Some of the toughest injuries to swallow are those that happen outside of games. Joffrey Lupul stepped on a stick during Thursday’s practice and fell to the ice. He finished the skate, but X-rays later revealed that he had a broken bone in his hand and now we know that injury will sideline him for three weeks, per the Canadian Press’ Stephen Whyno.
Toronto is set to play in 10 games over that stretch.
Lupul has gotten off to a slow start with two goals and three points in nine contests, but he has been more hit than miss with the Leafs as evidenced by his 150 points in 188 games. The bigger problem with Lupul over his tenure with the club has been his health. He played in 69 games last season, which was a new high for him since joining Toronto during the 2010-11 campaign.
In terms of his cap hit, Lupul is tied with David Clarkson for third on the team with a $5.25 million annual cost. Only Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf come with a higher cap hit in Toronto.
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