The latest Chris Tanev injury update is both promising and concerning
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
The Maple Leafs' defensive crisis just deepened and with Brandon Carlo out indefinitely, Chris Tanev's return is now critical -- but Craig Berube's latest update suggests the veteran isn't as close as he looks.
News broke Tuesday that Brandon Carlo suffered a setback in his return to the ice, and may be needing surgery, which leaves his return suddenly unclear.
He joins Chris Tanev on the shelf as two of Toronto's top-four defensemen are injured for an extended period of time, and much like Tanev -- the timeline is a mystery.
Tanev has been skating but not a part of the team's regular practices, and a new update from Craig Berube shows that while he's on the ice - he's no closer to a return.
Why the call for more tests is raising red flags
Speaking to reporters ahead of Toronto's game vs. Florida on Tuesday night, Berube noted that Tanev's timeline is still unknown and he has no new updates regarding the defenseman.
Berube noted:
He's going to have to get looked at here soon, I think, again, and see where he's at. He's skating, though. Feels okay. I have no real update other than that on him.
It's a positive that Tanev hasn't suffered a setback like Carlo, but if he's still weeks away from returning, it's going to make an already tough stretch even harder.
But more tests mean more time off, and right now Toronto can't afford to be losing bodies, and it's a possibility that those tests uncover something more serious that would keep him out of action even longer.
How Tanev's uncertainty creates a nightmare scenario
With one defenseman already surely on the shelf for a while in Carlo, not knowing when Tanev is even roughly going to return, it already puts the Maple Leafs' thin defensive group on overload.
Right now, Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis are two players who you'd typically have as depth options and aren't your regular everyday NHL players. But now they are thrust into that role and need to contribute like an everyday player and not just be expected to plug a hole for one game.
And it's not as if Toronto has the healthiest roster either, and players like Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson have injury issues in the past. If they go down as well -- they have a very minimal contingency plan.
With no idea of when Tanev is to return, Toronto has to either make a deal if they don't feel confident in the group they have now, or bank on players in the AHL to help out.
Neither of those are a guarantee and it's hard to find a player who can consistently bring elite defense like Tanev does, especially on the cheap.
So Chris Tanev's injury didn't get worse, but his timeline didn't get better either. It's something that Toronto has to be careful with, as they risk too much by rushing him back.
For now, the Leafs must survive without their safety net. If Tanev's next evaluation brings bad news, Brad Treliving may be forced to make a desperation move sooner than he planned.
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