Nick Foligno breaks silence on injury ending Maple Leafs stint

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Graham Montgomery
August 12, 2024 (5:57 PM)

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Nick Foligno recently opened up about the injury that hampered him during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kyle Dubas and the Leafs famously traded for Foligno at the trade deadline during the 2020-21 season. At the time, the veteran forward was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was actually a rather complicated move that also included the San Jose Sharks, as Dubas picked up forward Stefan Noesen as well.

This move was certainly well intentioned. Foligno had already been a reliable depth forward and veteran presence in the locker room for many years at that point, and Noesen was extra depth insurance, who has since reinvented himself in Carolina. Both players could have had an impact for the team, especially in the playoffs. However, Noesen was not used much and Foligno got a back injury shortly after the trade, which he described on the "Dropping the Gloves" podcast.

"I was actually playing really well the first few games I was playing with and then for whatever reason my back just, I remember it actually, I remember feeling I woke up we had a long flight back from Vancouver. I got to Montreal or was it yeah Vancouver got to Montreal and uh just I don't know if it was the plane or what but just my back just was tight that night and I went to stop in front of the net and I have no idea why but for whatever reason boom everything just locked up. I was completely stuck couldn't even get off the ice actually."

Foligno also shared why he chose to go to Toronto as he had trade protection that allowed him the chance to effectively pick where he went.

"I felt like I could really help on the ice and off the ice to get them over the hump. That's why I picked [Toronto], that's why I felt like I wanted to go there-to put my stamp on that team."

Ultimately, Foligno didn't make much of an impact on the Leafs at all as he got into just 11 games combined between the regular season and playoffs. He did however, have 5 points in those games, all of which were assists. He is best known for his time in Columbus, as 599 of his 1155 career game were spent with the organization. How he is a leader on a young Blackhawks team that is looking to take another step forward next season, with the help of Connor Bedard.

Source: BladeofSteel
Nick Foligno opens up about the injury that ended his time in Toronto

Source: HockeyReference
Nick Foligno Career Statistics