HEBER CITY, Utah — The outlook for the Toronto Maple Leafs' best pure defenceman remained as hazy as the snowy summits above Park City.
Chris Tanev suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury early in Saturday’s riotous 6-3 comeback win over the Colorado Avalanche and was retroactively moved to injured reserve on an overcast Monday.
That means the 36-year-old veteran will miss a minimum of three games, but he could be out longer than that.
Following Monday’s practice at Utah’s Black Rock Mountain Resort at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, coach Jim Hiller said he did not have a good sense of a timeline for Tanev’s return.
As for the nature of the player’s injury?
“I’m not going to get into any of that,” Hiller replied.
Tanev remains with the club, which wraps its road trip Tuesday against the Mammoth, and will require further evaluation.
“Players go through a lot,” Morgan Rielly said. “So, we’ll wait to hear more. But we love him and we'll support him, just like we will with all our guys.”
The defenceman suffered consecutive head and neck injuries last fall, as well as a core muscle injury, and was limited to 11 games played in 2025-26.
The well-respected Tanev is only beginning the third year of his six-year contract with the Leafs.
“I’ve been playing against Tanny since I was a kid, and now to be teammates in the last few years has been amazing and a lot of fun,” fellow Torontonian John Tavares said. “We connect in a lot of ways on a personal side, and we all see the type of game that he plays, how valuable it is, how it impacts the team, teams that win, teams that have success.
“I know how hard he’s worked over the last year and a half, and all the things he's been through, and (he) continues to give himself the best chance he can, and always puts himself on the line for the team, and got the utmost respect for who he is as a player and a person and type of leader that he is. So, hopefully, as he gets evaluated, things can turn for him here quick and be back with us soon.”
In the meantime, Hiller will balance his D pairings and rely on a "by committee" approach. Nick Blankenburg, who scored in his Leafs debut Saturday, suddenly becomes important, while sturdy depth defender Marshall Rifai was recalled from the Marlies.
“He had a really good training camp,” Hiller said of Rifai. “We saw the energy. We saw him get involved physically. You know, the fight (with Florian Xhekaj) is the one we all remember, stepping up for a teammate, and we thought he just played really well. So, he's earned that, and it's great to have him here.”
Even with Tanev healthy, GM John Chayka was already poking around the trade market for improvements on the blueline. Those efforts could escalate if the hear-and-soul shutdown man is sidelined long-term.
In the meantime, imperfect pairings such as Jake McCabe–Darren Raddysh and Morgan Rielly–Troy Stecher will be put to the test, as will a No. 1 penalty kill (95 per cent) that has been stellar thus far.
Hiller imagines he’ll be moving his pieces around to find the best patchwork solution.
Matthews celebrates anniversary with First Star week
Ten years ago today, Oct. 12, 2016, Auston Matthews made his splashy four-goal NHL debut.
Well, the centreman celebrated his aluminum anniversary by being named the league’s First Star of the Week. Matthews led all skaters with nine points (three goals, six assists) in three contests last week, leading the Leafs to five out of a possible six standings points.
Saturday’s show in Colorado marked his 19th career four-point game. Since his entry a decade ago, Matthews leads the NHL in total goals (432) and rates ninth in points (790) with 695 games played.
“He’s just been everything we could ask for so far, and I expect he’ll continue it. I'm glad he's getting rewarded for some points because we all were saying, ‘Hey, man, he's playing really well. Hadn't had a lot of points.’ So, that's just how it goes,” Hiller said. “You stick with it, and all of a sudden you get nine points in a week.”
Rielly fondly recalled the surprise of Matthews' four-goal debut but quickly noted his teammate’s top form in the early going of this season.
“He’s ultra-competitive. He’s scoring. He's playing well defensively. He’s doing everything anyone could ask of a player,” Rielly said. “Him and Willy (Nylander) are two of the best players in the world. And when they're playing well, they're playing together, and they're hard to play against.
“We’re lucky to have guys like that.”
New dad energy
Tavares, the only Leaf to appear in all 82 last season, had his consecutive-games streak busted in the best way possible Saturday, as he flew home to welcome baby boy Tucker Tavares to the world.
Well, the consistent former captain hopped right back on a plane, joining his teammates at Black Rock for Monday’s practice and will jump back into action Tuesday.
Unfortunately, the player — who was able to attend the birth of his first three children — didn’t quite make it in time to be by wife Aryne’s side.
“Just can't say enough about my wife and what women go through to bring life into this world,” Tavares said. “Difficult not being there and being able to support her. But she was amazing. And I've always said, I think I got it as good as any player, just to have the amount of family and support we have. So, both sets of grandparents being there when I couldn't, and support for my three at home when Aryne went to the hospital.”
The birth went smoothly after a speedy labour, and Tavares was able to embrace Tucker when he returned from Las Vegas Friday evening.
“Really special to get a couple days to spend with them, settle back into a new reality, and enjoy all the firsts and how special it is,” Tavares said. “I can't thank the team enough for everything they did to support me in getting there to be with my family and then getting back here and gearing back up to get ready.”
As for the naming inspiration of his 10-pound power forward in the making?
“We just liked it,” Dad explained. “I don’t think it was too far out there, but maybe not super common. So, yeah, felt like it fit him and fit our family really well.
“Having kids has made (hockey) more and more meaningful. So, it's even more meaningful now with Tucker and having him complete in our family and knowing what you play for.”
One-Timers: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who got banged up in Thursday’s OT loss in Vegas, missed practice due to maintenance but is expected to play…. Miles Wood participated in his first skate with the Leafs. He will wear 18, a number that last belonged to Steven Lorentz, for whom Wood was traded…. The Leafs did not do power-play work Monday, so it remains unclear if Gavin McKenna will stick on the top unit, which struck twice Saturday in Tavares’s absence.
Maple Leafs projected lineup Tuesday in Utah:
Marchenko – Matthews – Roslovic
Cowan – Tavares – Nylander
McKenna – Paul – Sissons
Duhaime – Blueger – Groulx
McCabe – Raddysh
Rielly – Stecher
Ekman-Larsson – Blankenburg
Stolarz
Bobrovsky
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