Chris Tanev injury triggers more trade speculation, but Leafs defenceman won't be out long
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Nothing feeds the trade rumour mill like an injury scare to a top player.
While Chris Tanev will not be missing extended time for the Maple Leafs – even if Craig Berube’s usual diagnosis as “day-to-day” can drag into a week or so – the stalwart defenceman is still with the team on its trip.
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Chris Tanev injury triggers more trade speculation, but Leafs defenceman won't be out long Back to video
Right now, he’s only expected to miss Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.
Berube told reporters in Boston at Wednesday’s practice that, though Tanev was spotted leaving TD Garden the night before with his arm in a sling, he avoided a worse scenario.
“Day-to-day … that’s good news,” the coach said.
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Tanev took a heavy, but not reckless check into the end boards from Bruins forward John Beecher, leaving the game in obvious discomfort.
For now, Philippe Myers steps into his place Friday, his first game since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, but trade speculation ramped up the minute Tanev went down the tunnel at TD Garden.
Not that the Leafs weren’t looking to improve in a couple of positions by the March 7 NHL deadline, but before checking further into those defencemen prominent in chatter the past few weeks — Vancouver’s Carson Soucy, Buffalo’s Bowen Byram, disgruntled Blackhawk Seth Jones, possible three-time Leaf Luke Schenn, Flyers’ Rasmus Ristolainen, Blue Jackets’ Ivan Provorov and Habs’ David Savard — Berube and general manager Brad Treliving will want to assess in-house help.
“Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe have played very well,” noted Berube, who excused all three from practice Wednesday when their game minutes jumped well to the mid-20s after Tanev exited. “They’re going to have to step up, but all the defence are going to have to.
“Someone’s going to have to come in for Tanev and we’re going to need good minutes out of them, penalty-kill minutes (where many of Tanev’s team-best 151 shot blocks were absorbed), all that stuff.”
There were sighs of relief as well that William Nylander has no lingering issue after an apparent upper-body issue prevented him from playing in Tuesday’s overtime, won 5-4 on a Mitch Marner goal.
Berube said there was some kind of contact on Nylander he didn’t see, but held him out of the extra period as a precaution.
Deals are easier said than done, with the Leafs already without a first-round pick to barter and, in the case of the very expensive Jones, likely needing a third team in a trade to take on some salary burden.
This would be a good time for the Leafs to get full clarity on whether Jani Hakanpaa can be relied upon to play any minutes should the lanky Finn finally get past a knee issue that has hampered him for almost a calendar year and held him to two games this season.
He has practised regularly, was named to his country’s 4 Nation’s team, but later scratched before the tournament began and is not on the Leafs current trip.
Simon Benoit and his partner, Conor Timmins, might see more ice time if the weekend rolls on without Tanev. Toronto has a back-to-back starting Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, then home to San Jose on Monday evening.
“Maybe I’ll get the chance to play more against those (opposition) big lines,” Benoit said, noting Tanev has played all but one of Toronto’s 58 games and is a plus-26. “I’ll be up to the task for sure.”
Benoit also notes Tuesday was one of Rielly’s most visible games from an offensive perspective and his three points included his 500th in the NHL.
“He’s like the glue guy, he brings everybody together,” Benoit said of the alternate captain. “He creates another (offensive player) that you have to be aware of. He goes down the wall, makes those passes and gives our forwards a chance to bury one.”
Up front, it’s not a shortage, but a glut of forwards that is making Berube’s lineup decisions difficult. On Wednesday, he said Max Pacioretty, injured during practice last week, was available for the Rangers, same for Connor Dewar.
Berube had opted to keep his roster the same through the first three post-break games. Ryan Reaves also is waiting to play again after seeing no action since Feb. 4.
The Leafs have Thursday off, so Friday’s morning skate in Manhattan will reveal the roster picture. Marner, Nylander and Auston Matthews, the three Leafs who played in the 4 Nations were all given a pre-determined day off from practice Wednesday after their combined international-NHL game load.
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