The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without their captain for the near future.
Head Coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on Saturday that John Tavares will be out for their game against the Anaheim Ducks. Keefe said that the 33-year-old is day-to-day with a minor injury, but would not disclose what type of ailment is bothering him.
Tavares has struggled at times for Toronto this season, at one point having a 10-game goalless streak. Despite that, the 2009 No. 1 overall pick still has 15 goals and 25 assists for 40 points through 51 games.
After nine dominant seasons with the New York Islanders, the Maple Leafs signed Tavares as a free agent to a seven-year, $77 million contract in July 2018, arguably the biggest signing in franchise history. Through the first five seasons of the deal, Tavares lived up to the $11 million cap hit, scoring 155 goals and 199 assists for 354 points in 360 games, including a 47-goal 2018-19 campaign and two 80-point seasons.
But now in his sixth year with the club, Tavares has taken a dip in production and doesn’t look like the dominant two-way center he once did once he arrived in Toronto. With William Nylander’s extension set to kick in next season, with a cap hit of $11.5 million, the Maple Leafs will have four plays earning at least eight figures per season: Tavares with $11 million, Nylander at $11.5 million, Auston Matthews at $13,250,00 and Mitch Marner at $10,903,000.
The Maple Leafs are 28-16-8 with 64 points, fourth in the Atlantic Division and currently holding onto the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. After they host the Ducks on Saturday night, Toronto travels to Missouri to face the St. Louis Blues on Monday.
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