The Toronto Maple Leafs got a concerning injury update on star defenseman Chris Tanev.
Tanev has been out of the lineup since Nov. 1, when he was stretchered off the ice after being hit. It came after he already missed games due to a concussion.
Since he has been out, there hasn’t been much of an update on Tanev. On Tuesday, NHL insider Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet gave a concerning update on Tanev and claimed retirement could be on the table.
“Tanev and the team are considering whether or not he will have some sort of structural surgery that will help him return and a decision on that will be made this week,” Kypreos wrote. “If he does lean towards having surgery, the hope would be for him to return well before the end of the regular season.
“The anticipation on which direction Tanev goes has many people reminded of Jake Muzzin, another hard-nosed Leafs defenceman who took an awkward hit in October 2022 that ended his season even though he skated off the ice on his own. The following summer in 2023, Muzzin needed to run through the possible scenarios between surgery or no surgery and the risks of temporary and permanent damage he might have to deal with after his career was over, if he continued to play. He ended up never returning to NHL action.”
If Tanev does opt for surgery, the hope is that he could return later this season. But, Tanev and the Maple Leafs are still considering all their options on how he can return to hockey.
Insider Reveals Biggest Concern for Tanev
As Tanev and the Maple Leafs are trying to figure out his pathway to returning, there are some concerns.
Kypreos said a concern is if he takes another big hit and what the repercussions could be. It could be a career-ender and impact his life post-hockey.
“The biggest concern for Tanev is if he takes another hit similar to the one he received on Nov. 1 that knocked him out of the lineup,” Kypreos added. “What are the risks of him further exacerbating the symptoms he’s had since?
“The hope is that any potential surgery would help alleviate that risk. While we wait to hear what officially is ailing Tanev, we now know that Muzzin sustained a cervical spine injury that put him at risk for permanent paralysis if he took another big blow.”
Tanev is in the second year of his six-year, $27 million deal with the Maple Leafs. He’s skated in 8 games this season, recording 2 assists.
Stecher has Replaced Tanev on Maple Leafs Blue Line
With Tanev out injured, Toronto claimed Troy Stecher off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers.
Stecher has played well for the Maple Leafs, and he got praise from head coach Craig Berube after the team’s 2-0 win on Monday.
“He has brought a lot of competitiveness and pace to our team, he skates and moves out there,” Berube said. “He doesn’t try to complicate the game. He’s a first-pass guy, but his pace and his competitiveness have really carried over to our whole team, in my opinion.”
Stecher has skated in 10 games with the Maple Leafs, recording 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points.
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