Toronto Maple Leafs Injury News Gets Worse

Dreger pointed out that what makes this situation particularly frustrating for both Tanev and the Maple Leafs is that this injury is not related to his previous health problems. The veteran defenseman has dealt with numerous injuries this season, but this is a new and entirely different issue.

Another thing that Dreger pointed out is that if Tanev does require surgical repair, the timeline for his return becomes much clearer and more grim. He noted that reports suggesting he could miss the rest of the season aren’t a stretch, particularly when discussing the rest of the regular season. Tanev could be out of action until next season.

Maple Leafs Salary Cap Complications

Tanev’s injury creates some complications for Toronto’s playoff roster management. The current NHL rules don’t allow teams the same flexibility they once did. Especially in managing injured players’ cap hits heading into the playoffs.

Teams can no longer simply replace a player’s salary cap hit going into the playoffs and then activate that player when he’s ready. Dreger points out, “It’s not like the good old Wild West days where you could just replace his salary cap hit going into the playoffs or sit him, use the money, and then pop him into the playoffs and let’s go,” Dreger explained. “That’s not the way it works anymore.”

Leafs GM Brad Treliving will need more certainty about Tanev’s status before making roster decisions. That clarity should happen soon. Toronto could use an upgrade on defense, and if Treliving can use the cap savings ($3.8 million) from Tanev on LTIR.

Dakota Joshua Injury

With the news that Chris Tanev could miss the rest of the regular season, the Maple Leafs have received more unfortunate injury news. Dakota Joshua did, in fact, suffer a lacerated kidney last week during the December 28th game against the Detroit Red Wings. Although the Leafs are saying that Joshua will be out long-term, he is expected to return before the end of the regular season.

This season is not going the way Joshua or the Leafs had hoped. Toronto traded for Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks during the summer. They were expecting him to be a physical force and a secondary scorer in the bottom six. However, he’s registered six goals and 10 points in 36 games. That’s not quite what the Leafs had in mind.

Other notable injury news from the Leafs: William Nylander has been placed on IR, retroactive to December 27th. He’s out day-to-day, but would be eligible to return when he’s ready. Jake McCabe will be out for about a week. Fellow defenseman Brandon Carlo is expected to return on Tuesday after missing the last 23 games. The team has also called up defenseman Marshall Rifai from the Toronto Marlies as a roster replacement for the Nylander IR move.

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