John Tavares week-to-week with lower-body injury, Chris Tanev on IR

Fantasy hockey: Tavares is week-to-week and cannot play, dropping his four-game week to zero. Easton Cowan and Max Domi are next up for his PP1 minutes.

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · October 17, 2026

John Tavares is week-to-week with a lower-body injury after an awkward collision with Josh Norris in Thursday's game against Buffalo. The Maple Leafs center cannot play and is listed day-to-day. Chris Tanev is also out, on injured reserve with no return date.

Tavares had four games scheduled this week (Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday), but that slate drops to zero while he is sidelined. His 2:49 of power-play time per game, second among all Toronto skaters, opens up for teammates. His recent averages are 0.41 goals, 0.47 assists and 2.6 shots per game, with 0.27 power-play points and 18:10 of ice time a night.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

John Tavares

Tavares cannot play while week-to-week, and his four-game week goes to zero for as long as he is out. He is listed day-to-day in the injury report, so managers need to check he is in the lineup before starting him once he is cleared. His recent averages are 0.88 points per game (0.41 goals, 0.47 assists), 2.6 shots and 0.27 power-play points over a 221-game sample.

His 2:49 of power-play time per game ranked second among all Maple Leafs skaters, and those minutes open up for Easton Cowan and Max Domi. His underlying play grades 68 out of 100 among forwards (shots, scoring chances and ice time), a read on how sustainable his scoring is. Move him to your bench or injured reserve spot until Toronto activates him.

Chris Tanev

Tanev is on injured reserve with no return date in the injury feed. He cannot play, and his four-game week drops to zero for as long as he is out. The move does nothing for a fantasy lineup until Toronto activates him. His recent averages are 0.23 points per game (0.03 goals, 0.20 assists), 0.6 shots and 2.4 blocks over a 159-game sample.

Tanev logged 17:40 a night with minimal power-play time (0:02 per game). Darren Raddysh and Morgan Rielly are next up for his minutes. Managers rostering him should move him to injured reserve and stream a healthy defenseman for the four games Toronto plays this week (Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday).

What to do

• Move Tavares to your bench or injured reserve spot until Toronto activates him and confirms he is in the lineup.

• Stream Easton Cowan or Max Domi if they take Tavares' PP1 minutes and you need power-play production this week.

• Move Tanev to injured reserve and stream a healthy defenseman for Toronto's four games this week (Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday).

Schedule this week