Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to February 25, while Connor Dewar has been activated from injured reserve, the team announced Sunday.
Maple Leafs D Chris Tanev has been placed on IR (retroactive to February 25).
F Connor Dewar has been activated from IR.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 2, 2025
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Tanev suffered an upper-body injury during Tuesday’s game against the Boston Bruins and was subsequently listed as day-to-day. The 35-year-old was seen leaving TD Garden with his arm in a sling. As a result of the IR designation, Tanev will be eligible to return for Wednesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, if he’s deemed fit to play. The veteran defenceman has recorded two goals and 17 points in 57 games with a plus-26 rating, while the Maple Leafs control 52 percent of the expected goals when he’s on the ice at 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick.
It’s a tough loss for the Maple Leafs, who will be without Tanev for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Monday’s game against the San Jose Sharks at minimum. Tanev is one of the NHL’s premier shot blockers, and he’s formed an elite shutdown pairing alongside Jake McCabe this season. He’s exceeded expectations, after signing a six-year deal worth $4.5 million annually with the Maple Leafs last July.
It appears that McCabe will be placed with Simon Benoit, while Philippe Myers will be paired with Morgan Rielly, and Marshall Rifai could potentially make his season debut Sunday, as a result of Tanev’s injury.
Dewar has recorded three assists in 29 games this season. The 25-year-old last played against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a January 20 contest and was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury on January 25. It’s likely that Dewar will resume playing on the fourth line, although the Maple Leafs are working to optimize their lineup ahead of the trade deadline, while Calle Jarnkrok could make his season debut Monday.
Tanev has been the Maple Leafs’ best defenceman, and it’ll be compelling to see whether his injury status motivates general manager Brad Treliving to pursue another blueliner ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.