Maple Leafs' Tanev out week-to-week, Hiller calls on forwards to support defence

TORONTO · The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that veteran defenceman Chris Tanev is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The 36-year-old was placed on injured reserve Monday, a move retroactive to Saturday. Tanev was hurt during Toronto's 6-3 road win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, leaving the game after skating just five shifts in the first period. Head coach Jim Hiller said he is comfortable with the remaining defencemen on the active roster but emphasized the forwards need to contribute more defensively.

"Tanev's a good player; that's well established, but we have other good players," Hiller said after Thursday's morning skate. "We just have to help them out a little bit." He expressed disappointment with the forwards' play during the recent road trip, citing turnovers and poor tracking. "I thought we hung our defencemen out to dry just a little bit as a group of forwards," Hiller said. "You've got to help your defence. I don't care who's in. That, to me, is a little bit more on our forwards."

Tanev has one assist in six games this season and is tied for the team lead with 14 blocked shots. He was limited to 11 games last season due to spine and groin injuries as well as a concussion. In his 884-game NHL career, which includes stops in Vancouver, Calgary and Dallas, Tanev has 36 goals and 175 assists with a plus-162 rating. When asked if the Maple Leafs are looking to add a defenceman externally, Hiller deferred. "Not my job, first of all," he said. "I think there's always a lot of noise about something, so I'm not going to pay too much attention to it right now." A report from TSN indicated Toronto will find solutions internally for now but will consider upgrades in the future.

The Maple Leafs' defensive depth is now reduced as they prepare for a stretch without Tanev. The team hosted the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, with both clubs entering the game with identical 3-3-1 records. Toronto's defence corps, described as average when healthy, faces increased scrutiny with Tanev's injury history creating uncertainty. Analysts suggest the Maple Leafs could explore the trade market for a bottom-four defenceman later on, though the team lacks many high-value assets. Potential trade targets mentioned include Brenden Dillon of the New Jersey Devils, Nick Perbix of the Nashville Predators, Carson Soucy of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers. Such a move would likely involve mid-tier prospects or draft picks, including second-round selections in the next three drafts and conditional first-round picks in 2027 and 2029. The Maple Leafs' next game is scheduled for Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets.

With files from The Canadian Press, Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports