With Jake Muzzin on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR), the Toronto Maple Leafs now have a ton of cap-space available to make a trade.
Losing a two-time Stanley Cup winning defenseman was never ideal for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but you have to find the optimism in hardship. Jake Muzzin, when healthy, was a top-four blue-liner who made life difficult on the opposition.
However, the “when healthy” statement is the biggest takeaway.
Over his tenure with the Leafs, by no fault of his own, Muzzin has continued get hurt. A number of the injuries have been freakish, but for whatever reason, he’s continued to suffer serious ailments that have kept him out of the line-up for a long time.