Muzzin and Leafs begin to talk contract extension, but things are proving difficult.

Roughly one year ago the Toronto Maple Leafs made a rather significant move when they acquired veteran defeseman Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a package that included forward Carl Grundstrom, defenseman Sean Durzi and Toronto's first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. The move has paid off for the Maple Leafs with Muzzin becoming a big presence on the Leafs blue line as well as in the Leafs locker room, and now it sounds like the two sides are trying to extend that relationship.

According to comments made by Sportsnet NHL insider Chris Johnston on Saturday night it now appears as though Muzzin and the Leafs have held some preliminary talks regarding a potential contract extension for the defenseman, a deal that would almost certainly prove to be very difficult for Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas. As has been the norm for the Maple Leafs as of late, it sounds like the issue here once again comes down to their difficult cap situation.

“The sense I’m getting from the early going here is this is gonna be a difficult one,” Johnston said as per Sportsnet. “You have, in Jake Muzzin, a player the Leafs very much like — they enjoy and appreciate what he brings off-ice as well as on-ice. But they also have some pretty significant cap constraints.”

Although Toronto's current cap situation may prove to be a major roadblock in getting an extension with Muzzin wrapped up before he becomes an unrestricted free agent, it sounds like there are some positives to build on here. Muzzin reportedly likes his situation in Toronto and that could prove to be advantageous in negotiations for the Leafs.

“From his side of things, he loves playing in Toronto, it’d been a nice fit for him,” Johnston said. “But he has to weigh that against the potential of what he could get in the open market. We’ll see what develops from here, but they are at least exploring to see if there’s a fit there beyond this season.”

Muzzin himself recently acknowledged that, with a child in the mix, being close to his hometown of Woodstock, Ontario has made life easier for his family. 

“Being close to home is always a nice touch, especially with a little one around now,” said Muzzin. “So, there’s lots of good things here and I’d love to stay.”