It’s been an injury-riddled campaign right from the start for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev. On Sunday, a report emerged with an ominous update on his latest injury: He could be done for the season.
Insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that the 36-year-old is meeting with a surgeon this week to determine the next steps for his groin injury. If he goes under the knife, says Pagnotta, Tanev is expected to be out until late-April or early-May. That would finish the shot-blocking d-man for the rest of the regular-season, and at least the first round of the playoffs (should the Leafs make it).
With a timeline like that, the team would also have a decision to make on whether or not to place Tanev on Season-Ending LTIR. Under the NHL’s new rules, teams only get cap relief on a player’s full cap hit if he is placed on SE-LTIR. A regular LTIR stint only allows for a league-average salary cap relief, which is $3.8 million. Tanev is in the second season of a six-year, $27 million contract with a $4.5 million cap hit. Admittedly, that’s not a huge difference—only $700,000.
Rough 2025-26 season could be over for Chris Tanev
Tanev’s season began with a concussion-related injury on Oct. 21st. He was re-injured in the first game of his return, 10 days later, in a scary-looking incident.
That whiplash-like impact kept Tanev out for another seven weeks. Only three games into his return from that, he suffered a groin injury on December 28th. Now here we are, with his season on the line.
Tanev, a Toronto native, is in his 16th season in the NHL. He signed with the Leafs in free agency in the summer of 2024 and is in his second year with the club. He had an excellent first campaign with his hometown team, recording a team-high 189 blocked shots and a plus/minus rating of +31. With his kamikaze style, throwing his body in front of any puck that moves, he’s been no stranger to injuries over the course of his career. However, he was able to play 75 games for Toronto last season. This year? 11 games with a +8 rating and 15 blocked shots.
Dakota Joshua’s future also in question for Leafs
Tanev isn’t the only long-term health issue the team is dealing with. Dakota Joshua suffered a kidney injury in that same game back on Dec. 28th. Head coach Craig Berube said internal bleeding was involved. An LTIR stint is likely coming for Joshua, as well.
