It almost seems like the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2026-27 season could be hanging by a thread. That thread is the blue line. When looking at the team’s roster, it’s not hard to envision why.
The Maple Leafs’ blue line is a collection of 30-something veterans who have quite a bit of mileage on them. But the veteran who stands out the most is Chris Tanev.
Toronto’s top shutdown defenseman isn’t a lock to be in camp. He’s reportedly still waiting for doctors to clear him to play. And if he can’t go, or starts the season and then hits the shelf again, the Maple Leafs could be looking at another major move.
The problem is that replacing someone like Chris Tanev isn’t easy. You bet that John Chayka will try, but actually pulling that off is hardly easy. If anything, the Leafs will have to turn over stones to find the type of guy they need to fill Tanev’s role. And it’s not that there aren’t any defensemen like him. It’s just that they’re not available.
So, if the Maple Leafs’ blue line begins to fall apart, what can the team realistically do? The answer to that question is not a comforting one.
Maple Leafs hope for the best with their blue line corps
The fact of the matter is that the Maple Leafs are hoping for the best with their blue line corps. Even if Tanev can’t play much this season, the organization can weather the storm to a certain extent. The issue, unfortunately, will be if, say, Oliver Ekman-Larsson goes down or Morgan Rielly completely flames out
Depth pieces like Troy Stecher should be steady if unspectacular, but riding hopes on Stecher may be a little too much to ask.
We can even assume that Darren Raddysh will deliver as advertised. But it will take a heck of a lot more than Raddysh and Stecher to make the Maple Leafs' blue line work.
The worst-case scenario is having multiple injuries and disastrous performances hit simultaneously. Such a situation would leave Toronto devastated, trying to find answers.
And it would force a major move that, frankly, the Leafs just can’t pull off at the moment. Perhaps we’ll see Chayka trying to hedge his position by looking into potential targets ahead of time. But unless he can pull off a proactive trade - that is, getting ahead of potential disaster - Chayka will most likely be handcuffed by the time he has to make a move.
For everyone’s sake, let’s hope the duct tape can keep the Maple Leafs defensive corps together in 2026-27.
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