Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev Undergoes Core Muscle Surgery
The Maple Leafs announced today that defenseman Chris Tanev has undergone a successful core muscle procedure in New York City. He will miss the remainder of the season but is expected to fully participate in training camp in September.
Tanev had not played since Dec. 28 with what was initially described as a groin injury. Surgery was mentioned as a possibility as far back as January. Tanev then skated on his own during the Olympic break, but evidently didn’t make enough forward progress with non-surgical rehab to return this season.
Combined with a pair of upper-body injuries earlier in the year, Tanev ends his 2025-26 campaign with just 11 games played. Injuries have long been a concern throughout the rugged defender’s career, but missing this much time is new territory. The top-four shutdown fixture closes the book on his age-36 season with two assists, a +8 rating, 18 shot attempts, a 17:58 time on ice average, 15 blocks, and two hits.
Injuries and durability were the primary concerns when the Leafs signed Tanev to a six-year, $27MM deal in free agency in 2024, worth $4.5MM per season. That cap hit is still a bit of a discount for what he brings to the table when healthy, but signing a player who’s hit 70 games just four times in his 16-year career until he’s 40 was a controversial decision. Combined with a no-movement clause, it could quickly become a nuisance deal if he spends more time on IR than on the ice moving forward, albeit less so as the salary cap continues to rise.
While a tough loss for the Maple Leafs, they’re used to it by now. With their playoff hopes this season all but gone, there was no reason to try to maintain Tanev’s health for the last few weeks of the year. Tanev’s continued absence means ongoing responsibility for depth pieces Philippe Myers and Troy Stecher to step into bottom-pairing duties, while potentially creating more opportunities for young recall options Henry Thrun and William Villeneuve, depending on how many defenders Toronto sells off in the next two days.
Evening Notes: Tanev, Avalanche, Fibigr
Due to a significant groin injury, veteran defenseman Chris Tanev has been limited to 11 games this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Again trying to rehabilitate the injury, THN’s Nick Barden reported that Tanev took to the ice on his own today, and the Maple Leafs will decide by the end of the weekend if he’s good to return to practice.
Still, there’s no guarantee Tanev will even return this season. After missing a month of action from November 1st to December 23rd, Tanev appeared in only three games before suffering a similar injury. He opted for rehab instead of surgery at the time, and it appears he’s trying to do the same thing this time around.
However, the door remains open on surgery, and it may be the most beneficial option. It would give Tanev ample time to recover and ramp up physical activity throughout the offseason to ensure he’ll be healthy for the 2026-27 campaign. Toronto could still return to the postseason conversation when they return from the Olympics, but they’ll have their work cut out for them in a hotly contested Atlantic Division.
Additional notes from this evening:
- The Colorado Avalanche have announced a new ECHL expansion franchise for the 2026-27 season. The New Mexico Goatheads will replace the Utah Grizzlies as Colorado’s ECHL affiliate next season, and the latter team will be moving to Trenton, NJ. It’ll be the newest ECHL affiliation with the Avalanche since the Colorado Eagles moved to the AHL in 2018.
- According to his Instagram account, defenseman prospect Jakub Fibigr has committed to Ohio State University for next season. The 19-year-old Czech was drafted by the Seattle Kraken in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s scored nine goals and 33 points in 44 games split between the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads and Windsor Spitfires this season.
Injury Updates: Maple Leafs, Greenway, Blues, Hedman, Ristolainen
The Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Dakota Joshua and defenseman Chris Tanev on LTIR, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). Joshua is dealing with a lacerated kidney that has kept him out for the last month and while he has started light skating, he’s not expected to return until after the Olympic break. Tanev, meanwhile, has missed the last month with a groin issue. There’s no timeline for his return but he has already missed the required 10 games and 24 days so if he returns – something that is in the air with him reportedly uncertain about surgery – so he’s eligible to be activated at any time.
Other injury news from around the NHL:
- Sabres winger Jordan Greenway has been limited this season after undergoing two sports hernia surgeries over the last 13 months. He doesn’t play in back-to-backs and practice time has been limited. Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald mentions that the veteran is expected to meet with doctors on Thursday to determine if what he’s dealing with in terms of discomfort is something that can be fixed or if it’s something he just has to keep playing through. If any sort of procedure is needed, now would be a good time with the three-week break coming up which would limit the amount of time Greenway would miss.
- The Blues announced (Twitter link) that wingers Jordan Kyrou (upper body) and Jake Neighbours (lower body) are listed as day-to-day after undergoing further evaluations on their respective injuries. Head coach Jim Montgomery was unsure if either player would be available for Thursday’s game against Florida. Both Kyrou and Neighbours left Tuesday’s loss to Dallas but it appears it’s the best-case scenario for both of them.
- Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman took part in practice today for the first time since being sidelined with an elbow injury nearly seven weeks ago, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The 35-year-old has missed 33 of the last 36 games and has a dozen assists in 18 games this season while averaging just over 21 minutes per game. Hedman has long been targeting a return that would allow him to play in the Olympics and it appears he’s on track to do so. Notably, head coach Jon Cooper didn’t rule out the possibility of the captain returning for Sunday’s Stadium Series game.
- The Flyers announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen left tonight’s game against Columbus due to a lower-body injury. He played 1:01 over two shifts before exiting. The 31-year-old missed more than two months to start the season due to a triceps injury, then missed six more this month to an upper-body issue, one that he just returned from on Monday. Ristolainen has been limited to just three assists and 25 blocks in 15 games when he has been in the lineup. Notably, he’s set to play for Finland in the Olympics so if this injury is set to keep him out for more than a couple of weeks, that could cause him to miss the event.
East Notes: Malkin, Tanev, Robinson, Lightning
Back in June, a report from Josh Yohe of The Athletic indicated that the Pittsburgh Penguins had little interest in extending franchise icon Evgeni Malkin beyond the 2025-26 campaign. Additionally, Pittsburgh’s play-by-play voice, Josh Getzoff, shared that General Manager Kyle Dubas would meet with Malkin during the Olympic Break to discuss his future.
In a new update from Yohe, that remains the plan from the Penguins’ perspective. Yohe indicated that Malkin wants to sign a one-year extension in Pittsburgh, is willing to take a paycut on his current salary, and doesn’t want to play anywhere, regardless of whether it’s with a playoff contender or not.
He’s turned back the clock this season, scoring 10 goals and 35 points in 33 games — already 15 points away from matching last year’s totals. Additionally, in an unexpected fashion, the Penguins are remarkably competitive this season, currently in a divisional playoff spot in the Metropolitan.
Still, injury troubles have plagued Malkin in the past two years, and Pittsburgh may be more interested in moving its available dollars elsewhere. Despite their competitiveness this season, the team has already shown a willingness to move out veterans, evidenced by their trade of netminder Tristan Jarry last month. Regardless, considering they will meet in a few weeks, more will be known about Malkin’s future relatively soon.
Additional notes from the Eastern Conference:
- A few weeks ago, David Alter of The Hockey News reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs and defenseman Chris Tanev have not decided upon surgery to repair his groin injury. According to Nick Barden of The Hockey News, that remains the status quo. Barden relayed a quote from head coach Craig Berube saying, “He’s still working through things. He hasn’t got surgery yet. We’re still working through things.” Berube went on to add that Tanev is the one who is hesitant about surgery, not the Maple Leafs.
- The Carolina Hurricanes are expecting to be without one of their bottom-six forwards for the foreseeable future. The Hurricanes shared that forward Eric Robinson will be “out for an extended period [of time]” with an upper-body injury. He was seen at the rink today in a sling. Carolina will likely place the nine-year veteran on the injured reserve.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t moving anytime soon. According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times, the Lightning have signed a six-year lease extension with Benchmark International Arena, keeping them in the stadium through the 2042-43 NHL season. Additionally, Hillsborough County has agreed to include $250MM in the agreement for arena renovations, while the organization will contribute $75MM.
Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Panthers, Bruins, Kesselring
The Toronto Maple Leafs could get a major boost to their goaltending on their upcoming road trip next week. According to David Alter of The Hockey News, Anthony Stolarz is nearing a return to the team and is expected to join them next week. It would be the first time the Maple Leafs have their normal goaltending duo available since November 11th.
Even before going down with an upper-body injury in mid-November, Stolarz didn’t look the same as he has in years past. He posted a 6-5-1 record in 13 games with a .884 SV% and 3.51 GAA. For comparison, with the Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, Stolarz managed a 37-15-5 record in 61 games with a .926 SV% and 2.10 GAA from 2023-24 to 2024-25.
Meanwhile, in a separate update from Alter, the Maple Leafs haven’t yet decided on the possibility of surgery for defenseman Chris Tanev. Sharing a statement from head coach Craig Berube, Alter quoted the coach saying, “Not yet. I’m sure that’ll be soon here about what he’s going to do.” The 16-year veteran has been ruled out with a groin injury since December 28th, with the rest of the 2025-26 season in doubt for him.
Additional notes from the Atlantic Division:
- The Florida Panthers are missing a pair of potential forward options for their game tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Before the game, team reporter Jameson Olive announced that Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk would not participate in tonight’s contest. Tonight marks two games in a row missed by Marchand, who participated in the team’s practice this morning (X Link). Tkachuk has been rumored to return for the last little while now, recovering from an adductor surgery from the offseason.
- Despite putting up a 10-spot on the New York Rangers earlier today, the Boston Bruins had a few higher-level forwards leave relatively early into the contest. In separate announcements, the Bruins shared that Elias Lindholm had exited the contest with a lower-body injury, and Morgan Geekie departed to attend to a family matter. Despite leaving the game with an injury after 12:05 of ice time, Lindholm finished the contest with two assists.
- According to an article from Bill Hoppe of the Times Herald, defenseman Michael Kesselring should make a return to the Buffalo Sabres relatively soon. Regardless of his current health status, the 25-year-old blue liner can’t make his return to the Sabres lineup until next Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers due to the IR activation requirements. He went scoreless in 16 games before going down with a lower-body injury on January 6th.
Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev’s Season In Doubt
This afternoon David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period shared an update on Toronto’s Chris Tanev; the defenseman may miss the remainder of the regular season. Tanev returned to the lineup in late December, appearing in three games. Now, an apparent groin injury which is unrelated to his previous lower-body ailment could end Tanev’s regular season.
Pagnotta noted that Tanev will meet with a surgeon this week to determine if a procedure is needed. If such is the case, he will not be able to return until late April or early May, postseason at best. Given their status in the extremely competitive Eastern Conference, Toronto’s playoff hopes are already uncertain, and even more clouded without their veteran shutdown defender.
Despite today’s speed oriented game, Tanev remains an integral piece when healthy. He and Jake McCabe form one of the league’s best shutdown pairings, and even in his age, Tanev is playing as well as ever, making the ongoing injury issues especially demoralizing.
Nothing will be confirmed for the next few days, but it seems to be a forgone conclusion that Tanev will land on long-term injured reserve, giving much needed cap space for Toronto to pursue outside help. Thankfully, fellow righty Brandon Carlo is thought to be nearing a return, much needed given Tanev’s absence. However, even with Carlo back in the fold, the Leafs are seeking a shake up. Veteran Troy Stecher, claimed off waivers from Edmonton in November, has been a strong fit in Tanev’s role, and the team has found success of late, 4-0-2 in their last six games. Recent results aside though, GM Brad Treliving has been linked to defenseman Rasmus Andersson, going back to their time in Calgary, along with forwards such as Brayden Schenn and Kiefer Sherwood, as reported by The Fourth Period.
Toronto has a long history of adding such players mid-season; the issue is the assets on hand. Treliving has just three owned draft picks for 2026, no better than a third, and no first round choice until 2028. They face the difficulty of having mostly underachieving players as their only trade material. Andersson, who could become a real focus due to today’s Tanev news, has a modified no-trade clause. Even if he’d be willing to waive, and Calgary was satisfied by a player-heavy offer from Toronto, it is a real question if the team should gamble on another trade rental. None over the past few seasons have necessarily panned out, nor stuck around, painting the team into the corner they find themselves at now.
Tanev, 36, is just now in year two of a six year contract worth $4.5MM per season. As it takes him up to age 40, it was not likely the Ontario native would play out the deal, yet for his future to already be in flux was not according to plan. Tanev would expectedly age more gracefully than Jake Muzzin or T.J. Brodie, who found themselves in similar situations, but Treliving was surely not ready to cross such a bridge so soon as now. While the hope is that he could avoid surgery and return sometime in the winter, unfortunately, it may soon be time for Toronto to search for their long-term replacement for a highly respected veteran who has been a warrior over the past 15 years.
Chris Tanev, Dakota Joshua Out Indefinitely
Dec. 31: Head coach Craig Berube told reporters today, including Friedman, that Tanev will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a groin injury.
Dec. 30: After previously being ruled out for tonight’s game, it’s clear Maple Leafs skaters Chris Tanev and Dakota Joshua will miss more time than that. Tanev will be out for “some time” with a lower-body issue unrelated to the previous injury that sidelined him for nearly two months, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports, while Joshua sustained a kidney injury in Sunday’s game against the Red Wings that resulted in internal bleeding, remaining in Detroit for observation.
Both will likely end up on injured reserve today to create the roster space for Matt Benning and Jacob Quillan, who were recalled from AHL Toronto this morning. Tanev was only just activated from IR last week, missing 27 of Toronto’s previous 28 contests with an upper-body injury. The right-shot defenseman’s brief return to the Toronto roster consisted of three games of work, posting a +3 rating with seven blocks while averaging 20:40 of ice time.
Tanev, arguably the Leafs’ most stabilizing defensive presence, has played in only 11 games this year due to an upper-body injury he initially sustained on Oct. 21 against the Devils. Despite that, his +8 rating is still third-best on the team, and his duo with Jake McCabe has allowed just 0.84 goals against per 60 minutes at 5-on-5, sitting among the league’s most staunch defense pairs.
Another multi-game absence will force the Leafs to continue to lean on overmatched right-shot depth like Philippe Myers, although it will give the chance for waiver claim Troy Stecher (1-5–6, +9 in 19 GP) to continue his strong run of play alongside McCabe. The burden on Myers and Stecher should be eased soon with Brandon Carlo nearing a return from foot surgery, but it’s far from an ideal situation as Toronto tries to climb out of a tie for last place in the Eastern Conference.
Joshua had appeared in all but two games for the Leafs this season, his first in Toronto after being acquired from the Canucks last offseason in exchange for a fourth-round pick. He’s improved on his underwhelming showing for Vancouver last year, but not by much, putting up a 6-4–10 scoring line in 36 games. He’s excelled in providing the element of physicality that’s expected from him, though, leading the team in hits with 127 and ranking second among Leafs forwards with 26 blocks.
For a player starting nearly three-quarters of his even-strength shifts in the defensive zone, though, Joshua’s -2 rating is a fine one. He’s consistently logged third-line minutes at even strength and is far from being an insignificant loss for what will likely be the next several weeks as a result. Expanded ice time should be in store for trade bait Matias Maccelli and rookie Easton Cowan, who’s posted four goals and 11 points through his first 27 games.
Maple Leafs Recall Matt Benning, Jacob Quillan
The Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Matt Benning and center Jacob Quillan from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, according to a team announcement. Toronto’s active roster is full, so two corresponding moves will be necessary. The reinforcements come as defender Chris Tanev and left winger Dakota Joshua will be scratched for tonight’s game against the Devils due to lower-body and upper-body injuries, respectively, but the Leafs haven’t yet said whether they’ll miss enough time to be eligible for IR placements.
Tanev’s and Joshua’s absences aren’t the only injury troubles the Leafs are facing, either. Auston Matthews will be a game-time decision after sustaining a lower-body injury in Sunday’s loss to the Red Wings that briefly caused him to leave the bench. William Nylander‘s status for tonight is also unclear – he remains day-to-day after sitting out the Detroit loss with a lower-body injury.
Benning, 31, was a full-time NHLer for several years with the Oilers, Predators, and Sharks but hasn’t seen much playing time over the past two seasons. Hip surgery limited him to 14 games in 2023-24 and, after making seven appearances for San Jose to kick off last season, was traded to Toronto. The Leafs immediately waived him and reassigned him to the Marlies, where he’s played since.
The 6’1″ puck-mover put up disappointing numbers last year but has seemed to find his game again in 2025-26. Now in the final year of a four-year, $5MM deal he signed with the Sharks in free agency in 2022, he’s tied for eighth on the Marlies in scoring with two goals and eight assists for 10 points despite being limited to 16 appearances, posting a decent +4 rating to boot. He’s already eclipsed all of his offensive marks from last season in 39 games.
With Tanev coming out, adding a right-shot option like Benning to the roster was preferable. Whether he plays tonight against the Devils or whether Simon Benoit re-enters the lineup on his off side after serving as a scratch for the last three games remains to be seen.
Quillan’s recall is his second of the season. The 23-year-old pivot was rostered for a nine-day stretch last month, getting into a pair of games – the second and third of his NHL career. He’s still looking for his first big league point and would enter the lineup tonight if both Matthews and Nylander can’t go.
An undrafted free agent out of Quinnipiac, the 6’1″ Quillan has emerged as the Marlies’ top two-way forward in just his second professional season. He leads the team with 18 assists and 23 points in 26 games, as does his +7 rating. He’s done plenty to cement his ceiling as a long-term bottom-six option in Toronto and, although there isn’t much of a job for him this year, has likely been penciled in as a replacement for pending unrestricted free agent Scott Laughton.
Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Chris Tanev
After nearly two months, the Toronto Maple Leafs are returning a solid defenseman to the lineup. The Maple Leafs announced that they’ve activated defenseman Chris Tanev from the long-term injured reserve.
It was the second stint on the sidelines for Tanev this season. On October 21st, the 36-year-old blueliner suffered a concussion, but returned relatively soon after on November 1st. Unfortunately, in that game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Tanev suffered a scary-looking injury after taking a hit from Matvei Michkov. After spending the night in the hospital, Tanev has been on the LTIR ever since.
He’s only skated in eight games this season for the Maple Leafs despite the pair of injuries. He’s been relatively solid in those appearances, registering two assists and a +5 rating while averaging 17:20 of ice time. Still, it’s not enough of a sample size to judge whether or not Toronto will get the same version of Tanev they got last season.
Throughout the 2024-25 campaign, his first with the team after signing a six-year, $27MM contract, Tanev was arguably the Maple Leafs’ top defenseman. He scored three goals and 18 points in 75 games with an impressive +31 rating. His 189 blocked shots were first on the team by a significant margin, and his 92.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength was second among defensemen behind Simon Benoit.
Toronto could use his services now more than ever. Despite having a sixth-ranked penalty kill, the Maple Leafs are 25th in the league in GA/G and 28th in shots against per game. Some of this can be blamed on the numerous goaltending injuries the team has faced this season, but Tanev could at least provide more stability from the back end.
Regardless, this won’t be the only transaction coming for Toronto before their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins today. Now that Tanev is back in the fold, the Maple Leafs have 24 players on the active roster, meaning one player will have to get moved back to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies or placed on the injured reserve. Without any new injuries, the likeliest reassignment candidate is blue liner Henry Thrun, who remains several games away from becoming waiver eligible.
Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Maple Leafs, Tinordi
Unless something changes, the Boston Bruins will return their two top performers on their upcoming road trip. After an update from Steve Conroy of The Boston Herald, indicating that Charlie McAvoy shed the non-contact jersey for today’s practice, Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reported that both McAvoy and David Pastrňák are expected to return over the next few days.
Even getting one of McAvoy or Pastrňák back would be a major boost to the Bruins. After McAvoy exited the lineup on November 15th after gruesomely taking a puck to the face, the team has gone 5-5-0. It’s been a little better without Pastrňák, as they’ve gone 3-2-0 in their last five.
Still, considering that Boston has unexpectedly moved into second place in the Atlantic Division, the team will want to have McAvoy and Pastrňák in the lineup as much as possible to qualify for a postseason spot. The Bruins are only two points removed from being out of a playoff spot, and have played more games than multiple teams in the Eastern Conference. Considering how wide-open the playoff race is this season, Boston has a legitimate opportunity to reach the postseason again, and McAvoy and Pastrňák will surely play a large role in that.
Other notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Moving to Toronto, the Maple Leafs may also return a pair of injured players in the next few days. According to David Alter of The Hockey News, defenseman Chris Tanev is no longer skating in a non-contact jersey. Additionally, Alter reported similarly on defenseman Marshall Rifai, who has also shed his non-contact jersey. Tanev has missed much of the 2025-26 campaign due to an upper-body injury, and his absence has played a significant role in the Maple Leafs allowing over 31 shots a game from their opponents.
- Former first-round pick Jarred Tinordi has found his way back to professional hockey for a 14th consecutive season. Earlier today, the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch announced they have signed Tinordi to a contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. Tinordi, 33, spent last season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, scoring one goal and five points in 30 games with a +5 rating.