In Muzzin, the Leafs have added a 29-year-old, 6’3, 213-pound left-shot defenseman who has played a significant amount of tough minutes on the right side of the Kings blue line. He’s also been typically good for about 40-45 points a season and rarely misses games.
Pushing Ron Hainsey down the pecking order was clearly a necessary move and this gives the Leafs the legitimate top pairing they’ve been searching for that can match up against some of the powerful top lines they’ll encounter within the division in the playoffs.
While that means five lefties in the Leafs‘ top six, it is something Babcock is familiar with from his time with the Red Wings.