Chris Tanev’s Battle To Stay Healthy And Return To Maple Leafs Lineup And Why His Defensive Pairings Will Be Different

VANCOUVER — Chris Tanev stepped off the University of British Columbia ice Friday feeling like he belonged again. After missing nine games with an upper-body injury sustained early in a 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 10, the 36-year-old defenseman declared himself ready for Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, his original NHL club.

“Ready to rumble tomorrow, hopefully,” Tanev said after an intense, hour-plus practice at UBC Thunderbird Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. “Honestly, I’m so excited to be on the ice here. I remember being 20 years old at camp, stepping on this ice, and it sort of brings back a ton of memories. It was a great practice for us.”

Tanev would not detail the injury, which occurred when Artturi Lehkonen bumped him from behind, but he emphasized that the medical evaluation was far more favorable than the spine issue that limited him last season. 

“We talked to a lot of doctors and we’re confident in the diagnosis we got. It’s different than what happened last year. It’s a lot better than what happened last year,” Tanev insisted.

Coach Jim Hiller, speaking after the same session, confirmed Tanev looked strong through contact work. 

“It was a pretty intense practice and he seemed to get through it just fine. I still have to talk to some other people, but I thought he looked pretty good.” 

Hiller and teammates described Tanev’s defensive reliability, shot-blocking, and veteran outlet passing as irreplaceable. Oliver Ekman-Larsson highlighted the boost of having a player who blocks shots and moves the puck cleanly.

“He makes the small little plays that become big plays,” Ekman-Larsson said.

Rather than reunite Tanev with Jake McCabe, Hiller kept McCabe paired with Darren Raddysh. 

“We really liked how McCabe and Raddysh have been playing together, so we don’t want to break that up. They’ve played together before. I think it makes a pretty easy transition for both of them.” 

Tanev is expected to slot beside Morgan Rielly on the second pairing, with Troy Stecher shifting alongside Ekman-Larsson.

The Leafs have given up 10 goals in consecutive regulation losses on this road trip. Returning a proven defensive anchor who averaged nearly 20 minutes before the injury should stabilize the blue line and ease the burden on Rielly. That is, of course, if he can stay healthy.

It was an innocent-looking bump from Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov that forced the defenseman to be removed from the game on a stretcher. It’s understandable to be a little skeptical about how much the defenseman, who is in year three of a six-year deal, has left.

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