Sunday's game was just Tanev's third game back after working through an upper-body injury for almost two months.
Just when Chris Tanev returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup, it sounds like he'll be out for a chunk of time again.
The 36-year-old picked up a lower-body injury on Sunday night in the Maple Leafs' 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Toronto head coach Craig Berube said the injury is unrelated to what the defenseman dealt with over the last month and a half.
It's believed Tanev suffered the lower-body injury late in the game on Sunday. His last shift, which came in the final minutes of the third period, lasted just 14 seconds. He went to the dressing room shortly after and didn't return.
The Maple Leafs will have a better idea of how long Tanev will be out, either later on Tuesday or Wednesday. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, though, it could be "some time" before the defenseman returns to the lineup.
Berube added that, while there is concern, he's going to wait until they have a concrete timeline on the injury.
"I want to wait here first. I don't want to jump to conclusions and speculate on what it's going to be and how long."
Sunday's matchup against the Red Wings was Tanev's third game back after missing 23 games with an upper-body injury. He was stretchered off the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 1 after taking an awkward hit from Matvei Michkov.
Tanev also dealt with a concussion earlier in the year following an accidental hit to the head from New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer on Oct. 21. The injury, which was labelled a concussion, forced Tanev to miss four games before returning against the Flyers.
Troy Stecher’s Post-Game Celebration Against Senators Demonstrates His Growing Popularity Among Maple Leafs Teammates And Fans
After playing mostly with McCabe during his Toronto tenure, Stecher was paired up with Ekman-Larsson on Saturday against Ottawa.
The veteran defenseman has missed 27 of the Maple Leafs' first 38 games of the season, and on Tuesday, it will be 28 of Toronto's last 39 games. Through 11 appearances this season, Tanev has two assists while averaging 17:58 of ice time.
Tanev is in the second season of a six-year, $27 million contract, which he signed with the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2024. The deal lasts until 2030 — when Tanev would be 40 years old — and carries an annual average value of $4.5 million.