Mrazek placed on the IR and Brodie absent from practice

Maybe things have started going too good for the Leafs over the past stretch and reality needed to catch up with them.

There might have been a lot of pressure on Mrazek to return sooner than he should have as he was instantly injured after starting his contract with the Leafs, and he came back too quickly. Now we can hope the Leafs do this right and give Mrazek sometime to get better. In the meantime that will probably mean we get some more Michael Hutchinson time, after Mrazek missing last night and Woll being up in relief, there is the flexibility to bring Hutchinson back on an emergency recall. Looking at the Leafs schedule this should equal three potential starts for Hutchinson in the next four weeks.

As for Brodie, well, it’s too early to say. The hit might have earned him a day off practice or it could be something that needs a bit more attention. For now it is leading to the reunification of the Muzzin-Holl pairing. Maybe not ideal, but certainly better than having to dip into the Marlies for defensive help.

We’ll probably hear more about Brodie soon, but for now we’ll just be happy the Leafs haven’t traded their defensive depth yet and that Campbell has been playing so well that four weeks without Mrazek doesn’t seem like the end of the world.

Update on Brodie: