Maple Leafs Reveal Latest On Klingberg's Continued Absence

After missing two of the last three games, it appears that John Klingberg's absence from the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup will be lingering quite a bit longer now, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. 

It's certainly getting to that place. With the time off they tried to use it with a little more aggressive treatment for him going forward. They still think some of that treatment will help him and pay off for him. It’s just taking longer for him to bounce back from it and just hasn’t been comfortable.

The beleaguered defenseman has been receiving the wrath of Leafs fans this season for his poor play, but maybe (perhaps?) the undisclosed injury has been hampering him to the point where it's affected his play. 

The 31-year-old blueliner admitted on Friday that the ailment is something that's affected him in the past. The Leafs' light schedule through their Sweden trek has afforded Klingberg more treatment time; they'll play just their second game of the week on Sunday morning, then go another five days before their next contest. 

The free agent signing (one year, $4M) of the offensive defenseman was questioned in the first place by followers of the Buds this past summer, as a stronger defensive presence was (and certainly still is) what the team needs in their own zone. 

In 14 games this season, Klingberg has five assists and has registered a minus-7. 

Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports