Tanev took contact in Maple Leafs practice for the first time on Monday, a month and a half after leaving a game against the Flyers on a stretcher.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev has shed the red non-contact jersey, marking a significant step in his recovery from the upper-body injury.
The 35-year-old has been out of Toronto's lineup since going off on a stretcher on Nov. 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Tanev has been on the ice quite a bit since that situation, but he had never practiced with the team without wearing a red jersey.
"It's great to be out there with everyone," Tanev said on Monday afternoon, "and sort of actually participate in my first practice."
It's been a long road back from whatever's ailed the veteran defender. He preferred not to get into specifics of the exact injury or whether surgery was on the table while speaking for the first time on Monday afternoon, but did reveal that he knew he'd be out a minimum of six weeks.
Once he hit that mark (last week), it was time to chat with the team doctors again to see how he's feeling. Tanev also had a second opinion, though he didn't give much detail on what the second opinion was about.
"I talked to our docs, a couple other docs, and was able to be a full participant in practice today," added Tanev.
Despite skating alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Toronto's third defense pairing, Tanev will not play on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The defenseman says he feels great, but adds it's a fluid situation and that he and the team are taking it day by day.
After Monday, the Maple Leafs have four games before Christmas. Is it possible he gets into the lineup before then?
I've got to see how he keeps progressing here and how he does," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube after practice on Monday. "It’d be great, but we'll see."
This is the second upper-body injury Tanev has worked his way through this season. His first injury was a concussion, which he sustained on Oct. 21 after New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer inadvertently collided with Tanev in front of Toronto's net.
Tanev ultimately missed four games and returned against the Flyers. He played 14:50 in that game before taking "a weird fluke hit" from Philadelphia forward Matvei Michkov, which caused Tanev to go off on a stretcher.
"I just want to thank our docs, our trainers, and the people in Philly there for really taking care of me and making sure that nothing catastrophic was wrong. I really appreciate that," said Tanev.
"Obviously, it was a little bit of a scary situation, but when you're around good people and surrounded by the right people, they really calm you down and make sure everything's okay. We're just doing things that need to be done to make sure you're safe."
After the two injuries this season, did Tanev at all contemplate his playing future?
"You always think about things," Tanev said. "Initially, when that happened, you talk to doctors. You have to determine the next steps and what's best for yourself, the game, hockey, your team, and your family. I'm really happy to be here and skate today. It's great to be around the guys."
He’s Not Going To Be On The Ice Anytime Soon’: The Maple Leafs Update On Anthony Stolarz Doesn’t Sound Promising
Anthony Stolarz has been out with what the team describes as an upper-body injury and the goaltender has yet to hit the ice. And it appears it will stay that way for a while.
Whenever Tanev returns to Toronto's lineup, he'll be a welcoming addition. He and the Maple Leafs, though, are being very diligent with how they work through this next step. As much as Tanev might want to play, it's crucial to be patient, like they have been.
"Obviously, our medical team has done a great job with him," added Berube.
"He's just taking it day by day. It's tough. It's tough for a guy like that, been around, wants to be involved, wants to play, wants to help the team. But his attitude's been good about it all. He's worked hard and trying to prepare himself to get back."
It shouldn't be understated that taking contact is a massive step in his recovery process, though.
"It's always a bit different battling. I think that's the hardest. You can skate all you want, but getting into battles, fighting for pucks, things happening at game speed is always an adjustment," Tanev said. "It was nice to be able to do some of that to try to acclimatize myself to more of a game-like scenario."
Tanev has two assists and averaged 17:20 of ice time through eight games this season.