Maple Leafs Defenseman Done for the Season

The Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed on Wednesday that defenseman Jake Muzzin will not be suiting up for the rest of the regular season or any Stanley Cup Playoff games. Muzzin has been out most of the season due to a spinal injury and after consulting with several specialists, the decision was made to shut him down.

The 34-year-old Muzzin has been out since November and only appeared in four games in 2022-23. He is now being placed on LTIR and his $5.625 cap hit will now allow the Maple Leafs to go over the salary cap by this amount for the remainder of the regular season.

Muzzin has a long history of neck and back injuries and this is certainly tough news for him as of course, he wishes he would be able to play and help the Maple Leafs down the stretch.

As reported by the team, defenseman Jake Muzzin has been officially ruled out for the rest of the 2022-23 regular season and playoffs.

Rooting for your recovery, Muzz 👊

(📸: @MapleLeafs) pic.twitter.com/8Bo0hMjgp2

— sdpn (@sdpnsports) February 22, 2023

Look for Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas to be active ahead of the March 3 trade deadline and expect to see the team acquire a blueliner who plays a similar defensive-first style to Muzzin's game.

With Jake Muzzin’s career at risk due to a back injury it only feels fair to remember that the crosscheck that started it all from Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t even called as a minor penalty pic.twitter.com/TeJRqrgLyv

— Spence (@WhereIsMalgin) February 22, 2023

Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports