The Toronto Maple Leafs are down one of the game's top shot blockers.
Defenceman Chris Tanev suffered an upper-body injury and was ruled out for the remainder of Tuesday's game against the New Jersey Devils, the team announced.
After the game, head coach Craig Berube said Tanev could miss time with the injury.
Tanev left the ice early in the second period after an inadvertent hit to the head by Devils forward Dawson Mercer. The back of Mercer's head appeared to collide with Tanev's face during a net-front battle.
Tanev stayed down on the ice for a few moments before skating off with the help of Jake McCabe and a team trainer.
The 35-year-old is in the midst of his second season in Toronto after signing a six-year, $27-million deal in the off-season prior to the 2024-25 campaign.
In 75 games last year, the rugged blue-liner notched three goals and 15 assists while blocking a whopping 189 shots – good for the sixth most in the league – while averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time a night.
Tanev has one assist through six contests this season.
