Jake Muzzin is out indefinitely for the Toronto Maple Leafs because of a cervical spine injury.
The defenseman, who is on long-term injured reserve, will be reevaluated in late February.
Muzzin has one assist in four games this season. He last played on Oct. 17, when he left a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes at 11:03 of the second period following a collision with the Coyotes forward. Clayton Keller.
General manager Kyle Dubas said the Maple Leafs are prioritizing Muzzin’s long-term health.
“It’s a really tough one for me to answer because we haven’t dealt with this type of injury all too often in my experience, with it being a cervical spine injury,” Dubas said. “He’s had two notable incidents on the ice, against Columbus in 2020 at the end of Game 2 in that [Stanley Cup Qualifier] series, and this one here against Arizona. It’s not something you really want to mess around with, so unless he’s 100 percent sure that this recovery time is going to allow that to settle and not be an issue, we have to do what’s right for his long-term health.
“He’s a father of two young children, a husband. We have to make sure we’re doing right by him. As important as he is as a player, his health is paramount.”
In the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers, Muzzin was stretchered off the ice after he fell chest-first onto the legs of Blue Jackets forward Oliver Bjorkstrand. The 33-year-old then sustained two concussions last season and missed part of training camp this season because of back discomfort.
While Muzzin is out, Dubas said he will remain around the Maple Leafs.
“It’s rest, but he is going to continue to train and stay in shape and stay around the team for all the other things he adds (off the ice),” Dubas said. “It’s mostly rest and go back and see one of the specialists in Los Angeles to get a clearer picture of where it is at.”
Dubas added that at this point he is not exploring a trade to upgrade the defensive group in Muzzin’s absence.
“We are always looking to improve the team if we can, but I think right now in the short run, it’s a great chance to really learn,” Dubas said. “We have some young defensemen in there Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren who have earned some more opportunity to see how much they can handle, and whether with increased opportunity continue to elevate themselves. That’ll be step one. Step two will be identifying even if they elevate themselves, whether that is going to be enough to help us really accomplish what we want to accomplish, and then evaluate the trade market from there. Not in any real hurry to fill it because we want to see what these guys bring.”
Forward Mitchell Marner said even though he is not playing, Muzzin can make an impact on the Maple Leafs.
“He’s still been awesome around the rink,” Marner said. “Just so much support and positivity. He’s a great person to have around the rink all the time and still bringing that positivity regardless of the news he’s getting. He’s just a spectacular guy to have around. It’s tough not having him on the ice with you everyday.”
Defenseman TJ Brodie was also placed on injured reserve with an oblique injury. He skated in warmups ahead of a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday but did not play.
“He will be out for a minimum of two weeks is what we expect,” Dubas said. “We dealt with a similar thing John Tavares earlier in the season, same injury.”
Defenseman Mac Hollowell was recalled from Toronto of the American Hockey League.
The Maple Leafs (8-5-3) next play at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, ATTSN-PT, TSN4, ESPN+, SN NOW).
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