The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Jake Muzzin on injured reserve and recalled defenceman Filip Kral from the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
Muzzin exited Monday's game against the Arizona Coyotes with a neck injury after a collision with Clayton Keller in the second period. Muzzin was slow to get up before skating off the ice following the collision in the Toronto zone midway through the second.
"Jake's had a number of injuries that have been cause for concern for us, and anytime a player gets injured and has many injuries, as Jake has had to deal with, there is concern, of course," Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday. "How much concern, I don't know. I think it's probably too early to say at this point. We had an event last night that he was at and looked like himself in a lot of ways and is here at the facility again today. So, you know, we'll let the process take care of itself with the medical folks and take it from there."
By placing Muzzin on injured reserve, the Leafs can bring him back after seven calendar days instead of placing him on long-term injured reserve, which would require him to miss 24 calendar days.
"Obviously, for him, it's just making sure that if he does come back and play this year or whatever, whatever happens, just make sure that he's going to be able to do whatever he wants to do the rest of his life and enjoy the time with his family, his kids and whatever he wants to do," Leafs forward Mitch Marner said Wednesday. "So, I think that's the most important thing. And, obviously, on the ice for us, it's a big missing piece. He does a lot for us on and off the ice, just calmness on the ice when he has the puck, penalty-kill-wise just the leadership he brings, all that kind of stuff. So, it's definitely a big piece that will be missing, but life off the ice is always more important."
The Leafs are thin on defence with Timothy Liljegren (groin), Jordie Benn (groin) on long-term injured reserve and Carl Dahlstrom on season-opening injured reserve.
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