Jake Muzzin of the Toronto Maple Leafs in action against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on Nov. 21, 2021 in Elmont, New York.BRUCE BENNETT/Getty Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs got a jolt on Monday when it was learned that Jake Muzzin has a cervical spine injury that unlikely to heal until at least the end of February.
The 33-year-old defenceman is the conscience of Toronto’s dressing room, a big guy with grit and a Stanley Cup ring and a friendly demeanour.
“It’s difficult to see,” John Tavares, Toronto’s captain, said after practice at the Ford Performance Centre. “We think so much of him and care about him a lot. It is not easy news at all.”
With his history of injuries, it is fair to say that Muzzin’s 12-year NHL career could be imperilled. At 16, he had surgery to repair two herniated discs, he has had multiple concussions since he joined the club in January of 2019 as well as a broken foot and a broken hand.
He missed the start of training camp with a sore back and has only played in four games so far.
“It is sad being his teammate and friend because you know how much he loves the game,” Mitch Marner said. “When you get news like this from him it is pretty emotional.
“There are a lot bigger things than playing this game and that is your family and the people around you that love you.”
In addition to the unexpected severity of Muzzin’s injury, the Maple Leafs also placed fellow defenceman T.J. Brodie on the injured list with a strained oblique muscle.
Brodie sat out Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Vancouver, the first game he has missed in 167 contests since he signed with Toronto as a free agent in 2020.
The defensive pairings when the team meets the Penguins on Tuesday in Pittsburgh will see Morgan Rielly with Jamie Benn, Mark Giordano with Justin Holl and Rasmus Sandin with Timothy Liljegren.
Matt Murray will make his first start in Toronto’s net since an opening-night loss to the Canadiens in Montreal. A Stanley Cup winner with the Penguins but cursed by the injury bug as well, Murray suffered an adductor strain three days into the regular season.
With fellow goaltender Ilya Samsonov also hurt, Erik Kallgren has filled in quite capably. He has now appeared in half of the 16 games and they are 8-5-3.
Muzzin was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 19, two days after he left a 3-2 loss to Arizona after a collision with Coyotes forward Clayton Keller. As recently as Friday, head coach Sheldon Keefe said there was no update about Muzzin’s return.
“It’s a tough loss for us,” Keefe said on Monday. “He is a very important player for many reasons. It is something we have to come to terms with.
“When you lose a guy like him that you lean on so much, everybody else has to play more and in different situations than maybe they are accustomed to – and that’s part of what we’re going through a bit on the back end.”
Muzzin played in only 47 of 82 regular-season games last year, 53 of 56 in 2020-21 and 53 of 70 in 2019-20.
When he is in the lineup he provides a physical presence and exhibits a toughness that is otherwise largely lacking.
In December of 2019, he played 18 shifts with a broken foot after he got in front of a slap shot by New Jersey’s P.K. Subban.
“I feel for him because of how much a competitor he is and how badly he wants to be out on the ice helping our team,” Keefe said. “He is doing all he can to still be part of our team and help us with his experience and his perspective.”
Muzzin has been married for six years and has two very young children. During training camp, he talked about the importance of his family and his role as a husband and father.
There is no way to tell yet if he will return healthy enough to play and not risk further injury.
“It is a tough one to answer because we haven’t dealt with this kind of injury too often,” Toronto general manager Sheldon Keefe said. “It’s not something you really want to mess around with.
“As important as he is to us as a player, we have to do right by him. We have to do what’s right for his long-term health.”