Already without Jake Muzzin, the Leafs will be without TJ Brodie for a minimum of two weeks, putting the team’s defensive depth to the ultimate test.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had seemingly adjusted ok without the services of veteran defenseman Jake Muzzin alright. But the loss of TJ Brodie could hurt a lot more.
Maple Leafs Kyle Dubas clarified that although Brodie is on injured reserve, which only required the player to miss a minimum of a week, the veteran defenseman will actually miss a minimum of two weeks with an oblique ailment.
“It’ll be a matter of managing it, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “The injury seems somewhat similar in nature to what John Tavares went through in [training] camp.”
Tavares injured his oblique and was initially supposed to be out for a minimum of three weeks, but returned sooner than that in time for the start of the regular season on Oct. 12.
Brodie was a game-time decision on Saturday and took the warmup ahead of his team's game against the Vancouver Canucks, but ultimately it was decided that Brodie could not play.
Jordie Benn made his Leafs debut in Brodie's place.
“He's been in the league a long time. He knows how to play. He's got good poise, so it's good,” Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly said of Benn. “To add him into our lineup and for him to perform the way that he did is obviously a great sign for us.”
Rielly and Benn skated together as a defense pair early in training camp before Benn sustained a groin injury on Sept. 29.
Before Saturday, Brodie had played in every game for the Leafs since he joined the club at the beginning of the 2020-21 season. Signed to a four-year, $20 million contract, Brodie has five goals and 44 points in 153 regular-season games with Toronto.
Although the Leafs defeated the Canucks 3-2 on Saturday without Brodie in the lineup, his absence will certainly have an impact. He's become one of, if not the most reliable defenseman for Toronto.
A left-handed shot who can play on the right side, Brodie has shifted to the left to help stabilized other defensemen on the team who have struggled. He moved over from the right side of Morgan Rielly to the left side of Jake Muzzin when the latter struggled at times this season.
This year, Brodie moved to the left to skate with Justin Holl when Holl struggled earlier in the season.
Without Brodie, the Leafs finished Saturday's game with Rielly and Benn skating as a pair. Mark Giordano skated with Holl and Rasmus Sandin paired up with Timothy Liljegren to round out the defense pairs. The Leafs kept those pairs in tact at practice on Monday ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
Already without Muzzin who is out indefinitely with a spine injury and won’t be re-evaluated until late February, the Leafs depth on defense is going to be put to the ultimate test.
“In the short run it gives us a chance to learn [about what we have] Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said. “We’ve got some young defensemen that have earned more opportunity in both Timothy [Liljegren] and Rasmus [Sandin] so we’ll see how much more both can handle.”