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Jake Muzzin

Morning Notes: Trades, Little, Muzzin

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As we start the first round of the playoffs, the offseason has started for nearly half the league. We’ve seen free agents start to take their talents overseas, prospects loaned to European leagues to get their development back on track and the draft lottery determining the order of the top picks this fall. There could be even more moves coming down the pipe, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has confirmed with the league that the 15 eliminated teams are now eligible to make trades.

LeBrun wonders if they will wait for a full 31-team market before pulling the trigger, but there is a difference in how teams can operate during these playoffs. The salary cap, which is usually not set for the following season until after the playoffs end, is fixed and known for 2020-21. That means if teams want to get a headstart on their financials, they could potentially start to pull off some trades and reshape their lineup before the Stanley Cup is handed out.

  • Bryan Little ended up playing just seven games for the Winnipeg Jets this season. After playing in all 82 for each of the last two seasons, Little took a slapshot from Nikolaj Ehlers directly to the head just a few weeks into 2019-20. He suffered a brain injury that kept him out for the rest of the season and even kept him from performing basic physical activity. Little spoke with reporters including Murat Ates of The Athletic today, explaining that for six weeks after the injury he wasn’t even allowed to pick his young daughter up. Little did return to practice at one point before being shut down again, and now just hopes that he’ll be able to play hockey again one day. He’s “not shutting the door” but also needs to be told there’s no risk before returning. Little signed a six-year extension in 2017, which has four years remaining at a $5.29MM cap hit.
  • Jake Muzzin, another player who suffered a scary injury, is feeling much better and is expected to make a full recovery. The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman was stretchered off the ice last week after an awkward fall and lost feeling in his extremities. After being taken to the hospital he was discharged later that night but did not play again for Toronto. Muzzin was part of the Maple Leafs’ media availability today, a good sign he’s on the road back.

Jake Muzzin Discharged From Hospital

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Wednesday: Muzzin was discharged from the hospital overnight but according to the Maple Leafs, he will not be available for the duration of the series against the Blue Jackets as a result of his injury. He will remain in quarantine within the hotel before rejoining teammates “upon recovery.”

This is a huge blow for the Maple Leafs as they try to defeat Columbus in the qualification round, but the entire hockey world can breathe a sigh of relief that Muzzin has been discharged and is on the road to recovery.

In the meantime, the Maple Leafs will likely look to Martin Marincin or Rasmus Sandin to take his place in the lineup when they hit the ice tomorrow for game three.

Tuesday: Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin has been taken to hospital after suffering what appeared to be a neck injury late in their 3-0 victory over Columbus to tie the series at one apiece.  The team released the following statement via their Twitter account:

Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Muzzin was transported to hospital following an on-ice collision in the third period tonight. He is alert and able to move all limbs. Further updates will be provided once available.

The incident occurred with roughly two minutes remaining in regulation.  After taking a cross-check from Pierre-Luc Dubois, Muzzin bounced off the boards while on his knees.  However, his head collided with Oliver Bjorkstrand while in that position which caused the injury.  Muzzin tried to get up on his own but team doctors eventually decided to take him off on a stretcher as a precaution.

This is the first known instance of a player being taken to hospital following an in-game injury since the NHL started to play in the bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton.  Accordingly, there are some questions as to how long Muzzin may have to miss as a result of leaving the bubble although, of course, at this point, the focus is simply on making sure he’s okay first and foremost.  While the usual process would be four negative tests in as many days, TSN’s Frank Seravalli notes (Twitter link) that there is no set protocol in place for this scenario.  Instead, it will be up to the Hub Medical Director who will decide based on Muzzin’s exposure outside of the bubble.

Snapshots: Post-Deadline Moves, Thornton, Lindholm

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Even though it is referred to as the trade deadline in the NHL, this Monday was not actually that. In fact, teams are still allowed to make basically any move they want, with one caveat—players switching squads will not be eligible for the postseason. With that limitation in place it almost never makes sense for a team to make a trade in the weeks following the deadline but perhaps in one specific situation this year it could.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced earlier today that Jake Muzzin will be out a month with a broken hand, leaving them with a handful of defenders that were almost all playing in the minor leagues a few years ago. Tyson Barrie stands as the only real defenseman with any experience, at least until Muzzin, Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci return down the road. Perhaps the Maple Leafs could break with tradition and acquire a depth defender just to help them for the next few weeks, given their precarious hold on an Atlantic Division playoff spot.

  • Speaking of Toronto, the latest edition of 31 Thoughts by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet includes an interesting nugget regarding the Maple Leafs. When examining the Joe Thornton situation and his recent comments about being disappointed he didn’t move at the deadline, Friedman speculates that the veteran forward could find his way to Toronto should he decide the San Jose Sharks aren’t in a position to compete next season. In fact, Friedman believes that the Maple Leafs considered adding him this year, though there were obvious obstacles in the way. In the summer of 2017 when the Maple Leafs signed Patrick Marleau as a free agent there were plenty of rumors about Thornton joining him there, but will there even be an opportunity for him next season at age-41?
  • After leaving last night’s game with an upper-body injury, Hampus Lindholm wasn’t at practice today for the Anaheim Ducks according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Brendan Guhle has been recalled in his absence. Losing Lindholm for any length of time would really test the rest of the Anaheim defenders, perhaps even giving them a chance to see what they have in some of their younger options. The 26-year old logs more than 23 minutes a night for the team, and has 22 points in 55 games.

Jake Muzzin Out Four Weeks With Broken Hand

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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ defensive depth is getting even thinner by the day. The team announced today that Jake Muzzin will be out for the next four weeks after suffering a broken hand last night. The recently re-acquired Calle Rosen has been recalled in his place.

With Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci already out, the Maple Leafs’ defense now consists almost entirely of the group that won the AHL Calder Cup in 2018. Travis Dermott, Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren, Martin Marincin and Rosen were all on that team, leaving only Tyson Barrie and Rasmus Sandin—a 19-year old with 24 NHL games under his belt—as those who weren’t part of the playoff run. For a team trying to clinch a divisional playoff spot, that group will have to take some real development steps in a hurry.

Muzzin, 31, just inked a four-year extension with the Maple Leafs that will start paying him an average of $5.65MM next year. His veteran leadership has been immeasurable for the team this season, but this will be his second major injury after breaking his foot earlier on. In 53 games he has 23 points.

If he does return in four weeks it would leave just five games before the end of the season for Muzzin to get his legs under him and help the Maple Leafs secure a spot. Rielly and Ceci are both expected back before the end of the year as well, but for now the team will have to rely on their inexperienced group to get them close to the finish line.

Jake Muzzin Signs Four-Year Extension

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Now that the trade deadline is over without much movement, the Toronto Maple Leafs can announced Jake Muzzin’s four-year extension. The veteran defenseman has inked a deal that keeps him in Toronto through 2023-24, and will carry an average annual value of $5.625MM.

The deal will be of little comfort for Maple Leafs fans that saw their team do almost nothing on deadline day, but does keep a solid contributor in the mix for the next several years. Muzzin has fit in well in Toronto as a two-way star that can log huge minutes in a shutdown role while also moving the puck quickly to the team’s talented forwards. In Morgan Rielly’s absence he has been the only real reliable option on the back end, part of the reason why so many were expecting a change to occur today.

Like many of their previously extensions, Muzzin’s deal is front-loaded with huge signing bonuses. That makes it easier to get rid of down the line, and leans on the financial might of the organization to give them a slight advantage.

Still, signing any 31-year old defenseman comes with substantial risk. Muzzin has deal with injuries this season and has a lot of miles on his body after playing a physical style for parts of nine seasons. If he takes a step backwards as his thirties roll along the Maple Leafs could be in real trouble given how much money they already have committed to their star forwards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Muzzin, Jaskin, Trocheck

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have defensive issues that go beyond this season, as Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. That is about to change however, as another report—this time from Darren Dreger of TSN—confirms that the Maple Leafs have an agreement in place with Muzzin on a four-year extension that will carry a cap hit just over $5.5MM.

The deal, according to Dreger, will be “heavily front-loaded” and if completed will be announced later due to the “tagging” concerns that have been brought up previously. Teams have a limit to how much cap space they can have on the books for the following year, meaning the official announcement will likely not come until next month should everything go according to plan.

  • Dmitrij Jaskin is having an outstanding season in the KHL after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Washington Capitals, scoring 62 points in 55 games while playing with former Vegas Golden Knights forward Vadim Shipachyov. His stay overseas may last just one season however, as Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Jaskin has two NHL offers. The 26-year old forward has just 69 points in 303 NHL games, most of which came with the St. Louis Blues.
  • Both Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet have written today on Vincent Trocheck, who is apparently generating interest despite being a big piece of the puzzle for the Florida Panthers. LeBrun suggests that given Florida’s defensive issues they “have no choice but to listen.” Obviously a deal for someone like that is complicated, especially when the Panthers are just two points out of an Atlantic Division playoff spot. Trocheck comes with a $4.75MM cap hit through the 2021-22 season.

Toronto, Jake Muzzin Close To A Four-Year Extension

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The Toronto Maple Leafs only has five defensemen on their current roster under contract for next season with Jake Muzzin and Tyson Barrie scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1. That may be changing. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby writes that the Maple Leafs and Muzzin are close to agreeing to a four-year contract, with many suggesting it will be in the $5.5MM range.

However, that deal may have to wait before it is official. There is a stipulation in the collective bargaining agreement that might force Toronto to wait until Mar. 1 when the ceiling for money allocated towards next season’s salary cap increases, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada.

“You can only commit so much salary to the season following the one you’re in, but that amount goes up by 10 per cent on March 1,” Johnston said. “So it does seem as though the Leafs and Jake Muzzin are on the path here to reaching a contract extension, but I wouldn’t be surprised if everything isn’t signed, sealed and delivered until after that date.”

There has been speculation for weeks on which free-agent, Toronto should focus on with Muzzin being the likely candidate, but the blueliner will turn 31 years old in five days and there was concern about giving Muzzin, a player who wears two knee braces and has had back surgery earlier in his career, a long-term deal. Even four years would take Muzzin into his age 35 year. However, if the AAV is close to the rumored $5.5MM, then it is only a $1.5MM raise, which the team should be able to afford.

Regardless, Muzzin has been a steady defensive influence for a team that desperately needs it. He has just four goals and 16 points on the season, but carries a plus-six rating, while averaging 21:37 of ice time for Toronto. He also has 101 hits and 86 blocked shots, making him a well-rounded defenseman that Toronto needs on the ice.

East Notes: Muzzin, Flyers, Bogosian, Hischier

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently in discussion with pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Jake Muzzin. However, with the team’s cap situation next season and the fact that their top two blueliners, Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, will both be UFAs this summer, it becomes quite an interesting negotiations.

In fact, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) writes that the Maple Leafs have a challenging negotiations in front of them. While Muzzin is a local, the team has to consider his age before signing him as he will turn 31 next week and the team cannot afford to be loaded down with a player down the road with a long-term deal. Unfortunately, Mirtle writes that Muzzin isn’t signing with Toronto on a short-term deal and suggests that it likely would be a four to five-year pact at about $5MM.

If the team does sign him to a contract similar to that, it is important that Toronto signs him to a front-loaded contract, which might make him more attractive to other teams later in the deal, which might allow Toronto to move him later on in the deal if he doesn’t age well. That might be the best-case scenario for the franchise, according to Mirtle.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers are in an interesting position as the trade deadline nears. After falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, the Flyers are now holding onto the last wild card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Yet, The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) writes that the Flyers will be buyers no matter what at the trade deadline. Regardless, the team likely won’t be going after the big names on the market as the team lacks the cap space to do that and in reality, Philadelphia isn’t really a Stanley Cup contender just yet. Nor is the team ready to move a first-round pick for player either. However, O’Connor adds that the team is far more likely to add a lower-level target, most likely upgrading at the wing.
  • The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that while defenseman Zach Bogosian has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, Bogosian’s agent, Darren Ferris said the two will meet in the next couple days and to discuss his next step, which will include whether Bogosian accepts the assignment to Rochester. The injury-prone 29-year-old has only appeared in five AHL games in his career, back during the 2008-09 season and may not be too keen on returning there at this point in his career.
  • NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that there is a good chance that all-star center Nico Hischier could return to the team on Sunday. Hischier, who has been out of the lineup since Feb. 1 with a knee injury, would give the team a significant boost if ready to return. Hischier has 13 goals and 32 points in 46 games.

Morning Notes: Kreider, Kapanen, Muzzin, Markstrom

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The New York Rangers seemingly avoided disaster last night, as star Chris Kreider suffered an injury that appears to have looked worse than it actually was. A prone Kreider took an accidental knee to the head from teammate Mika Zibanejad early in the second period of Saturday’s match-up with the Detroit Red Wings and he did not return to the game. Head coach David Quinn, like any who witnessed the incident, was fearful that Kreider may have suffered a serious head injury. However, he told the media, including The New York Posts’ Brett Cygralis, that he felt much better after seeing Kreider after the game. “That looked like a really severe blow to the head,” Quinn said. “He wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I thought he would be. After the game ended, we talked, and it’s a lot better than I anticipated.” Quinn stated definitively that Kreider did not suffer a concussion, but the team is considering him day-to-day nonetheless. Kreider is simultaneously the best trade chip on the rental market and one of the Rangers’ most important pieces as they continue to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Fans of both trading Kreider or keeping and re-signing him know that a serious injury at this point in the year would have been a nightmare in either scenario. Fortunately, it sounds as though Kreider will be fine and could be back in action in no time.

  • Another surprise development from Saturday night was the absence of Kasperi Kapanen in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. Kapanen was made a healthy scratch by head coach Sheldon Keefe, but prior to game time there was no word as to why. Speaking to the media, including TSN’s Kristen Shilton, after the game, Keefe clarified the situation with Kapanen. Keefe stated that Kapanen was a healthy scratch, essentially serving a one-game suspension for what he called an issue of “internal accountability’”. He added that it was a one-time thing and the decision was only made yesterday morning, but he would not go into any more detail. More information may emerge when Kapanen has media availability on Monday. In the meantime, speculation has begun that Kapanen, a frequent name on the rumor mill, could be on the outs with Keefe and his staff. With the rest of the Maple Leafs playing well since Keefe took over, perhaps Kapanen will end up being the winger dealt out of Toronto at some point.
  • Impending free agent defenseman Jake Muzzin would like to stay in Toronto, but Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston says that it is not that simple. Johnston hears that early extension talks have been difficult due to the Maple Leafs’ cap constraints and the potential market value of Muzzin. With St. Louis’ Alex Pietrangelo and Boston’s Torey Krug both considered likely candidates to sign extensions, Muzzin would enter the conversation as the top defender available on the open market this summer. While he may be willing to take a slight discount to stay in Toronto, the potential to command a top-of-the-market contract if he opts for free agency will certainly play a major role in extension talks. The Maple Leafs may be unwilling or unable to pay him even close to what the top UFA defenseman will get this summer.
  • Vancouver Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom is another name who has made it known that he would like to re-sign, though acknowledging that he could have considerable value in the free agent market. Markstrom, an All-Star this season, has quietly positioned himself to be one of the best available in a weak goalie market should he opt for that route. However, Markstrom would prefer to stay in Vancouver and he and the team have been working toward an extension, Johnston reports. However, with Thatcher Demko showing NHL ability this season and Michael DiPietro also in the pipeline, the Canucks will be wary of going overboard on salary or term to keep Markstrom. The contract offer that keeps coming up is of a two-year term, keeping Markstrom in Vancouver through the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. This would give the team another year to decide whether Demko is the real deal or if they are better off moving forward with Markstrom, as either would could be a tempting target for the Seattle expansion franchise. Johnston’s colleague Elliotte Friedman adds that, as for salary, the most recent offer to Markstrom is rumored to be similar to the two-year, $9MM deal signed by Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper in October.

Jake Muzzin Would “Love To Stay” In Toronto

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While the focus right now for the Toronto Maple Leafs has to be on how they can improve their defense for this season, general manager Kyle Dubas also has to keep one eye on the future. The team has four key defensemen scheduled for free agency at the end of the season, with Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci all unrestricted. The team apparently is looking for players that aren’t just pure rentals in trade, but at least one of their free agents might want to stick around. Muzzin spoke to reporters at today’s morning skate after he was recalled from a recent conditioning stint (via TSN):

The organization, the way they look after us. The guys here the buzz in the city about hockey is huge. Being close to home is always a nice touch, especially with a little one around now. There’s lots of good things here and I’d love to stay.

Muzzin, 30, is from Woodstock, Ontario, just a couple of hours down the highway from Toronto. He played most of his career to this point about as far away as you can possibly get with the Los Angeles Kings, but came to the Maple Leafs last season. A stabilizing presence on the blue line, his current five-year, $20MM deal will expire at the end of June.

If the team wants to keep one of their pending UFA defensemen, Muzzin might make the most sense. While Barrie and Ceci are both right-handed—which has been the weaker side of the Maple Leafs’ group in recent years—the former may be too expensive while the latter has struggled. Muzzin meanwhile could be right in the sweet spot in terms of salary demands, though they already have three other left-handers—Morgan Rielly, Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin. With Muzzin’s return tonight the team will keep Sandin in the lineup, perhaps trying out what the group could look like in a year’s time.

The veteran defenseman was also asked about the potential availability of Alec Martinez, a former partner of his with the Kings:

Oh really? I mean he’s a great, great defender. I know him well, I played with him for a long time. You know whatever happens, happens, I don’t know.

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