John Tavares has been cleared of all structural damage to his head, neck and spine, according to Kyle Dubas.
Nation Sites
The Nation Network
The LeafsNation has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Kyle Dubas provides an update on John Tavares and it’s good news overall
Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2021, 10:45 EDTUpdated: May 22, 2021, 10:44 EDT
With the Leafs set to play the Canadiens for Game 2 of their first-round series, Kyle Dubas spoke with the media on Saturday morning to give an update on @John Tavares’ condition. The consensus? He avoided any major structural damage but will still miss a lot of time.
On the play itself (which you can watch here [trigger warning]), Tavares suffered a knee injury that is similar to the one @Zach Hyman suffered a few weeks ago. That ailment appeared to have occurred on the initial trip from @Ben Chiarot as their knees collided with each other. As a result, Tavares will need two weeks to recover from the knee injury.
The obvious concern is the concussion Tavares got from @Corey Perry accidentally hitting his face with his leg. Dubas said that he does not want to put a timetable on when Tavares can return to the ice from said concussion as he wants to keep the captain’s family in mind before giving the green light.
Kyle Dubas said it's "very difficult" to place a timeline on John Tavares' recovery from the head injury aspect: "We have to be very careful, and keep in mind he has a young family and there's an onus on us to protect his future in that regard."
This is great news all around, especially given how serious the injury looked during the game. We should all be grateful that Tavares avoided any further structural damage beyond getting the concussion and knee injury. It could have ended a whole lot worse so thank goodness he was able to return home to his family after only one night in the hospital.
It’s in all likelihood that Tavares does not return for the playoffs unless his recovery goes exceptionally well. If I were to make an educated guess on when we will see the captain return on the ice, Tavares will be back in 2022 to allow him ample time to fully recover from all of his ailments.
Get well soon, John Tavares!
Breaking News
- Maple Leafs reportedly interviewing Peter Laviolette, Patrick Roy for head coach
- Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky dives into process behind recruiting Gavin McKenna
- Guy Gadowsky thinks Gavin McKenna is perfect for Toronto: Leafs Morning Take
- 2 Maple Leafs draft picks go unsigned, will re-enter 2026 NHL Entry Draft
- Frederik Andersen reflects on friendships with Mitch Marner, late agent Claude Lemieux ahead of Cup Final