Maple Leafs captain John Tavares skates for first time since concussion, knee injury
On Wednesday, Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares visited the club's practice complex as part of his recovery from the worrisome concussion and knee injury he suffered in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens on May 20.
Tavares went one step further Thursday, skating for roughly 20 minutes for the first time since those setbacks.
The Maple Leafs hold a commanding 3-1 series lead, and Mike Zeisberger of the official NHL website reports Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe wasn't sure earlier in the day if Tavares will attend Thursday night's showdown that could be an elimination game.
"There is no real update other than he is obviously progressing here very well to the point that he's gone through the different steps to now get onto the ice and that's a step for him," Keefe explained about Tavares' status. "He wasn't on long here today but felt really good coming off, so that's part of it. He's got two different things the staff is monitoring with his knee and the concussion, so progress has been very good on both fronts there."
Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas said Sunday Tavares' knee will keep him sidelined for at least two weeks. There remains no timetable for his return from the head injury. While Keefe told reporters Wednesday Tavares had communicated with teammates throughout the series, the coach added during Thursday's media session that having the captain there in-person "is a nice lift for the guys."
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