The Maple Leafs’ night in Colorado took a sharp turn early when Chris Tanev went down with an upper-body injury midway through the first period against the Avalanche at Ball Arena in Denver.
Toronto’s veteran defenceman was finished for the night after what looked like a routine collision with Avs forward Artturi Lehkonen in front of the net. Tanev was hunched over as he skated to the Leafs bench and then headed to the dressing room. The team confirmed in the first intermission that he would not return, though it offered no additional details on the injury.
Chris Tanev left the game and will not return due to an upper-body injury, per @sportsnetkyle. pic.twitter.com/2FuqSidN1X
- Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 11, 2026
That’s a tough blow for a Toronto blue line that leans heavily on Tanev’s calm, defensive presence. Since arriving in the summer of 2024, he has been the Leafs’ most trusted defender, bringing the kind of poise and structure this group needs.
Last season showed exactly how much his absence can hurt. Tanev was limited to just 11 games because of injuries, and Toronto’s missed playoffs weren’t a coincidence.
If this turns into a longer-term issue, the Leafs will be staring at a serious problem on the back end. A recall from the Toronto Marlies could be next, with Philippe Myers, Dakota Mermis or Marshall Rifai as possible options. Ben Danford, still a rookie in the American Hockey League after helping the Marlies win the Calder Cup last spring, would likely need more time before getting that call.
Toronto wasn’t short on bodies on defence in Denver, though. Coach Jim Hiller dressed seven defencemen and 11 forwards.
The game itself had already delivered some early swings. In his Toronto debut, Nick Blankenburg opened the scoring, but Nathan MacKinnon answered with two goals to send Colorado into the first intermission ahead 2-1.
William Nylander brought the Leafs level at 2-2 at 6:53 of the second period, scoring on the power play with a forehand deke after taking a pass from Gavin McKenna.
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