Jack Campbell’s injury further complicates Maple Leafs’ goalie situation
Jack Campbell will now miss at least two weeks with a rib injury as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltending situation gets further complicated.
It seemed like Jack Campbell was going to get a chance to build off a promising game against the Seattle Kraken but now the Toronto Maple Leafs goalie will have to hit the reset button.
The Leafs announced that Campbell will miss at least two weeks with a rib injury meaning the team will have to turn to Petr Mrazek. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that Campbell tweaked something a week ago and aggravated it against the Kraken.
Could this explain why Campbell has struggled? Possibly. At the same time, you have to wonder why he was playing if there was an injury that could’ve gotten worse instead of letting it heal?
Some might say it is an excuse but we also know Campbell has tried to push through injury before in a similar way Frederik Andersen tried to last season. Now the Leafs discussion around their goaltending situation takes a new turn with less than two weeks before the trade deadline.
For Mrazek, this is why the Leafs brought him into the fold and it’s up to him to show them that he can be called upon to take the reigns. If he cannot perform to expectations, then this is where Kyle Dubas needs to decide if he needs to make a trade for a goalie.
We already brought up the idea of Marc-André Fleury being a trade possibility with Mrazek potentially going to Chicago to make the deal work. Dubas has already said that he doesn’t see the team’s goaltending as the team’s problem and is about to be proven one way or the other.
If Mrazek falters can Dubas count on Campbell to bounce back and be confident that this rib issue won’t be a problem down the road? This situation will continue to be the spotlight for the next little while that’s for sure.
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Toronto Maple Leafs practice updates with more shakeups, Jake Muzzin skating
Seeing Jake Muzzin on the ice for the morning skate definitely makes it seem like he will be back well before the end of the regular season. This obviously changes the thought on the team putting him on long-term injured reserve and opening up some more cap space to make a bigger deal.
Keefe also split up John Tavares and William Nylander as he made it a point to say that their individual performances haven’t been up to their standards. It appears the coach’s patience has been tested as the duo haven’t exactly been great on the defensive side and their 5-on-5 offence has struggled.
Jason Spezza will sit again after he was a healthy scratch against the Kraken. It seems like Nick Robertson’s emergence has pushed Alexander Kerfoot down the lineup and made Spezza the odd-man-out. The Leafs should do what they can to ensure they have the best lineup out there but as we have seen, Spezza is still a valued contributor and he should find himself back on the ice at some point.
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What are your thoughts on Campbell’s injury? Should this make goaltending a priority ahead of the trade deadline? Let us know in the comment below.