Defenseman Joel Edmundson officially out for the Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs were just beginning to see the benefits of having a player like Joel Edmundson in the lineup, but unfortunately, the hulking defenseman was absent from practice this morning and an update from Sheldon Keefe today confirms that the outlook for him playing this week is very bleak.

Edmundson was a dominant player for the Leafs in their 6-3 win over Edmonton on Saturday night, but it's apparent that at some point during his team's 2-1 loss to Carolina on Sunday, Edmundson was injured. Keefe has given the 6'5 defender a day-to-day designation on Tuesday, but also confirmed we shouldn't expect to see him back at any point this week.


For Edmundson, this is a really tough blow. He was just beginning to find some chemistry with his new teammates at the time of the injury. With Edmundson being the savvy veteran that he is, though, the hope here is that the unexpected time off won't impact the chemistry too much.


The Leafs would be wise to take their time to ensure that Edmundson is at 100% before bringing him back, as the playoffs are just around the corner and that's when the team needs him to be at the top of his game.