Tavares sustained a lower-body injury last week and Craig Berube updated the status of several Maple Leafs players.
John Tavares has resumed skating and there is a chance the Toronto Maple Leafs could join the club for practice later this week.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube revealed that the forward has taken the ice prior to Monday for a session for the first time since he was injured in team practice on Jan. 16.
"I think later in the week, he could be on the ice with us, but maybe that's guessing a little bit," Berube surmised when asked if there was an updated timeline on the forward. "We've got to see how he's progressing here but he's in a good spot, and I think we're going to see him with us in practice pretty soon."
Tavares has had a productive start to the 2024-25 season with the Maple Leafs, recording 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points in 44 games. A key part of the Leafs' offense and leadership group, Tavares was injured when working on a power-play drill, which has forced him to miss the last five games. His return would certainly help the club's center depth, but he isn't the only player that is seemingly on the mend. The Leafs held their annual outdoor practice on Monday with injured players and goaltenders remaining at the club's practice facility.
Knies and Pacioretty continue to skate
Matthew Knies and Max Pacioretty were among injured players who stayed back to skate at Ford Performance Centre. Both are said to be progressing well, according to Berube.
Knies was injured in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 24, when he collided with forward Kirill Marchenko near the end of the second period and did not return to the game. He has 18 goals and 13 assists in 47 games this season.
Pacioretty was injured on January 18 when he took a puck to the head while parked in front of the net during a shot attempt from teammate Auston Matthews. In 32 games, Pacioretty has five goals and seven assists in 32 games.
Dewar and Quillan did not skate
Maple Leafs forwards Connor Dewar and Jacob Quillan did not take the ice, Berube revealed. Dewar was placed on injured reserve on Saturday with an upper-body injury and hasn't played since Jan. 20 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The forward has three assists in 29 games this season.
Quillan also did not skate. He was the recipient of a knee-on-knee collision with Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins on Saturday. Making his NHL debut, Quillan stayed in the game, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he was still sore from that as he was in pain in the immediate aftermath of the hit.
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