One day Jake Muzzin was answering questions on media day saying he “felt good”, the next day he wasn’t able to hit the ice.
“I think it was from sitting and talking to the media all day,” Muzzin joked after his first full session back on the ice on Thursday.
The veteran defenseman caught many by surprise when he was unable to join his team for the first day of on-ice sessions at training camp. But he insists he wasn’t injured and is just dealing with a back ailment that he’s had to deal with at various points throughout his NHL career.
“It’s tough because you train all summer and then all of a sudden something happens, it’s kind of frustrating,” Muzzin said. “But I feel good and I’m getting better every day.”
Muzzin is no stranger to back issues.
At age 15, he had two herniated discs that forced him to miss his entire first season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. Muzzin had surgery to repair the issue the following summer.
Acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 28, 2019 in exchange for forward Carl Grundstrom, the rights to Sean Durzi and a first-round draft pick (Tobias Bjornfot), Muzzin hasn’t had the easiest go of it.
In 2020, he left Game 2 of the NHL playoffs and missed the remainder of the series against the Columbus Blue Jackets after an awkward collision that same him stretchered off the ice as a precautionary measure.
In 2021, Muzzin was injured in Game 6 of Toronto’s playoff series with the Montreal Canadiens due to a groin injury.
Last season, he had two concussions that left many to wonder if it was safe for the veteran to return to the ice.
The 33-year-old managed to come back in April before the regular season ended and played in every game of the team’s first-round exit against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The defense pairs
Muzzin’s health has serious implications on what Toronto’s defense will look like when they open the season on Oct. 12 against the Montreal.
He has been the club’s regular second-pair left-shot defender for much of his time in Toronto. During Friday’s practice session, he skated on the left side of defenseman Morgan Rielly in what looked like a possible reunion from Muzzin’s early days in Toronto.
But Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe quickly poured cold water on the idea of Rielly skating on the right side to begin this season.
So that begs the question: Who will be Rielly’s D-partner come opening nigh? He skated on the left side of Jordie Benn before the latter suffered a groin injury. Benn is out a minimum of three weeks.
Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie are skating together, much like they have when both were members of the Calgary Flames.
With Rasmus Sandin expected to join the team when they practice on Sunday, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Toronto possibly try to reunite him with Rielly. The club played the duo together for a game with Sandin on the right side on Mar. 3, but it didn’t go very well.
That leaves Victor Mete, signed by the Leafs this summer, as a potential option on the right side in addition to Justin Holl.
Right-handed defenseman Timothy Liljegren is out until mid-November to recover from hernia surgery.
Muzzin was non-committal when asked about his chances at getting into action for some pre-season games and he is the wild card in this as Toronto tries to figure out an optimal lineup given the injuries that have piled up on the back end.
More must-reads: