Maple Leafs' Lupul fails 2nd physical, can be placed on LTIR

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul failed his follow-up physical and is now eligible to be placed on long-term injured reserve, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Tuesday on "Hockey Central at Noon."

The veteran forward spent the entire 2016-17 season on LTIR, but stirred up questions when he called the Leafs cheaters for how they used the designation, hinting at the fact that he was indeed healthy enough to play.

Now that Lupul has undergone an independent evaluation of his status and been deemed unfit to play, the Leafs have the option of placing him on LTIR, which would mean his $5.25-million salary for the 2017-18 season wouldn't count against Toronto's salary cap.

Lupul has not suited up in an NHL contest since the 2015-16 campaign.

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