Chris Tanev rejoins the Maple Leafs for the first time since his injury

As Toronto heads back home after finishing their road trip strong, their next game against the Montreal Canadiens is going to be an intense rematch where the Maple Leafs are looking for redemption after a 5-2 beatdown the last time these two met.

They are still dealing with injuries to Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo, Anthony Stolarz, and now Joseph Woll, with no acknowledged timeline for their returns, and it'll take a serious effort from the team to help out Dennis Hildeby and try and ease the pressure on the young netminder, which makes an eventual Tanev return just that much more important.

But in a surprising turnaround, we did see the return of Chris Tanev to the ice on Saturday, and it wasn't just for a solo skate.

Not just your typical defenseman, Tanev is trusted as the team's de facto shutdown defender, who can manage opponents with ease, killing penalties, and blocking tons of shots. With him and Carlo out, the team has had to use depth pieces like Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers.

Tanev was seen skating with the rest of the team during their morning skate on Saturday ahead of their game against Montreal, but was in a red non-contact jersey, a clear sign he's still on a 'no-touch' policy and not yet cleared for full contact.

Tanev looked crisp as he skated around the ice, though that's not an indication that he is close to returning, but the fact he is with the rest of the team in general is a positive step forward.

Tanev was injured on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia after receiving a hit from behind by the Flyers' Matvei Michkov. He immediately went down to the ice and had to be stretchered off, in a scene that clearly shook both benches.

There's still no indication from the team that he's close to returning, his appearance on the ice is still a relief to the Maple Leafs blueline who are getting a lot of help from their depth pieces, and would love to have Tanev back in the fold sooner than later.

According to head coach Craig Berube, the Maple Leafs are going to evaluate Tanev soon and if there is positive news, they will try to get him more involved in practices.

It's just the first step in Tanev's return to the ice as an everyday player, but it's a big step nonetheless, and and there's been no public indication of a setback since his injury, which is at least a small positive for the Leafs.

So while it may still be a while before we see Chris Tanev in a regular season game, as the team hasn't given any timeline, his appearance during practice at least gave fans a bit of relief knowing that he's at least on the road to returning.

And with a critical stretch coming up; Montreal on Saturday and another tough homestand right after, even seeing Tanev in a non-contact jersey is a reminder that help could be on the way if the Leafs can just survive the next few weeks.