Maple Leafs place former first overall pick on IR

Tavares left practice favoring his right leg after getting tangled up with defenseman Chris Tanev during a power-play drill. The team later said he’ll be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

It’s a big blow for the Leafs down the middle, in particular, but also for the forward group as a whole, which was as healthy as it had been all season, save for the lingering absence of Calle Jarnkrok after he underwent sports hernia surgery in November. 

Tavares had been running cold before the injury, going without a point in his last three games, but he still ranks second on the club in both goals (20) and assists (22) as he looks replenished following a trying 2023-24 campaign. His usual line with Max Pacioretty and William Nylander has outscored opponents 9-7 at even strength in over 155 minutes together this season.

Whoever moves up to replace Tavares down the middle on the second line remains to be seen. It could be the 20-year-old Minten, who didn’t look entirely out of place during a call-up earlier this season with a pair of goals and assists for four points in 11 games. 

His possession numbers weren’t good, only controlling 39.9 percent of shot attempts at even strength, but those should be boosted if he’s playing with better competition. His minutes earlier this season primarily came between Steven Lorentz and Nicholas Robertson while Toronto was dealing with injuries to nearly half its forward group.

It could also be a chance to jump-start the struggling Max Domi, who’s shooting at an abysmal 5.5 percent for just three goals through 37 games. He’s still managed 12 assists for 15 points, tying for eighth on the team in scoring, but it’s not the production the Leafs envisioned from the 29-year-old after they signed him to a four-year, $15M extension last offseason.

In any event, the Leafs are now without the services of one of their top point-getters as they look to reverse a three-game losing streak against former head coach Sheldon Keefe on Thursday night. After Thursday night, three of their next four games are against divisional opponents, and they’re all potential playoff previews against the Lightning, Canadiens and Senators.

Minten, selected 38th overall in 2022, has 10 points and a -4 rating in 16 AHL appearances this season. He missed significant time at the beginning of the campaign with a high ankle sprain suffered in rookie camp.