Welcome back to another issue of Throwback Thursday!
Two years ago today, the Toronto Maple Leafs took over defenseman Jake Muzzin from the LA Kings.
In this move, the Leafs jumped ahead of many other teams a month before trading closed to gain the sturdy rearguard. In return, the Leafs gave up Carl Grundstrom, the rights to defender Sean Durzi and a selection from the first round in 2019, with which defender Tobias Bjonfot was selected.
In retrospect, the deal worked out well for the Leafs. Muzzin was great for Toronto, scoring 42 points in 91 games while playing with a lead that the defense lacked. He has consistently posted above average underlying numbers (~ 53 xGF and CF% at 5 × 5) while posting below average PDO.
Grundstrom has now appeared in 33 games with the Kings and seems to be making good progress. He has scored seven goals and 12 points with LA during that time. Durzi spent last season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, scoring two goals and 14 points, while Bjornfot seems like a solid prospect. He spent last year with the government, scoring 19 points in 44 games.
Zach Laing is the news director and senior columnist for the Nation Network. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaingor reached by email at [email protected]
