Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced on Saturday.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports Tavares will miss closer to 2-to-3 weeks with the injury.
Tavares was injured during the team’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday in the third period after awkwardly colliding with Sabres forward Josh Norris.
The 36-year-old centre remained down on the ice after the collision before skating off while favouring his left leg.
Nick Paul slotted in as the team’s No. 2 centre during Saturday’s morning skate in Tavares’ absence in between Easton Cowan and Kirill Marchenko.
Additionally, rookie Gavin McKenna took Tavares’ spot on the top power-play unit with Darren Raddysh, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander.
Tavares has two goals and seven points in seven games early this season. He led the team with 31 goals last season to go along with 71 points and appeared in all 82 games for the first time since his first season with the Maple Leafs in 2018-19.
The Maple Leafs sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 3-3-2 record as they get set to take on the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
Toronto is looking to return to the playoffs after missing the postseason last season for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign.