Heading into the 2026-27 season a few players stood out as non-negotiables if the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to be successful. A return to form from Auston Matthews was a must. A solid season from William Nylander was another must have. Consistent goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz would be essential and, on the backend, a healthy Chris Tanev was critical to the team’s success.
Through the first five games of the season, fans and analysts alike easily applied check marks to all of the non-negotiables above. Matthews looks like the Matthews of old, skating with speed and intention, backchecking with purpose and rediscovering his lethal shot. Nylander has looked like a man possessed at times, leading the Leafs in points and looking dangerous every time he touches the puck. Bobrovsky and Stolarz haven’t been perfect, but given the struggles the team has had defensively, the duo has performed admirably, largely keeping the Blue and White in games and making key saves along the way.
And then came the Leafs sixth game of the season, a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, where on an unassuming play, Tanev collided with Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen, ultimately leading to what the Maple Leafs have called an “upper-body injury”.
Tanev seems to get hurt on this play in the first period pic.twitter.com/eNx8goax4y
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) October 11, 2026
Given Tanev’s well documented injury struggles last season, losing Tanev at some point this season was somewhat predictable for Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka. Now, just six games into the season, Chayka may be facing the tough task of trying to find a suitable replacement for the Leafs most trusted defenseman, which is no easy task.
It’s no secret that the Leafs have struggled in their own zone this season. While Darren Raddysh, Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Oliver-Ekman Larsson and Troy Stecher have all struggled at times, the one bright spot has been the steady play of Tanev. Now don’t get it twisted, Tanev isn’t an electrifying force out there like a Cale Makar or Matthew Schaefer. To his credit, Tanev knows what he is- a gritty defenseman that is capable of shutting down the oppositions top lines, who is willing to go to the dirty areas of the ice and loves to engage in physical battles along the boards and in front of the net.
Trouble is, when you lose a lunchpail defenseman like Tanev, few teams have the depth to replace him. And that is exactly where the Maple Leafs find themselves.
Maple Leafs need to get a Chris Tanev replacement
Early reports suggest that Tanev may only be out 7-10 days, but it must be noted that this is just speculation thus far, and given Tanev’s lengthy injury history, nobody would be shocked to see him out for a longer stretch and/or returning to the IR at some point this season.
All things considered, it is very clear that if Chayka is serious about this team making the playoffs he will need to bring in another defenseman to offset the current and/or future potential loss of Tanev.
Chayka’s first move was to recall Marshall Rifai from the Toronto Marlies. Rifai has proven to be a physical force on the ice, but he lacks NHL experience, lacks the details of the game that Tanev brings to the table and isn’t known for his penalty kill abilities- an area where Tanev excels. For now, Rifai is simply a depth move, not the answer to Chayka’s conundrum.
When you consider the current roster, Chayka does have some additional depth with which he can call on to help fill the void, at least in the short term. The obvious choice is Nick Blankenburg, who made his Maple Leafs debut against the Avalanche on Saturday night, playing 16:11 and registering a goal. While Blankenburg may be a decent short-term option, he has his limitations and is not cut from the same cloth as Tanev.
Assuming Blankenburg does make his way into the lineup tonight against the Utah Mammoth, we will likely see the following pairings:
McCabe – Raddysh
Rielly -- Stecher
Ekman-Larsson -- Blankenburg
If your heart skipped a beat when you read those pairings out loud, you can be forgiven. And therein lies the issue for Chayka. The Leafs are already struggling to keep their heads above water defensively WITH Tanev in the lineup. If Chayka has to ask Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller to deploy the Defense pairings above, there are going to be some growing pains and you can likely expect the team to continue to average 30-plus shots against per night, which is going to catch up to the Maple Leafs sooner or later.
Outside of Rifai and Blankenburg, Chayka could look to elevate prospect Ben Danford. He’s a defensive-minded D-man and is said to be a “Tanev-light” in terms of projecting his future in the NHL. He loves to do the dirty work, isn’t afraid to mix it up in front of the net and can make a hit when called upon. What Danford lacks is NHL experience. We all know the dangers of rushing young defenseman, and I suspect that Chayka will resist making the call up at this juncture.
Bottom line, Whether Tanev is out short term or long term, Chayka needs to start the process of shopping for another defenseman, preferably one that is capable of laying the body and shutting down opposing forwards, particularly on the PK, where Tanev often shines.
Given we are still very early in the season, few general managers are looking to make moves. That said, there are a few names that stick out that Chayka might explore.
One of the key factors in targeting a defenseman to round out the Leafs top-six and/or step in if Tanev is out long-term will be that players ability to play in all situations. Chayka needs a defenseman that can not only shut down opposing players 5-on-5, he also needs someone that can play meaningful minutes on the penalty kill.
To date, the Leafs PK is humming along at a 95% success rate. Tanev has been a integral part of this, logging big minutes and bringing a calming presence to the teams first PK unit. With Tanev out, there is a risk that Toronto’s PK falls apart, an area that has likely saved the team from a few losses thus far.
Who could the Leafs target as a solid defense addition?
With the Philadelphia Flyers sitting at 0-5-2 to start the season, they might be looking to move on from a player or two. One that sticks out that fits the profile that Chayka may be looking for is Rasmus Ristolainen. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 208 pounds, Ristolainen is a right-shot defenseman that is capable of logging big minutes (he’s averaging 18:17 this season). He’s also a good option to absorb those PK minutes, averaging around 1:45-2:00 of PK time per match per Puckpedia.
The downfall of Ristolainen is his injury history. He succumbed to season-ending Triceps injuries two years running and left the game on October 3rd, leading to speculation that he may be nursing an old injury. It is no secret that the Flyers were trying to move him at last years deadline, and there were whispers that the Flyers were willing to retain some salary for the right return. Adding another injury-prone defenseman seems risky, so I would be weary of making this move.
Another defenseman that the Flyers currently employ that may spark interest is Nick Seeler. He is a left-handed defenseman that once led the NHL in shot blocking. He has no trade protection, and he is very affordable at $2.7 million through 2027-28. He could fill the void on the PK, but I am not sure he’s capable of the minute munching that is required of a top-pairing/top four blueliner.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon could be another option worth exploring. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Dillon certainly brings the size that the Leafs covet. He’s a left hand shot, which is not ideal, but he does play a big role on the Devils PK. Currently, Dillon sits on the Devils third pairing. At 35, he may be a player that the Devils are willing to move on from and he carries an affordable $4 million contract, which fits nicely for the Leafs. Trouble is, New Jersey is looking to make the playoffs, and trading a player of Dillon’s ilk to a Conference rival might not be the best move. More likely, Dillon may emerge as a deadline target if the Devils are outside looking in on the playoffs, not a move they are willing to make this early in the season.
A familiar name also comes to mind, Ilya Lybushkin. He is capable of making big hits, has a willingness to block shots, can absorb some PK minutes and is well known in the Leaf’s locker room. Trouble is, we all know he is more of a bottom pairing blueliner, not the top-pairing stud the Leafs are looking for. That said, he is a low-risk option that may also carry a low-cost, so he remains an option for Chayka to consider despite some blemishes.
The call I would make is to the Calgary Flames. At 6-foot-3 and 219 pounds, defenseman Jake Middleton checks a lot of boxes. He is 30-years old, has the NHL experience that is required to play heavy minutes, is capable of being an impactful player on the penalty kill, loves to play in the dirty areas of the ice and can keep opposing forwards honest with his physical edge.
Of course, Middleton will not come cheap. Traded from the Minnesota Wild to the Calgary Flames in July, in exchange for forwards Blake Coleman and Olli Määttä, with Calgary also receiving Minnesota’s 2027 third‑round, 2028 fourth‑round, and 2029 second‑round draft picks, Middleton is likely to fetch decent return. He is seen as a key piece to the Flames rebuild and an asset that they would only move for the right price.
For Chayka to pull off this move, the starting point is probably the first rounder the Leafs acquired in the Nick Roy deal with the Avalanche going to the other way. Complicating matters, Middleton owns a 15-team no-trade list, but you’d have to think that the possibly of the Stratford, Ontario, native coming home to a team that is pushing to not only make the playoffs, but make a playoff run, that he would welcome the chance to play for the Blue and White.
At the end of the day, Chayka will take a cautious approach, allow the Tanev injury situation to play out and act accordingly. What Chayka cannot do is make a panic move. The Leaf’s prospect cupboard is bare, so he will also have to ensure that whatever move he makes, he is able to protect key assets like Danford, Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan.
Time will tell how it all shakes out. For now, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show!
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