The Maple Leafs are facing a period without a crucial player as John Tavares nurses a lower-body injury, the team revealed before their game against the New York Islanders on Saturday. The veteran center is expected to be sidelined for an unspecified number of weeks, potentially up to six weeks. Tavares, who has contributed two goals and five assists in seven games this season, sustained the injury during a collision with Buffalo Sabres player Josh Norris in a recent game at Scotiabank Arena.
The incident occurred when Norris, after being nudged by Maple Leafs’ Nick Paul, accidentally collided with Tavares in the defensive zone. Tavares fell to the ice and had to be assisted off to the locker room. This setback adds to Toronto’s challenges as they are already missing experienced defenseman Chris Tanev, who is also out week-to-week due to an upper-body injury sustained in a previous game against the Colorado Avalanche.