Leafs’ Chris Tanev week-to-week with upper-body injury

The Chris Tanev situation continues to get worse by the day.

On Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs revealed that the veteran defenseman is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Tanev was hurt during the first period of the Maple Leafs’ matchup with the Colorado Avalanche this past Saturday night. It has yet to be reported exactly what led to the 36-year-old’s departure, but the injury is severe enough that he was placed on injured reserve on Monday, opening a roster spot for fellow defender Marshall Rifai. While the NHL’s IR rules would only require Tanev to miss a week, it now looks like he’ll be out even longer.

The Toronto native has posted one assist in six appearances this season, with a +1 plus/minus and 16:51 of ice time.

The latest injury is an addition to a laundry list of ailments that have plagued Tanev throughout his NHL career. Despite being one of the more reliable and efficient blueliners when he’s on the ice, his inability to stay in the lineup has earned him a less-than-ideal reputation. He has had multiple concussions throughout his tenure in the league, including suffering a scary injury last year against the Philadelphia Flyers that led to him being transported to a hospital.

Thanks to the injuries, Tanev was limited to just 11 games during the 2025-26 season. He underwent core muscle surgery last March to help him be healthy heading into the new campaign. However, the injury cloud continues to hover over the former Dallas Star.

Tanev has never played a full season in his NHL career. In 884 regular-season games, he has scored 36 goals and 211 points, with another 16 points in 73 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances. He’s in the third season of his six-year contract, which carries an AAV of $4.5 million with a full no-move clause.

The Leafs (3-3-1) are in action on Thursday night, hosting the Buffalo Sabres.