John Tavares will not be on the ice when the Toronto Maple Leafs open their 2022-23 NHL season schedule against the Boston Bruins at home on Oct. 12. He will not even be there for several games beyond that, as he is expected to miss three weeks due to an upper-body (oblique) injury he suffered during last Saturday's preseason game against the Ottawa Senators, as reported by Dave McCarthy of NHL.com.
David Alter of Sports Illustrated also noted that the three-week timeline is the minimum for John Tavares, according to Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Sheldon Keefe says John Tavares has an oblique strain and is out a minimum of 3 weeks.
— David Alter (@dalter) September 27, 2022
An extended John Tavares absence will be an early challenge for the Maple Leafs and will add a heavier workload for their certified goal-scorer Auston Matthews. Keefe was truthful in his assessment of where Tavares' injury leaves his team at the moment.
Via Jonas Siegel of The Athletic:
“It does alter the plan for sure,” Keefe said. “You’re not going to replace John, but it does create extra opportunity for us to look at others and others to step up and take advantage of that opportunity.”
The former No. 1 overall pick John Tavares is still one of the most impactful players on the Maple Leafs' roster. Last season, he had 27 goals to go with 49 assists while playing mostly on the team's second line. Keefe will now have to figure out who will play center on that line while John Tavares recuperates from his injury. Alex Kerfoot is said to be among the top candidates along with David Kampf, while Pontus Holmberg could also get a look.
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