Maple Leafs' Defense Takes Another Hit with Jordie Benn Out 'Week-to-Week' With Upper-Body Injury

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Already without three of their top defensemen in the lineup, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to move forward without Jordie Benn.

The 35-year-old injured himself in the second period of the Maple Leafs' 2-1 win against New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. Benn attempted to return in the third period, but left the players' bench and went to the dressing room as the injury proved to be too much to bear.

Benn was placed on the injured reserve on Thursday and will be out of action for at least the team's next four games. Head coach Sheldon Keefe expects him to be out longer than that.

"We won't know the full extent of it yet until we get some pictures done and stuff like that," Keefe said. "I'd call it week-to-week at this point. We don't know how long it will be at this point simply because we know it's going to be more than seven days. Beyond that, we're not quite sure yet."

Benn is the latest Leafs defenseman to be sidelined due top injury. The team has been without Jake Muzzin since Oct. 17 with a cervical spine injury and is out indefinitely. TJ Brodie is not on the team's current road trip as he recovers from an oblique injury. Morgan Rielly is out until Dec. 17 at the earliest with a knee injury.

Benn made his Leafs debut on Nov. 12 against the Vancouver Canucks when Brodie came out due to his injury. Benn had just recovered from a groin injury he sustained against the Montreal Canadiens during a pre-season game in September. 

Victor Mete will slot into Benn's place in the lineup against the Minnesota Wild on Friday, 

Conor Timmons, whom the Leafs acquired in a trade with Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, took part in his first practice with his new team on Thursday,

The defenseman has been cleared to play but will get into some more skates before making his Leafs debut.

Benn's move to IR made roster room for Wayne Simmonds. The veteran forward slots to add some physicality against a Minnesota Wild team that just acquired Ryan Reaves from the New York Rangers.