The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tough spot once again with blueliner Chris Tanev.
The veteran defenseman left Saturday night’s win over the Colorado Avalanche in the first period, and did not return. The official word was that he had sustained an upper-body injury, but no further updates were provided.
On Sunday, news trickled out that Tanev had been placed on IR, with the corresponding move being Marshall Rifai recalled from the Marlies, PuckPedia showed late Sunday evening.
🚨 BREAKING: The Maple Leafs are set to place D Chris Tanev on IR and recall D Marshall Rifai from the Marlies, per @NHL_Rosters
— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) October 11, 2026
Tanev left last night’s game in Colorado in the first period and didn’t return for the rest of the game. The extent of the injury hasn’t been… pic.twitter.com/4ojMonRTFv
The move is unsurprising, considering how Tanev reacted on the bench following the collision with Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen. While there had been some hope that Tanev’s departure was purely precautionary, now it seems that there’s no doubt Tanev is in trouble.
As one notable sports expert discussed, Tanev could have faced a re-aggravation of the same core muscle that led to his season-ending surgery last year.
Now, the Maple Leafs will have to move forward without their best shutdown defenseman for an unknown period. Perhaps the most concerning issue at this point is that the extent of the injury remains unclear.
Tanev hits the shelf once again early in the season
Last year, Tanev hit the shelf early in the season. He returned following an initial stint on IR, only to hit the shelf shortly after. The 36-year-old ended up playing just 11 games last season in what was a lost year due to injury.
This season, Tanev has appeared in six games and could face another prolonged absence. That’s just speculation at this point. It could be that Tanev just needs some time to recover, and potentially avoid any significant missed time.
If Saturday night was any indication, the Maple Leafs can get by without Tanev. However, it will be challenging to see how head coach Jim Hiller figures out his defensive pairings moving forward.
Blankenburg to get real shot at playing with Maple Leafs
John Chayka now seems like a psychic, as his move to sign Nick Blankenburg as defensive depth will come in handy. Hiller rolled with seven defensemen on Saturday, and it paid off as Blankenburg slid into Tanev’s spot. The 28-year-old finished the night with over 16 minutes of ice time and one goal.
Moving forward, Blankenburg should get a real opportunity to play with the Maple Leafs. He’ll go from the press box to a significant role with the club.
As for Rifai, he could see some action as long as John Tavares remains away on paternity leave. That could mean the Leafs roll once again with seven D in their next game against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google