John Tavares is officially set to miss time for the Maple Leafs.
The Leafs provided an update on their captain's status Friday morning. The team confirmed that Tavares was discharged from the hospital after an overnight stay but that he would be "out indefinitely" because of the injury.
Here's a look at the full statement, via the Leafs' PR Twitter account.
An update on @MapleLeafs captain John Tavares. pic.twitter.com/sV0dlfpdI8
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) May 21, 2021
Tavares also tweeted a statement later Friday afternoon, saying he had returned home to continue his recovery.
"I look forward to when I can wear the Maple Leaf on my chest again," he said, thanks fans for their support.
— John Tavares (@91Tavares) May 21, 2021
This was expected after the knee that Tavares took to the head from Canadiens forward Corey Perry. Tavares struggled to move in the aftermath of the injury and eventually had to be stretchered off the ice.
The hit was purely accidental on the part of Perry, who was just coming into the neutral zone while Tavares fell to the ice. Still, he answered for it when Leafs forward Nick Foligno challenged him to a fight before a faceoff after the hit.
MORE: Foligno explains why he fought Perry despite knowing hit was accidental
It's unclear how long Tavares will be out. It's certainly good news for his overall health that he was able to be sent home. That's the most important takeaway here.
However, he could still be out for quite a while, and losing the 30-year-old is a major blow to the Leafs. He was one of three Toronto players to play in all 56 games during the season and his 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) ranked third on the team behind Mitch Marner (67) and Auston Matthews (66).
Now, the Leafs will look to overcome a 1-0 series deficit without one of their biggest stars. That will be no easy feat as they look to win a first-round playoff series for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
