The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed D John Klingberg on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), and Alex Steeves has been recalled from the Marlies.
John Klingberg appears to have some sort of hip injury, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will be playing without him for the foreseeable future.
John Klingberg goes on the LTIR after just 14 Games with the Leafs He signed a one-year, $4.15M contract and has been virtually unplayable all season.
Klingberg started by at least being productive with 5 Points in his first 6 Games, but went pointless in his last 8, and has not played in either of the last two games, which meant he m issed the games in his home country.
Toronto Maple Leafs Place John Klingberg On LTIR
The Leafs did not reveal what Klingberg’s injury is that is having him placed on LTIR, only described by reporters as a “nagging” injury he has dealt with for a while, with indications it could be related to a double-hip surgery from 2014.
If Klingberg will return sometime this season is, as of now, unknown. Pacing Klingberg on LTIR allows the Leafs to save $4.15M, but they can’t spend that money on another player if there is any possibility he will be healthy enough to resume playing this season.
For now, this will allow the Toronto Maple Leafs to bring up Alex Steeves (also recalled at the same time) and bring Connor Timmins off of the Injured Reserve for tomorrow’s game vs Chicago.
Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe has already stated the plan is for Timmins to make his season Debut against the Blackhawks and will likely take the RHD spot created by Klingberg’s exit.
Alex Steeves leads the Marlies with 11 Goals and 18 Points this season in 14 Games. Steeves has 6 career NHL games for Toronto, including 3 in the 2022-23 season.
Steeves was undrafted and signed with the Leafs as a UFA out of Notre Dame back in 2021. Players who can score a point-per-game in the AHL are typically capable of being NHL players, and Steeves, who appears to be a bit of a late-bloomer, looks like he could potentially help the Leafs on their 3rd or fourth line.
He was an honorable mention on our annual list of the Toronto Maple Leafs Top 10 Prospects.
As for John Klingberg, who knows whether or not he will be able to resume his career. The defenseman now joins Matt Murray and Jake Muzzin on the LTIR and the hope is that if the Leafs replace him with a better fit for the roster.