The Toronto Maple Leafs had to keep going against the Colorado Avalanche without Chris Tanev after the defenseman was ruled out for the rest of the game with an upper-body injury.
The team announced the update as the second period was beginning. Tanev had logged just five shifts and 3:29 of ice time before leaving the contest, and he had not been back on the ice since the 11:08 mark of the first period.
Sportsnet’s broadcast pointed to a sequence in front of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, where Tanev and Artturi Lehkonen had a slight collision while chasing a loose puck, as the moment that appeared to lead to the injury.
Toronto’s choice to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen softened the blow. Because head coach Jim Hiller went with the extra blueliner, the Leafs were able to keep playing with a full six-man defense corps after Tanev exited rather than being forced to operate short on the back end.
That setup also opened the door for Nick Blankenburg to make his Leafs debut, and he wasted no time making it count. Blankenburg scored his first goal with the team on his first shift.
Tanev’s exit is another setback in a season that has already been chopped up by injuries. The 36-year-old had played only 11 games in 2025-26 after spinal trauma and core muscle surgery kept him out for almost the entire campaign.
Saturday’s game against Colorado was just his sixth appearance of the season. Entering the matchup, Tanev had averaged 19:31 per game and posted one assist with a plus-two rating.
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