Maple Leafs’ Klingberg placed on long-term injured reserve

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenceman John Klingberg on long-term injured reserve, the team announced on Thursday.

The Maple Leafs recalled center Alex Steeves from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

Klingberg has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury – including both Global Series games in his native Sweden – and has already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks and Saturday’s tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

To qualify for LTIR, an NHL player must be expected to miss at least 10 games and 24 days of the regular season.

Klingberg opens up about injury, says he’s hit ‘rock bottom’

Klingberg had double-hip surgery in 2014. He joined the Maple Leafs on a one-year, $4.15-million contract in free agency to add some more offence from the blue line but has struggled through the first two months of the season – with four assists and a minus-seven rating through 14 games.

“It’s always been there throughout my career, but I’ve been able to deal with it and work through it. But it kind of hit a rock bottom here these last few weeks,” Klingberg said after a practice in Sweden on Nov. 17.

Klingberg joins several Maple Leafs on LTIR, including defenceman Jake Muzzin, goalie Matt Murray and defencemen Timothy Liljegren and Conor Timmins. Combined, Toronto has just under $17 million in annual salaries on LTIR.

The Maple Leafs entered Thursday with roughly $59,000 in cap space, but the Klingberg move increased their space to $3.3 million. When a player is on LTIR, a team may exceed the salary cap.

Timmins is preparing to make his season debut against the Blackhawks. Timmins has been out since suffering a lower-body injury in camp.

Ilya Samsonov will start in net on Friday against the Blackhawks and Joseph Woll will tend the goal Saturday in Pittsburgh.

With files from Sportsnet