Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Key Question: Which Muzzin Will Show Up This Year?

Jake Muzzin’s injury status and age make him a question mark for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. Which Muzzin will show up?

by
Old Prof
August 29, 2022

Will the real Jake Muzzin please show up? If he does, that’s the best-case scenario for the Toronto Maple Leafs this regular season.

Jake Muzzin Was a Great Trade Addition in 2019

In early 2019, the Toronto Maple Leafs made the first big trade before the February trade deadline, when they picked up left-handed defenseman Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings for the Maple Leafs’ 2019 first-round draft pick and two prospects, former second-round picks Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi (unsigned).

When Muzzin first arrived in Toronto to play for the Maple Leafs, he was a very pleasant surprise. His play was exceptional. In his first two seasons with the team, the 33-year-old played lights out and was exactly what the team needed. He also became a leader in the locker room and just seemed to fit seamlessly into the team’s mix.

The 2020-21 Season Was One of Muzzin’s Best, But

In fact, during the 2020-21 season, Muzzin was as good as he could be. Not known as an offensive defenseman, his offensive analytics were even as good as Morgan Rielly’s. However, when the Maple Leafs met the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2021 postseason series, Muzzin was injured in Game 6.

As Maple Leafs’ fans know too well, their team went on to lose that series. And, when Muzzin began the 2021-22 regular season, he was struggling. His poor start begged two questions: first, were his age (almost 33) and the way he played the game taking their toll on him? Second, could he still be suffering as a result of his lower-body injury in the playoffs last season?

What Was Muzzin’s Problem Last Season?

Toronto fans have no way to know how badly he was hurt or how much training he missed during the offseason. It also was a shortened offseason with less time to recover. Perhaps he just didn’t progress well.

Last season during the regular season, he continued to struggle with an upper-body injury as well as several concussions. It came to the point where there was concern that the once-stalwart defender might be on a downhill slide and would never be able to play at the level he had when he first came to the team.

During the Playoffs Against the Lightning, the Real Muzzin Re-Emerged

Then came the postseason series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Again, as Maple Leafs’ fans know too well, the Maple Leafs lost that series. However, no fingers could be pointed at Muzzin. He channeled his old self for seven games and even scored the first goal of the series.

Unlike the two postseason series previously against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Montreal Canadiens, he was not injured in the 2022 postseason. What does that mean for this coming season?

As the 2022-23 Regular Season Comes, Questions About Muzzin Persist

Now, as the Maple Leafs prepare for the 2022-23 regular season, assuming Muzzin returns – lots of rumors have him leaving the team via trade – questions remain about which Jake Muzzin will show up.

Can Muzzin return to his previous form? Was he running on adrenaline during the postseason, or is that the same-old Muzzin that we’ll all see when the regular season begins?

Should the Muzzin of 2020-21 re-emerge, the Maple Leafs will be smiling. He was and hopefully can be again a difference maker.