Chris Tanev’s status has shifted from cautious optimism to week-to-week, and the Maple Leafs are now bracing for a longer wait than they expected.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said Toronto first believed the defenceman might not miss much time, but that changed after the team brought him back to Toronto and ran additional tests. The new timeline came after earlier information left the Leafs feeling upbeat about the injury.
“Week-to-week means that’s the time required to get Tanev healthy and back on the ice.”
Dreger also urged Leafs fans not to jump straight to worst-case thinking, pointing to the injury Tanev dealt with last year as part of that reassurance.
Elsewhere, the Connor Hellebuyck situation remains stuck in place, even if the speculation around him is not. Dreger said the Winnipeg Jets goalie has already lost more than $600,000 while sitting at home and waiting on a trade, but that the real focus remains the same: moving him for a fair return.
What Dreger is hearing is that Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has been patient through months of talks, offers and interest from what he described as tire kickers, but nobody has stepped up with the right deal yet. And as for the idea of Hellebuyck ending his holdout and returning to the Jets while he waits, Dreger didn’t buy it.
“Nothing has changed on that front, and I do not expect to see Hellebuyck back with the Jets.”
In Detroit, Shawn Horcoff’s first big swing as interim general manager came with Alex DeBrincat, who agreed to a new seven-year, $91 million contract. But that hasn’t solved everything for the Red Wings, with restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson still unsigned and no deal yet involving Dylan Larkin.
Dreger said the price on Larkin is exactly the kind of haul you’d expect for a player of his stature: three or four pieces, including two “A”-quality prospects, a top-nine forward, and a first-round pick. He also noted that Larkin’s contract runs through 2031 with an $8.7 million cap hit, and that plenty of teams would want him if he were available to everyone.
The catch, Dreger said, is that those teams are not on Larkin’s trade list.
“So far, there hasn’t been a fit - at least with the teams on his list.”
Montreal’s Josh Anderson is also drawing attention after piling up goals early, including two in the Canadiens’ game against the Washington Capitals. That gives him four goals in seven games, a strong start for a 32-year-old winger in the final season of his seven-year deal.
Dreger said the Canadiens’ goal is to extend Anderson, while also acknowledging the reality of how his camp operates. Anderson is represented by Darren Ferris, who Dreger said often pushes clients toward July 1 to test the market. Even so, Dreger added that Anderson and his family like staying in Montreal, and that he has already had success there.
He also said Kent Hughes spoke with Anderson before the season and told him the Canadiens were focused on trade and trying to add pieces to help the team, asking for a little more time before turning to Anderson’s situation.
Then there’s Rick Bowness, who was blunt again with his team. Dreger said the Columbus coach’s latest comments about effort fit a pattern, not an isolated outburst, and pointed back to similar moments at the end of last season. The concern, he said, is that repeated public criticism can turn into a problem if the room starts to slip.
That, Dreger said, can’t happen in Columbus.
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For Winnipeg, the more relevant subplot is on the other side of the border, where Elias Salomonsson is nearing a return with AHL Manitoba as he works back from a shoulder injury. The Jets are always watching how their young defensemen handle those first games back, and Salomonssons next step with the Moose will be worth tracking as he tries to reestablish himself in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
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Connor Hellebuycks holdout has taken on a very different feel now that the Jets have kept rolling without him. The goalie is suspended without pay after skipping training camp while waiting for a trade, but Winnipeg no longer appears eager to welcome him back into the room, according to TSNs Darren Dreger. With the team holding its ground and the standings not pushing them to change course, the leverage Hellebuyck once seemed to have is starting to look a lot thinner.
Interest around the league has also cooled as questions grow about his conditioning and his recent performance, which makes any return or trade discussion more complicated. The NHL continues to back Winnipegs right to suspend him, and teams that might have checked in are now more uneasy about taking on the risk. For the Jets, the bigger story is that they have kept winning without him, and that only sharpens the pressure on whichever side blinks first. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Face A Growing Problem As Heritage Classic Pressure Builds
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The injury list is the part Winnipeg can least afford to ignore, especially with Josh Morrissey and Vladislav Namestnikov both sidelined and Connor Hellebuyck still suspended amid a trade request. Morrisseys absence in particular changes the look of the blue line, and Namestnikovs situation leaves another gap in the middle of the lineup as the Jets try to navigate a difficult opening stretch. With the outdoor showcase approaching, the bigger question is how much of the roster will be intact by the time the lights go on. [Read more 🡒]