Toronto Maple Leafs’ upcoming games have just become tougher as they will be forced to play the next two weeks without their captain John Tavares.
Maple Leafs announced on Thursday that Tavares suffered a broken finger in 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday and will be off the ice at least for the next 14 days. This means he won’t be in the lineup for Toronto’s upcoming six games, and the earliest he will return is away game vs. Philadelphia Flyers on November 3rd.
This is a tough blow for Maple Leafs, as the 29-year-old forward is one of their key players so far in the season, clocking an average of 18:10 ice time. Tavares scored three goals and added four assists in 2019/2020, helping Toronto to a 4-3-1 record.
Tavares joins wingers Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott on Toronto’s injured list. The duo is still to make an appearance this season.
John Tavares joined Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2018, inking a seven-year, $77 million contract. In the first year with his hometown team, Tavares played all 82 games in which he scored 47 goals and dished 41 assists for a total of 88 points. He also earned an All-Star appearance for his stellar efforts.
