- John Tavares is week-to-week with a lower-body injury
- The Maple Leafs announced it before Saturday’s game against the Islanders
- Read below for the collision video and how Toronto’s lineup shifts
John Tavares is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the Maple Leafs announced Saturday before their game against the New York Islanders, per the NHL.com status report.
Tavares left Thursday’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres at 2:32 of the third period after a collision with Sabres forward Josh Norris. He stayed on the ice for about 90 seconds before getting up and heading to the dressing room with a trainer.
Check out the moment he went down:
Toronto had no update on his condition right after the game, as we covered Thursday night. Saturday brought the diagnosis, but no return date.
The injury cuts into a strong start for the 36-year-old. Tavares had two assists against Buffalo and has seven points (two goals, five assists) in seven games this season.
Bo Groulx is expected to enter the lineup after sitting as a healthy scratch Thursday. At Saturday’s practice, the Leafs lined up Roslovic-Matthews-Nylander, Cowan-Paul-Marchenko, McKenna-Scissons-Groulx and Duhaime-Blueger-MacEwen.
Defenseman Chris Tanev is also week-to-week, with an upper-body injury. Toronto is 3-3-2 and faces the Islanders without both.
