Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner was absent from practice on Friday, but head coach Mike Babcock still expects him to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

“Plan on playing him tomorrow," Babcock said of Gardiner's status. "When I come in tomorrow, they’ll [the team's medical staff] give me the news.”

Gardiner left Wednesday's clash against the Columbus Blue Jackets after two periods with a lower-body injury, which Babcock described as “some kind of spasm."

Babcock said the issue had flared up before the game, but the team believed it could be managed as he played.

Gardiner had just 5:44 minutes of playing time over the first two periods. 

The 27-year-old has four goals and 31 assists over 58 games with the Leafs in 2017-18, his seventh year with the club. 

In Friday's practice, rookie Travis Dermott moved up to pair Nikita Zaitsev, Gardiner's typical partner and Roman Polak and Connor Carrick formed the team's third pairing.