Revisiting the Maple Leafs’ Jake Muzzin Trade

It’s been more than six years since the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings, in a trade on Jan. 28, 2019, that had fans ecstatic. The Leafs paid a fairly big price for Muzzin, but it has proven to be worth it. Toronto gave up two prospects with high upside and one first-round pick for a defenseman who would instantly be considered one of the most important players on the back end.

Muzzin Heads North to Toronto

After Kyle Dubas took over as the general manager of the team, he made a number of trades, but this one definitely included the most notable name. In the transaction, Toronto traded prospects, Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi along with the first-round pick in 2019 — which turned out to be Tobias Björnfot — to the Kings.

Despite the asking price, trading two prospects and a first-round draft pick and getting Muzzin was the addition that the team needed to make a playoff push. The Maple Leafs received a lot of praise after trading for a player with his reputation; at the time, the defense core needed someone who would battle hard to make things difficult on the opposition. The deal that was made had a significant impact on the team, as they became more willing to invest in additional players who possessed physical prowess and could complement their offensively gifted lineup. After adopting this strategy, the team added players like Zach Bogosian, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Jordie Benn. All three are tough defenders who play a physical style similar to that of Muzzin, but lack in offensive production.

Sadly, his time spent in the blue and white came with a lot of injuries, which has halted his career, potentially even ending it. Muzzin has endured a number of concussions and neck injuries that have forced him out for long stretches of time, including the most recent injury he suffered against the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 17, 2022, when he and Clayton Keller collided, which forced him to leave the game. He was later diagnosed with a cervical spine injury and was out indefinitely. He announced his retirement in Oct. 2023.

Obviously, Muzzin’s time in Toronto was not just defined by his injuries. He also showed his strong work ethic as well as his leadership, which has been on display from the moment he put on the jersey. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to bring the Stanley Cup home with the Maple Leafs, but at least he can say that he played for his boyhood favourite team.

Overall, this deal benefited both teams because the Maple Leafs needed a defenseman who was tough to play against and the Kings were in the midst of a rebuild. The needs that both teams were attempting to fill were met in this transaction, but only time will tell who “won” this deal based on how the pieces the Kings got back in the subsequent trades play out. Muzzin’s influence on the Leafs was immeasurable; his presence helped the team’s back end become a threat to play against, which was exactly what the Maple Leafs were hoping for.