Tanev, injured Tuesday, is questionable for Friday's game vs. the Sabres. Coach Berube says he's "doing better". Teammates like Domi were concerned when Tanev went down, given his "tough" reputation. If he's out, Myers likely makes his season debut.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may be without the services of Chris Tanev when the club visits the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Arena on Friday.
The defenseman sustained an upper-body injury after he collided with New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer in the second period of Toronto's 5-2 loss on Tuesday and did not return.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube updated the status of Tanev following the club’s optional skate.
“He's doing better today, but he's questionable right now,” Berube said.
Tanev is known for sacrificing his body, building his reputation on his willingness to block shots and play a physical game. Consequently, when Tanev was slow to get up following the incident, it gave teammates some pause.
“I'm not going to lie to you, when he stays down, it's definitely scary because I have never played with a guy as tough as Chris Tanev so it's not a good feeling,” Maple Leafs forward Max Domi said. “He seems to be doing well. He's tough as nails and a huge part of our team, so hopefully he's doing all right.”
The Leafs were 3-3-1 in the seven games Tanev missed earlier in his first season with the club in 2024-25. If he’s unable to play, it’s likely Philippe Myers would come into the lineup and make his season debut. It would mark the first lineup change on defense this season.
'Possible' Maple Chris Tanev Misses Time With Maple Leafs Following Upper-Body Injury
Tanev was involved in a collision with New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer.
Addressing the potential impact of Tanev's absence, Berube said, “Obviously, we all know what he does for the team and what he brings, but you know, that's part of the game. You deal with it and everybody has to step up.”
The 35-year-old Tanev has one assist in seven games this season while averaging 17:42 of ice time
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