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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.

Matt Murray Cleared To Play, But Not Game Ready

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs elected to overhaul their goaltending group this offseason, the biggest question aside from rebound performances from Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, would be health. Thus far, the team has seemingly received a positive answer when it comes to performance from both goaltenders, but health has been an issue. Murray found himself on LTIR with an abductor injury after just one game and last weekend, Samsonov found himself on IR with a knee injury suffered on a Brad Marchand penalty shot. After the emergency signing of AHL netminder Keith Petruzzelli, the team has relied on Erik Kallgren to shoulder the load while waiting for one of Murray or Samsonov to return.

Earlier today, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe provided a brief update on Murray when he spoke with the media, including The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. Per Keefe, Murray is doing well physically and has even been cleared to play. However, Keefe says, Murray is not quite ready to return, with the organization’s performance team waiting to see a few more things before they believe he can return to game action. Although Murray’s return can’t come soon enough for Toronto, assuring the netminder is 100% ready for game action is key. Even if he’s completely healthy, as he appears to be, Murray has been out of game action for a month, a considerable amount of that time spent not receiving the daily work and repetition necessary to be a competitive NHL goaltender. Had Murray been rushed, Toronto might find itself with a healthy Murray, but not the one they need.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Mark Friedman

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After dealing with some defensive injuries earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Mark Friedman from the AHL for tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. To make room, they’ve sent Samuel Poulin back to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

It’s good timing for Friedman, who will likely be playing in front of some friends and family should he enter the lineup tonight. The Toronto native suited up 26 times for the Penguins last season but has been limited to AHL action so far this year. In ten games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has two points.

The fact that it is Friedman coming up and not Ty Smith is interesting, especially given how well John Marino is playing with the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins traded Marino for Smith and a third-round pick this offseason as they worked to revamp their defense, a move that certainly seems like a mistake in hindsight. Marino is playing nearly 22 minutes a night on one of the hottest teams in the league while Smith is getting passed over for call-ups in the minor leagues.

The trade is certainly more complicated than that, as there are salaries and other considerations involved, but given the Penguins’ current place in the standings – seventh in the Metropolitan, 10 points behind the Devils – there will be some pretty frustrated fans if things don’t turn around soon.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Jan Rutta both left Wednesday’s game but were present at today’s morning skate in Toronto. Friedman’s recall suggests that at least one won’t be able to play tonight, though that has not been confirmed.

Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Jordie Benn

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One of the reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs struggled so much out of the gate was defensive depth, with Jake Muzzin and Timothy Liljegren injured at the same time. Another missing player during that stretch was Jordie Benn, who is now back after being activated off injured reserve.

The Maple Leafs have sent Pontus Holmberg and Victor Mete back to the minor leagues to make room for the incoming veteran defenseman. The team also released Danny DeKeyser from his AHL professional tryout contract.

Benn, 35, signed a one-year, $750K contract with the Maple Leafs this summer as a potential seventh or eighth defenseman but suffered an injury in training camp that has kept him out the first month of the season. The veteran of 595 regular season games will give the team a different look on the back end, should they decide to insert him into the lineup.

More physical than any of the team’s other defenders, he could add some bite to the third pairing should they suffer another injury. With Liljegren back the group has seemed to stabilize for the time being but a lot of pressure will be put on the defense as they deal with injuries to both Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov.

Latest On Rodion Amirov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs recently hosted prospect Rodion Amirov during their Hockey Fights Cancer night, supporting him as he continues his battle with a brain tumor. Today, Amirov’s agent Dan Milstein released some difficult news on the young forward:

Rodion Amirov has returned home and is with his family. Unfortunately, at the moment Rodion cannot train, as he is undergoing additional treatments. We would like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs and Salavat Yulaev Ufa for their incredible support and willingness to do everything necessary for Rodion’s comfort. 

Amirov, 21, was the 15th overall selection in 2020 and had shown great promise as an offensive player in the KHL before his diagnosis. As recently as this summer he had been training with the Maple Leafs and his Russian club but it appears as though that will be put on hold for now.

It’s unclear when or if Amirov will be ready to contribute in North America but the Maple Leafs have made it clear they will support him as he tries to continue his hockey career. Signed to an entry-level deal in 2021, he is under contract through 2023-24 and will be a restricted free agent thereafter.

Toronto Maple Leafs Place Ilya Samsonov On IR; Matt Murray’s Return “On The Horizon”

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The Toronto Maple Leafs made a big sacrifice in last night’s win over the Boston Bruins, losing goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a knee injury. The netminder left the game after two periods and had many in the hockey world wondering what could be next for the Maple Leafs. This morning, the organization signed goaltender Keith Petruzzelli to a a two-year, entry-level contract to fill the void in Samsonov’s absence alongside backstop Erik Kallgren until either Samsonov, or Matt Murray, who is currently on LTIR, can return.

Earlier today, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe met the media to provide updates on the team’s goaltending situation. For one, Keefe told reporters, including Sports Illustrated’s David Alter, that Samsonov is indeed being placed on IR. This move will create the roster spot for Petruzzelli. Per TSN’s Mark Masters, Keefe added that Samsonov will have an MRI on his knee today and is expected to miss more than a week, but the timeline beyond that is unclear.

Now without Murray and Samsonov, Toronto is down to their third and fourth string goaltenders, the fourth string one they didn’t expect to have until earlier today. In the aftermath of Samsonov’s injury, many turned their eyes to the injured Murray. Of course, Murray is still on LTIR, however the initial timeline for his abductor injury was listed as four weeks. That was three weeks ago.

Keefe did not go so far as to give a timeline on Murray, but beyond adding his return is “on the horizon,” Keefe did tell Alter that Murray would join the Maple Leafs for practice as soon as Tuesday. Keefe also mentioned, Masters writes, that he considers Murray to be “ahead of schedule” in regards to his timeline. What exactly that could mean is unclear, but the Maple Leafs will have a busy week nonetheless. After this afternoon’s contest in Carolina, the team returns home for games on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, including challenges from the Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, and a desperate Vancouver Canucks squad.

In the meantime, the duo of Kallgren and Petruzzelli may not sound all that enticing to Toronto fans, however each brings a solid track record to the table. Petruzzelli was dominant in his four years at Quinnipiac University before turning pro last season. The 23-year-old continued his dominance with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers and spent five games with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL as well. This season, he was off to a strong start with a 2.31 goals-against average and .922 save-percentage in six games with the Marlies. Meanwhile, Kallgren brings with him a bevy of European experience prior to his North American debut last season, where he played 40 games between the Marlies and Maple Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs Reportedly Sign Keith Petruzzelli

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12:15 PM: The Maple Leafs have now made their signing of Petruzzelli official.

9:30 AM: The Toronto Maple Leafs received some bad news last night when starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov was knocked out of the game with a knee injury. With Samsonov now possibly set to miss time, the Maple Leafs have made a move to shore up their personnel in the crease. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Toronto has signed goaltender Keith Petruzzelli to an NHL deal.

Since this contract would be Petruzzelli’s first NHL deal, it will be a two-year entry-level deal. The terms of the deal and the signing have not been officially announced by the Maple Leafs, but the official word should be coming soon.

Petruzzelli, 23, was a third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings at the 2017 draft who signed an AHL deal in Toronto after a solid four-year collegiate career at Quinnipiac University. He spent most of his time last year with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, notching a .927 save percentage in 23 games played.

So far this season, Petruzzelli has spent his time at the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies. There, he is 6-0 in his first six starts with a .922 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average.

This signing is made in large part due to the increasingly desperate situation the Maple Leafs find themselves in in their crease. With Matt Murray already on long-term injured reserve and Ilya Samsonov potentially out for some time, the Maple Leafs need another player in their net to support Erik Kallgren.

Petruzzelli, with this contract, could get a chance to play in some NHL games if Samsonov does indeed miss some time with a knee injury.

Ilya Samsonov Exits Saturday With Knee Injury

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  • More tough news for the Toronto Maple Leafs in net as goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who started tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins, was forced to leave after the second period. The Maple Leafs confirmed their goaltender would not return while dealing with a knee injury. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who discussed the injury with reporters, including Joshua Clipperton of The Canadien Press, was suffered during Brad Marchand’s penalty shot. The extent of the injury or any time he could miss is not yet clear, however Toronto is already working around the loss of Matt Murray in net, who is on LTIR with an abductor injury. Murray was scheduled to miss four weeks with that injury and is currently through three, however a scheduled return is not yet known. Erik Kallgren, who has been acting as the Maple Leafs backup goaltender, is certainly a capable NHL netminder, however the only other goaltender Toronto has under contract is Dennis Hildeby, a 2022 draft pick currently on loan in his native Sweden. Interestingly, the Maple Leafs had been pressed against the 50 contract limit–until today. With forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel lost on waivers to the Washington Capitals this afternoon, Toronto now has just 49 of 50 contracts in their system, enough to add one more player. Should they need to do so, they’ll have to act quick and be creative, with puck drop in Carolina scheduled for 5:00 pm ET tomorrow afternoon.

Capitals Claim Nicolas Aube-Kubel Off Waivers From Maple Leafs

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With Connor Brown done for the season due to ACL surgery, the Capitals have his $3.6MM cap hit to work with for LTIR space.  They used a chunk of that today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Washington has claimed winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers from Toronto.

It’s the second straight season that the 26-year-old has been plucked off the waiver wire in November as a year ago, Colorado scooped him up from Philadelphia.  He went on to have a strong finish to his season with 11 goals and 11 assists in 67 games with the Avs while suiting up 14 times in their Stanley Cup run, leading to him signing a one-year, $1MM contract with the Maple Leafs on the opening day of free agency last summer.

However, things didn’t go particularly well for Aube-Kubel with Toronto as he was a healthy scratch in five of their first 11 games this season while he was held off the scoresheet in six games while logging just over nine minutes per game and with a need for some roster flexibility, they decided that Aube-Kubel was the one to part with.  Notably, on top of the cap savings and roster spot being opened, this also frees up a contract slot for Toronto who was at the maximum of 50 prior to this claim.

Meanwhile, for Washington, it’s a low-risk move to bring in a bottom-six forward with some NHL experience as Aube-Kubel has 175 career NHL appearances under his belt which will give Peter Laviolette another option as he looks to find the right combination on the fourth line.  With the Caps having a full roster, they’ve assigned Garrett Pilon to AHL Hershey to open up a spot on their 23-man roster.  Pilon has five points in seven games with the Bears so far this season.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel Placed On Waivers

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Just a few months after hoisting (and dropping) the Stanley Cup, Nicolas Aube-Kubel finds himself on waivers. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed the depth forward on waivers, and earlier today he was skating as an extra defenseman in practice. The Maple Leafs recalled Wayne Simmonds earlier today and still needed a spot to activate Timothy Liljegren, who is expected to make his season debut tomorrow night.

Aube-Kubel, 26, was signed to a one-year, $1MM contract this summer by the Maple Leafs and was expected to play a full-time role in the bottom six. After six scoreless games, it appears as though the team is ready to move on.

Should he clear he can be assigned to the AHL but there is at least a good chance that someone decides to take Aube-Kubel after his strong performance last year. In 67 regular season games with the Colorado Avalanche (after a waiver claim), he scored 11 goals and 22 points. He then suited up for 14 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup championship.

He did fail to score a point in those 14 postseason contests, which could have been a bit of foreshadowing for this season. In those six games with Toronto, he generated just two shots on goal but did record 21 hits. His limited minutes included almost no offensive starts, leading to brutal possession numbers.

It’s been a few years since Aube-Kubel played regularly in the AHL but that’s likely where he’s headed should he clear waivers tomorrow. The entire $1MM cap hit would come off the books for the Maple Leafs, giving them a little more flexibility than sending down Simmonds or a younger player like Pontus Holmberg.

Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets tweets that Toronto made Aube-Kubel available for trade this week. Waivers don’t necessarily mean those negotiations have ended. Sometimes a player clearing can actually improve his value, as the acquiring team can then stash him in the minor leagues. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s what happens here.

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