Troubling News Emerges for Maple Leafs Defenseman Chris Tanev
In a shocker, the Maple Leafs ended up scratching Chris Tanev before their game against the New York Islanders, raising concerns about why they made the decision.
With a must-win game against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday afternoon, the Maple Leafs will be without arguably their best defenseman as Chris Tanev was scratched ahead of the game, significantly disrupting their stout defense.
The issue with Tanev is said to be a lower-body injury but as always, we don't know the true extent as to why he's missing. It's a huge blow to the Maple Leafs' chances against the Jets.
Defenseman Philippe Myers will slide in for Tanev as the Leafs try to make a statement heading into the short Christmas break.
Toronto's Best Defenseman's Injury Comes At The Worst Time
If the Maple Leafs weren't already in a rough spot with Auston Matthews out again for the next couple of games, losing arguably their best defensive player hurts the team badly, more so than a loss of offense.
The main focus for Toronto going into this season was to improve their defense, and the results have been fantastic. Tanev is a big part of that, and alongside Jake McCabe the duo have formed some of the league's best when it comes to shutting down the opposition.
The defense isn't perfect but Tanev has improved it considerably and shown the type of controlled recklessness the Maple Leafs have needed for years. Incredible vision, a propensity to throw himself in front of every shot, and being the consistent veteran he is has led to a lot of Toronto's early season success.
Myers is no doubt a serviceable defenseman and while he hasn't had a lot of time in the NHL compared to Tanev, he can do in an emergency situation.
But he can't replace him, and Toronto is going to need to buckle down in order to get their defense solidified should Tanev miss any more games. It's a terrible turn of events for the team and it's a true test of their resiliency to go up against a tough Winnipeg team without their top blueliner in tow.
