It sounds like John Tavares is going to miss a lot more than the remainder of the Olympics.
The 23-year-old forward underwent an MRI that showed he had a torn MCL and torn meniscus, according to Newsday writer Arthur Staple’s source. Consequently, Tavares might undergo surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2013-14 campaign.
The good news is that Tavares should be ready for the start of training camp in September.
He sustained the injury while playing in Canada’s quarterfinals match against Latvia.
Assuming the report is true, this brings an unfortunate end to what had been a productive season for Tavares. He had 24 goals and ranked third in the scoring race with 66 points going into the Olympics.
The New York Islanders were already all-but officially eliminated from the playoff race. Once the breaks over, their focus will likely be on building for the future by trading some veteran assets like forward Thomas Vanek.