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WINNIPEG - From the moment he crashed into the boards during the Maple Leafs' practice here on Friday, it did not look good for first-line centre Tyler Bozak.
And the team's worst fears were realized on Saturday when the Saskatchewan native was placed on injured reserve.
It is not yet known who will replace Bozak in the Leafs lineup Saturday night versus the Winnipeg Jets, though Matthew Lombardi has been practising with the team and appears close to a return.
Bozak went down hard during a 2-on-1 drill early in Friday's practice here. He crashed into the boards at the MTS Centre, shoulder first and, after trying to shake off the injury, went to the Leafs dressing room. The collision was reminiscent of the one that fellow Leafs centre Tim Connolly endured during training camp that resulted in a shoulder injury that kept him out of the lineup.
Though the Leafs have yet to tell us what the nature of the injury is, he is expected to be out of the lineup for a minimum of one week. Lombardi, who is coming off a shoulder injury himself, would be a logical candidate for promotion, but it is doubtful coach Ron Wilson would place him on the top line.
Bozak had played well this season, mostly between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, scoring seven goals with 18 assists an a plus-4 in 35 games.
