As the Toronto Maple Leafs take to the ice at Ford Performance Centre in preparation of a home & away against the New Jersey Devils tonight and tomorrow, there is one notable absence for the Buds that has many in Leafs Nation concerned.
After returning to practice in a regular jersey last week, Jake Muzzin found himself in a position where his status was downgraded, having him revert to wearing a red non-contact jersey once again. On Monday, he's absent from practice entirely.
Muzzin is still dealing with a concussion, which he suffered back on January 15th against the St. Louis Blues. Post-concussion syndrome can be a nasty thing to deal with, and the path to recovery is certainly not a linear one. The timetable for his return remains unclear.
With Muzzin remaining out of the lineup, the defensive pairings look to be the same as they were on the weekend, with Rielly and Brodie as the top pair, Rasmus Sandin with Justin Holl on the second pair and Travis Dermott with Timothy Liljegren to round out the groups.
