On Tuesday Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin was diagnosed with a concussion. As a result, the 32-year-old will not travel with the team to New York for their upcoming games against the Rangers and Islanders.
Jake Muzzin wasn't feeling right after Monday's practice and has been diagnosed with a concussion. He will not travel with the Leafs to New York this week.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) January 18, 2022
Jake Muzzin Diagnosed with Concussion
The injury is suspected to have occurred in the Leafs 6-5 victory over the St Louis Blues on Saturday. Muzzin was hit hard into the end boards by Blues forward Klim Kostin but remained in the game despite appearing shaken up. According to Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, Muzzin reported that he wasn’t feeling right after the team’s practice on Monday, sparking the diagnosis. Since he was aquired from the Los Angeles Kings in 2019, Muzzin has been among the Leafs top penalty killers. This season he has 11 points in 35 games and has been a fixture on the teams shutdown pair.
This is the hit that concussed Jake Muzzin: "It rocked me pretty good a little bit. So definitely kind of startled me the rest of that shift for sure." https://t.co/zdY0AtjKc7
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) January 18, 2022
The Woodstock, Ontario native has 67 goals and 223 assists in 667 career games. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round, 141st overall of the 2007 NHL Draft. Muzzin has represented Canada on the international level and won gold for his home country. He picked up a gold at the 2015 IIHF World Championships and was part of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey winners. He also was part of the 2014 Stanley Cup winning squad with the Kings.
What this means for the Leafs
With Leafs defenceman Justin Holl unavailable due to COVID protocols, Keefe said Alex Biega will draw into the lineup. Biega has 42 points in 242 career NHL games. At Leafs practice he was placed on the bottom pair with Travis Dermott. In Muzzin’s absence, Swedish defencemen Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren will make up the Leafs second pair. The young duo will be looked upon for big minutes, with each of them hoping to make more of an impact with Keefe.
