Chris Tanev misses another Maple Leafs game due to 'planned maintenance'

Controversy hit the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup card once again Thursday, as defenseman Chris Tanev will be held out for the team's game against the Minnesota Wild.

The 36-year-old has been in and out of the lineup since Oct. 10, when he suffered an apparent upper-body injury, rumored to have come from a net-front collision with Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen. 

Tanev returned on Halloween and has played in some of Toronto's recent games, but head coach Jim Hiller and general manager John Chayka have sat him from time to time for what has been described as "planned maintenance."

Tanev has not enjoyed the arrangement. "I don't agree with it, but I understand where he's coming from," he said Tuesday. "I haven't really been healthy for the last year, so I think he wants me to be able to play in January, February and March."

The Toronto native is known for his hard-nosed style, which limited him to just 11 games last season. His role as a defensive defenseman is crucial to a Toronto team allowing 3.45 goals per game, the ninth-worst mark in the league and barely ahead of teams like the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings.

It raises the question of whether the Leafs are being too cautious. It is worth noting, Toronto is 4-5-1 with Tanev in the lineup this season, including a recent run of three straight losses, so his presence hasn't made much of a difference. 

A case can be made that he needs more game action to find his form, but he has also struggled since returning, posting a minus-three rating over his last two games alone. It's possible the team sees something suggesting he isn't fully healthy.

Toronto also has to weigh the calendar as keeping Tanev healthy for a late-season push makes sense, but it won't matter if the Leafs are already far removed from the playoff picture. They have lost six of their last seven games and been outscored 29-17, with both their offense and defense ranking among the league's worst over that span.

Injuries forcing Leafs defenders into fatiguing roles

The roster is thin on proven NHL defensive talent with so many injuries and recent AHL call-ups Dakota Mermis and Cole McWard have done their best, but their presence has forced Darren Raddysh and Jake McCabe into bigger roles, and both have been burned.

Raddysh leads the team with 15 even-strength goals against during the seven-game slump. His offense has finally started to come through, with six points over that stretch, but he needs more defensive stability. His even-strength minutes have climbed from about 19 to just under 21 per game.

McCabe, who has been paired with Raddysh, has been on the ice for ten even-strength goals against, third-worst on the team during the slump. With Morgan Rielly sidelined, his workload has jumped from roughly 15 minutes to as many as 18.

Toronto's defense could use all the help it can get, and if Tanev is truly good to go, he should be in the lineup, both to contribute and to keep the Leafs from continually running out the same tired players.

The recent schedule has been brutal, with four straight games against expected playoff teams in the Utah Mammoth, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche. Two more tough tests are ahead with Minnesota on Thursday and a marquee Saturday matchup against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. 

After that, the schedule softens, with games against the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets. Those easier matchups could be the ideal chance to ease Tanev back in rather than continuing to hold him out.

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