Chris Tanev’s night off against the Minnesota Wild wasn’t a surprise to everyone inside the Maple Leafs’ orbit, even if the timing raised eyebrows.
According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, Tanev was part of a load management plan the team mapped out with him when he returned to the lineup. The idea for November was simple: he would sit out back-to-backs, and he would also miss one other game that was not part of a back-to-back. That game is tonight.
LeBrun said the plan was discussed with Tanev and was something he was fully aware of when he came back. But the situation has shifted since then because Morgan Rielly is now out, and that has made the absence hit differently.
“It’s eating at him,” LeBrun said of Tanev. “He’s such a warrior. They’re missing a top four guy, and I think it’s just killing him not to be in, even though he knew this was coming.”
The arrangement is not set in stone beyond this month. LeBrun said the plan is fluid, and that sports science, high performance and GM John Chayka will continue to revisit it as the season moves along. Tanev, though, is clearly not thrilled about being on the sideline when he wants in.
Tanev said he tried multiple times to get into Sunday’s game with Rielly out. That leaves the Leafs thin on the back end tonight, with Cole McWard and Dakota Mermis forming the third pair against Minnesota.
That shortage is part of why LeBrun says Toronto keeps looking for help. He said Chayka has been making calls around the league in search of a real upgrade on the blue line, not just a short-term patch.
This, LeBrun stressed, is about more than the current standings.
“He continues to make calls about trying to upgrade the blue line in a real way,” LeBrun said. “Not in a band-aid way and not in a patchwork way.”
The kind of move Toronto wants, he added, would be a meaningful addition that goes beyond this season and fits with the core moving forward. And even though it’s only mid-November, the market hasn’t exactly opened up. Teams, he said, are not really moving top-four defensemen this early.
Another defenseman drawing attention is Erik Karlsson, and LeBrun says the Carolina Hurricanes remain a team to watch.
Karlsson is a pending UFA, his eight-year contract signed in San Jose in 2019 is expiring, and he’s still producing at a high level. He leads the Pittsburgh Penguins with 19 points in 19 games and had 66 points last year. But Pittsburgh is headed nowhere, which makes him a name to monitor.
LeBrun said the Penguins are going to be sellers, and because Karlsson has a full no-move clause, any path forward runs through him and his agent. His camp is expected to meet with Kyle Dubas in the new year to sort out what comes next.
Carolina, meanwhile, has been here before. LeBrun said the Hurricanes were the runners-up for Karlsson in the summer of 2023, when the decision came down to Carolina and Pittsburgh for his services from San Jose. He said the Hurricanes still have interest, and he expects them to be bidders if the Penguins open trade talks.
LeBrun also pointed to Carolina’s summer pursuit of John Carlson, saying it reflects a need the Hurricanes may still feel they have.
In Philadelphia, the Matvei Michkov chatter is not going away.
LeBrun said he does not believe a trade is the Flyers’ immediate plan, even with all the noise around the young forward. He noted that Daniel Briere told the media last night there is no trade request and that he checked with the agent.
Still, the story has gained enough traction that other teams are now calling the Flyers to ask what’s really going on.
“That’s what I would tell you,” LeBrun said. “And what’s happened over the last couple days because of the noise that this story has created is that other teams are checking in with the Flyers about Matvei Michkov.”
LeBrun said he does not think a trade is imminent and does not even expect Michkov to be dealt this year. But he added that if the situation doesn’t settle down, it could lead somewhere later on.
The final note from LeBrun came in Anaheim, where Joel Quenneville’s future with the Ducks appears to be moving toward resolution. He said there has been contract negotiation over the past month and that both sides want to keep the partnership going.
Quenneville, 68, is comfortable in his position, and LeBrun expects something to get done within the next month or two.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Are Suddenly Back In A High-Stakes Erik Karlsson Chase
Erik Karlssons situation in Pittsburgh is starting to look like one of the more intriguing trade watches on the NHL calendar, and Carolina is right there among the teams keeping tabs. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, the Hurricanes are monitoring the Penguins defenseman as Pittsburgh slides into seller mode, with Karlsson now in the final year of his contract and his future suddenly back in focus.
The wrinkle is that any move would have to clear a complicated path, which is why this is far from a simple deadline-style rumor. Carolina was in the mix for Karlsson before, and the fit still makes sense for a club that has long been willing to swing big when a top-end defenseman becomes available, but the next step depends on how Pittsburgh handles the situation and how much traction develops once the new year arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Keep Winning But Another Reality Check May Be Coming
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The bigger test is coming again with Toronto on the schedule, and Edmonton knows it needs more than another night of rescue work in goal. For a team trying to avoid a rougher follow-up after a good run, the next game feels like a chance to show the underlying play is catching up to the results before the margin for error disappears. [Read more 🡒]
Aho And The Hurricanes Arrive In Helsinki With More At Stake
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The setting also adds another layer for Carolina, which is managing injuries while trying to stay sharp in a different environment. Jordan Staal is sidelined, and Seattle will be without Jared McCann, so both teams are leaning on depth as they adjust to the travel and the stage. For the Hurricanes, this is more than a scenic stop in Finland. It is a chance to keep building on a strong stretch while one of their top players has a shot at a notable piece of team history in the same building. [Read more 🡒]