Flames' Chris Tanev expected to undergo surgery

It was obvious that Chris Tanev wasn’t at full strength as he tried to gut out the end of the Calgary Flames’ second-round series. The veteran defenseman was dealing with multiple injuries, according to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, who tweets that Tanev had a torn labrum, a separated shoulder, and a sprained neck. He’ll go in for surgery next week, according to Dhaliwal.

Tanev, 32, was a horse for the Flames during the regular season, playing in all 82 games, setting a new career high with 28 points, and blocking 158 shots. He unfortunately was injured in game six of the first round against the Dallas Stars, and was limited to just two matches against the Oilers. Incredibly, he was still a +3 in those games, as the Flames outscored the Oilers 6-3 with him on the ice at even strength.

Among the very best shutdown defensemen in the entire league, Tanev does have a long history of serious injuries. In fact, this was the first time he had ever played more than 70 games in a single season, missing huge chunks nearly every year while with the Vancouver Canucks. After suiting up in every regular season game the Flames have played for two years, his luck finally ran out, and he’ll have to undergo a long rehab period once again.

Tanev has two years left on the contract he signed in 2020, which carries an average annual value of $4.5M.