Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was helped off the ice by teammates Monday night.
With just over halfway to go in the third period, Tavares appeared to take a shot by teammate Rasmus Sandin off the back of his left leg. He instantly hit the ice and was writhing in pain.
Linemates Nick Robertson and William Nylander helped him off the ice, but Tavares was unable to put any weight on his left leg.
Tavares was in the midst of a strong game for the Leafs. He assisted on a second-period goal by William Nylander and has two shots on goal. Going 58.8% in the faceoff circle prior to leaving, Tavares had played 12:15 of ice time.
He was coming off a two-goal performance Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets and including the Monday night match, had eight points in seven games so far this season. While it’s far too soon for definitive point projections, Tavares is pacing for 93 points, assuming he misses no games.
But in Toronto, the concern is just that.
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