Overview
- Insider David Pagnotta reports the veteran defenseman will meet a surgeon this week about his groin injury, putting his regular-season availability in serious doubt.
- If surgery is chosen, the projected timeline has Tanev out until late April or early May, which could keep him out through at least the first playoff round if Toronto qualifies.
- The team must consider Season-Ending LTIR for full relief of his $4.5 million cap hit, whereas standard LTIR would provide about $3.8 million in space under current rules.
- The injury compounds a blue line already under strain, with Toronto ranking poorly at 5-on-5 defensively and leaning heavily on Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stecher.
- Tanev was hurt in the Dec. 28 overtime loss to Detroit, and the roster picture is further complicated by Dakota Joshua’s kidney injury that head coach Craig Berube says likely requires an LTIR stint.