Maple Leafs Without Chris Tanev For Minimum Of 3 Games, Place Defenseman On Injured Reserve

SALT LAKE CITY — The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without the services of defenseman Chris Tanev for a minimum of three games after placing the player on injured reserve on Sunday.

Tanev departed in the first period of the Maple Leafs’ 6-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday with what the club described as an upper-body injury and did not return to the game. There was no immediate update on the defender’s status following the game, with head coach Jim Hiller expected to provide an update at practice in Utah on Monday.

The 36-year-old has one assist in six games this season. He was limited to just 11 games in 2025-26 after sustaining concussion, spine and groin injuries at different points of the season.

Tanev is in the third year of a six-year contract that carries an average annual value of $4.5 million per season.

In a corresponding move, the Leafs called up defenseman Marshall Rifai. The 28-year-old defenseman has four penalty minutes in three games with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL this season. He played in one game with the Leafs last season and has played in just three NHL games since the 2023-24 season.

During a pre-season game, Rifai drew praise from Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews after dropping the gloves with Canadiens’ Florian Xhekaj, who has been agitating Toronto’s stars. 

“I mean, that’s appreciated obviously, you know, guys sticking up for each other. That’s what it’s all about. And I will say, Marshall’s been around here for a bit now and he’s one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever come across. A guy anytime he’s been called up never complains, always doing extra, always finding ways to try to get better. It’s something you really appreciate when you see guys like that in the organization, and I was very appreciative [of] him dropping the gloves like that. He’s played some games with us the last couple years and each night he just competes and competes and he’s got everybody’s back out there. So, it’s great.”

The Leafs were fortunate to have dressed seven defensemen for their last game when Tanev went down to injury. Nick Blankenburg made his Leafs debut and scored on his first shift. He will likely get more time as the Leafs figure out life without Tanev in the short term.

Of course, now they have to wonder about Tanev’s long-term health as well, as the numerous hits begin to take their toll.

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