Chris Tanev Injury Update, Leafs Next Steps

Chris Tanev left Saturday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, and since then, the Toronto Maple Leafs had not released a clear update on the defender. In a recent report, the 36-year-old defenceman has been labelled week-to-week with an upper-body injury, landing on injured reserve. Let’s dive into the Leafs’ next move with Chris Tanev Out.

The Leafs’ defender missed 71 games last season with multiple injuries, eventually ending his season with core muscle surgery in March. Tanev is a key cog in the Leafs’ defensive structure as their top shutdown defender. The Canadian defenceman is seventh in all-time blocks among active players and averages over two blocks per game.

Tanev was a key piece of the Leafs’ league-leading penalty kill, averaging over three minutes of shorthanded ice time per game. Operating at 95.8 percent, the Leafs managed to hold the Utah Mammoth‘s top power play to zero goals on four attempts and the loaded Avalanche power play scoreless through five attempts after Tanev’s exit.

Nick Blankenburg has stepped up as the sixth defender for the Leafs, with the 28-year-old seeing penalty kill minutes on the second unit and averaging about 13:45 of ice time. Troy Stecher has seen his penalty kill time increase as he has moved up to the top unit with Jake McCabe. Marshall Rifai was called up from the Marlies, but has seen limited ice time in his one appearance.

The Leafs were in the market for another defender before the Tanev injury, but the update on his status suggests we could see John Chayka become very active in the defender market very shortly. Chayka has already proved he is not afraid to make some big moves, shipping Matthew Knies to Columbus for Kirill Marchenko, while also overhauling the goaltending room in the off-season by trading both Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby.

Calgary Flames defenceman Zach Whitecloud has been the name floating around in trade rumours linked to the Maple Leafs. Whitecloud’s contract holds some appeal as the 29-year-old defender is under contract until 2028 with a $2.75M cap hit. The Leafs currently have around five million in cap space, but that quickly disappears once Tanev is ready to return, as he carries a $4.5M cap hit.

Whitecloud is averaging just under 21 minutes per game with the Flames and has just over three minutes of penalty-kill ice time. The Canadian defender has no points through six games and has a minus six plus/minus rating. So is Whitecloud the best guy to fill the hole left by Tanev?

The Philadelphia Flyers have had a horrendous start to the season, as they sit winless through their first eight games. Chayka has rapport with Daniel Briere after the Woll trade this off-season; could the two connect again as the Flyers look to offload a veteran? Rasmus Ristolainen has been a name that has circulated, as the 31-year-old Finn is an unrestricted free agent after the season and has penalty kill experience. Ristolainen is currently also on the injured reserve, so this seems less likely despite the current state of the Flyers.

The Nashville Predators just shipped off a second-round pick to acquire Jayden Struble from the Montreal Canadiens; could they be willing to ship out an older defender to streamline Struble’s arrival? Nick Perbix is a potential option as a defence-first, right-shot defender who is willing to do the dirty work. Perbix has seen top penalty-kill duties in Nashville and has the shot-blocking prowess that would slot right into Tanev’s role.

The Vancouver Canucks have some veteran defenders, including a former Leaf draft pick in Luke Schenn. The 36-year-old defenceman is well past the days when he was a top prospect with the Maple Leafs, but he could be a less flashy pickup to slot in for Tanev. Schenn has been used modestly in Vancouver under Manny Malhotra and could be a player that teams would call about at the deadline for a veteran depth piece. Still, Schenn fits the bill as a gritty, right-shot defender who kills penalties.

Which defender would you like to see the Maple Leafs target with Chris Tanev out of the lineup?

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Oct 8, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev (8) skates with the puck against Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) in the first period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Blankenburg and the Leafs’ penalty kill have looked good over the past two games, but how sustainable are those performances? It does not take a lot of imagination to figure out how the Leafs will handle the absence of Tanev; just look at last season. The Leafs struggled defensively, as Tanev missed the majority of the 2025-2026 season, and the Maple Leafs missed the postseason. Chayka has been busy on the trade market since he arrived in Toronto this off-season; will another trade be imminent with Tanev’s move to injured reserve? The Leafs will have to figure things out with Chris Tanev out multiple weeks.