The Toronto Maple Leafs may not have gotten off to the start they had hoped for, and having all their key players available is crucial to turning things around. Unfortunately for Jim Hiller, John Tavares is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, meaning the coach will have to manage without him in the short term.
Although there is no official confirmation regarding when the player will return to the ice, his recovery is estimated to take around six weeks. Undoubtedly, this is a tough blow for a team that expected to be much higher in the Atlantic Division standings.
Now, the question is how the coach will manage to fill the void left by Tavares alongside his teammates. The NHL season is still in its early stages, and there is plenty of time to make adjustments and turn the team’s current situation around.
What happened to Tavares?
John Tavares went down with a lower-body injury during the third period of Thursday night’s 5–4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The injury occurred after Tavares collided awkwardly with Sabres forward Josh Norris, leaving him down on the ice before he limped off favoring his left leg.
Athletic trainer Paul Ayotte of the Toronto Maple Leafs tends to John Tavares #91 after an injury.
The recent birth of his child caused Tavares to miss some playing time with the Maple Leafs. Now, this latest setback will keep him sidelined for even longer as the season gets underway.
Toronto needs Tavares back as soon as possible
Before going down with his injury, John Tavares was quietly anchoring Toronto’s offense with 1 goal and 2 assists (3 points) through his first 5 games of the 2026–27 campaign. Beyond just the scoresheet, Tavares remains a huge cornerstone for the Maple Leafs—serving as their go-to top-six center, a dominant force in the faceoff circle, and a essential net-front presence on the primary power-play unit.
Losing his veteran leadership and steady 200-foot play creates a massive hole in Toronto’s middle six, forcing head coach Jim Hiller to shuffle his lines and rely heavily on younger centers to keep the offense clicking.
Key takeaways
- Head coach Jim Hiller confirmed John Tavares is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
- John Tavares is estimated to miss about six weeks while recovering from his injury.
- John Tavares recorded 3 points in 5 games before getting injured against Buffalo.
