John Tavares' injury creates another major problem for the Maple Leafs

With John Tavares' injury causing a real concern for the Maple Leafs, it creates a major problem with Max Domi out as well - a playmaking pivot to run things.

During Toronto's OT loss against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, John Tavares exited the game with a lower-body injury after colliding with Josh Norris in the defensive zone:

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It seemed like Tavares' knee buckled, though it could be a hip or groin issue as well, and without any real update on the former captain as of yet, we are left to speculate. If he's out for a bit, we can expect a lineup similar to the one we saw when he was absent for the birth of his child - a successful one at that.

But it's also going to cause issues down the road, because while the team is going to have a lineup who can stop the bleeding without Tavares, there is one missing asset that could cause things to crumble - a lack of playmaking.

Tavares' absence is going to cause a shift in Toronto's playmaking ability

Without Tavares, and Max Domi on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Maple Leafs do not really have a reliable playmaking centre. Auston Matthews can only do so much, but then you're asking Nick Paul to help drive the offense as a 2C, and you have Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger as your other pivots.

It is going to depend heavily then on the wingers to spark the offense, and if the team can find some chemistry with Paul and Kirill Marchenko (who slipped to the second line) along with Easton Cowan (who Paul works well with) then it could prove fruitful.

But again, you're really only looking at a group of defensive-first centres, and no one has the type of leadership or playmaking like Tavares. That's why striking out on a player like Dylan Larkin hurts so much because as Tavares gets older and deals with these issues, it at least adds some needed insurance.

But it's more than just playmaking Toronto loses

Plus, you lose elite face-off metrics and someone you can rely on to win crucial battles. You also lose someone who has great underlying numbers early on, with seven points already.

Tavares allows a great addition alongside Gavin McKenna, and while Jim Hiller may play innocent, you have to wonder if Tavares' absence was part of the reason he decided to bench the rookie on Thursday night.

You lose a lot besides just offense from Tavares, as he is someone who brings a level of leadership, mentorship and accountability that few possess. Plus he's been one of Toronto's better offensive players to start.

If he's out for any length of time beyond a few days, then we could be looking at an uphill battle for the Maple Leafs all season.

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