Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares is proving all his doubters wrong. Some naysayers will tell you that Tavares is slowing down with age. The 32-year-old is many things, but slowing down is not one of them.
So far this season, Tavares has registered three goals and five assists for eight points in seven games. Last season, Tavares recorded 27 goals and 49 assists for 76 points in 79 games. The Toronto captain is in his sixth season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s been close to a point-per-game player the entire time. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)
As a member of the Leafs, Tavares has registered 122 goals and 160 assists for 282 points in 287 games. A team captain needs to lead by example, and Tavares is doing that. He works hard, produces points, and logs a lot of ice time.
Tavares is off to a much better start this season, with eight points in seven games. He only had three points in his first seven games last season. The difference is that he was healthy this off-season. Being able to train all off-season and not feel the effects of an injury helped him a lot. Hopefully, he can avoid any serious injuries this season. He had a close call on Monday night in Vegas but returned to the game.
Toronto Maple Leafs Captain Looking to Stay Healthy
If Tavares can stay healthy for the 82-game season, he’s on pace to record 30 goals and 51 assists for 81 points.
That’s pretty good for a player that some say is slowing down. Whatever bruising or swelling Tavares sustained from getting hit by a Rasmus Sandin slapshot on Monday should be healed by Toronto’s next game on Thursday.
When Tavares suffered an oblique injury during the preseason, it got announced that he could miss the first week of the regular season. Luckily for Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs, it wasn’t as serious as they thought. The captain returned for the season opener on October 12th and has looked great.
Hopefully, Tavares can stay healthy and continue having a productive season. His line with William Nylander and Nick Robertson has chemistry early on. Nylander leads the team in goals with four. He also has three assists for seven points in seven games. Robertson has two goals and one assist for three points in three games since being recalled from the AHL. Toronto’s top line is struggling, so it’s good to see the Tavares line clicking early.
Toronto will need them to keep producing during this current road trip. The Maple Leafs have three games in California coming up next. The first will be on Thursday in San Jose against the Sharks.