Tavares week to week with lower-body injury, Leafs say

TORONTO – Maple Leafs centre John Tavares is week to week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Saturday.

Tavares was hurt Thursday at 2:32 of the third period of Toronto’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He collided with Sabres forward Josh Norris, stayed on the ice for about 90 seconds, then skated to the dressing room under his own power with a trainer, according to the NHL’s status report.

The Leafs announced the injury before their game Saturday against the New York Islanders. Coach Jim Hiller said, “John was playing well.”

The 36-year-old has seven points, two goals and five assists, in seven games this season. He had two assists in Thursday’s loss, which Buffalo won on Power’s overtime goal.

NHL Trade Rumors reported that forward Bo Groulx will enter the lineup against the Islanders and that Nick Paul is expected to take on a bigger role while Tavares is out. The Leafs have not said how they will handle Tavares’s usual minutes in the longer term.

“Week to week” is a designation the NHL uses for injuries without a firm return date. The team did not say whether Tavares will go on injured reserve, which would require him to miss a minimum number of games.

The injury adds to a growing list for Toronto. Defenceman Chris Tanev, who the Leafs placed on injured reserve on Oct. 13, was also described as week to week by NHL Trade Rumors.

Hiller said earlier this week that he erred in benching McKenna against the Sabres.

Tavares has been a fixture at centre for the Leafs for years, and his production early this season had been steady. Seven points in seven games works out to a point per game, and he had been contributing on both ends of the ice before the collision with Norris.

The Leafs will next be in action after Saturday’s game against the Islanders, with their upcoming schedule available on the team’s website. The club is expected to update Tavares’s status as his recovery progresses.

Via NHL.com and NHL Trade Rumors.

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