Vancouver Canucks defenceman Alex Edler was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a knee-on-knee hit that forced Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman from Sunday's game.

The blow came in the second period at the end of a lengthy shift for Edler when he caught Hyman with an outstretched right leg.

Hyman was down for a while in obvious pain and limped down the tunnel. The team later announced he would not return to the game while head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the team would know more on Monday.

"It's was a pretty dirty hit," teammate William Nylander told reporters after the game.

Edler was held without a point in six minutes of ice time before departing. Hyman, who has 15 goals and 33 points in 43 games this season, had no points in 5:49 of ice time.

Wayne Simmonds moved up to the third line with Alex Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev following Hyman's departure.

Auston Matthews would later score on the Edler power play to end Toronto's much publicized drought on the man-advantage, but it wouldn't be enough as the Leafs fell 3-2 in overtime on a winner from Bo Horvat.