesting situation in the AHL tonight, as a local power outage forced the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Utica Comets game to be paused with 2:43 remaining in the second period. Crews attempted to restore power to the arena, however not too long after, the AHL announced the game would be suspended and made up at a later date. Odd as the situation may be, it wasn’t too long ago that a 2021 preseason game between the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils had to be cancelled just minutes before puck drop after a power outage at the Prudential Center. Ironically, Utica is New Jersey’s AHL affiliate.

Injury Notes: Carrier, Muzzin, Blueger

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The Vegas Golden Knights have some good news and some bad news on the injury front. The good news is that captain Mark Stone has “checked all the medical boxes” according to head coach Bruce Cassidy, and should be able to take part in a preseason game in the next few days.

The bad news is that William Carrier will be re-evaluated next week after suffering an upper-body injury over the weekend. The 27-year-old Carrier is in the third season of a four-year, $5.6MM contract signed in 2020 and had 20 points in 63 games last season.

  • Jake Muzzin joined his teammates at practice today, after sitting out the last few because of an ongoing back issue. The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman did leave early as a precaution, but head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including David Alter of Sports Illustrated that Muzzin could have continued.
  • Teddy Blueger left today’s practice with the Pittsburgh Penguins partway through and is now being evaluated for an upper-body injury. Blueger is an important part of the team’s forward depth, especially as Jeff Carter deals with an upper-body injury of his own. Ryan Poehling was skating as the third-line center in their absence.

Maple Leafs Notes: Bunting, Tavares, Muzzin, Liljegren

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In talking to TSN’s Mark Masters, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe gave several updates on his team, which has several players banged-up. One of those players is rookie Michael Bunting. The breakout forward suffered an undisclosed injury in last night’s game, and while he did take a puck to the face, the belief is that the injury is in fact to Bunting’s leg. According to Keefe last night, he expected Bunting to miss some time, but did not disclose how much. Today, Keefe reiterated that Bunting would certainly miss some time, but did add that he woke up feeling a lot better than expected (link). Still, the team will wait until they get back to Toronto after their road trip to further evaluate Bunting and get a more clear picture of how much time he will miss.

Bunting’s absence, especially at this juncture, is of concern for Toronto. The team has several formidable offensive weapons, but Bunting’s breakout season, which has seen him score 23 goals along with 40 assists in 79 games has helped to take some focus off of Toronto’s other weapons. Tonight’s game at the Washington Capitals will be the first Bunting has missed this season.

  • John Tavares, the Maple Leafs’ captain, will also miss tonight’s game, his second of the season and first since November (link). Tavares’ absence should be of no concern to Maple Leafs fans, as Keefe assured that this was merely a case of load management, acknowledging that despite being injured, Matthews’ absence from the lineup provided him with a break heading into the playoffs, something Tavares has not had.
  • Defenseman Jake Muzzin will also be out of the lineup tonight, missing his sixth straight game (link). The exact nature of Muzzin’s injury is not clear, however it is not believed to be connected to the concussion that saw him miss significant time in February and March. Keefe did not provide any timeline for Muzzin on a return or any further absence. Muzzin has played in just 45 of the Maple Leafs’ 79 games this season, but getting him back in the lineup would be a key addition heading into the playoffs.
  • Also missing tonight’s game is defenseman Timothy Liljegren, though his injury is considered a minor one (link). Keefe did not elaborate on the nature of Liljegren’s injury, or mention any timetable, however it does appear that the recently recalled Carl Dahlstrom will draw into the lineup in his place. The 27-year-old Dahlstrom has played in just two games at the NHL level this season for the Maple Leafs, recording an assist. In 47 games at the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies, Dahlstrom has 14 points, all assists.

Injury Updates: Flyers, Barabanov, Maple Leafs, Murray

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Don’t expect the Flyers to get many – if any – reinforcements from their injured list over the final few games.  Giana Han of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link) that the only player that might be able to return is defenseman Nick Seeler with interim head coach Mike Yeo admitting that even that “might be a bit of a long shot”.  This means the season has come to an end for wingers Cam Atkinson and Patrick Brown, defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, Kevin Connauton, and Cam York, as well as goaltender Carter Hart.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov is listed as probable for tonight’s game against Chicago, notes Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury.  Barabanov has been one of the bright spots for San Jose this season, notching 37 points in 65 games, a very nice return on a $1MM AAV.  He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer and will be looking at a sizable raise on his next contract.
  • The Maple Leafs could have defenseman Jake Muzzin back in the lineup tomorrow against Washington, reports Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). The veteran has been held out of the last few games after struggling a bit after returning from a concussion.  Meanwhile, Fox adds that blueliner Rasmus Sandin is expected to start practicing with the team as he works his way back from a knee injury that landed him on LTIR last month.  Toronto has enough cap flexibility to activate him if he’s able to get into a game before the end of the season but if not, he should be ready for the playoffs.
  • Senators goaltender Matt Murray is hoping to get into a game or two by the end of the season but it doesn’t seem likely to happen, mentions Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The netminder has been out for the last six weeks with a neck injury and is a speculative candidate to play for Canada at next month’s World Championships.  An appearance or two in the final week for Ottawa would go a long way towards demonstrating that he’ll be able to play in that tournament.

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