The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman Chris Tanev on injured reserve retroactive to Saturday due to an upper-body ailment, the team announced Monday.
Tanev sustained the injury during Saturday's win over the Colorado Avalanche, though it's unclear how he got hurt.
Head coach Jim Hiller told reporters Monday that he's not sure how long Tanev will be out, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. Tanev is required to miss Toronto's next two games while on IR.
The Maple Leafs recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai from the AHL's Toronto Marlies in a corresponding move. Rifai skated on the team's third pair during Monday's practice alongside Nick Blankenburg, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson taking a maintenance day. Jake McCabe was paired with Darren Raddysh, while Morgan Rielly skated with Troy Stecher.
Tanev was one of the league's most effective shutdown defenders during his first season with the Maple Leafs in 2024-25, but he missed 71 games last season with a core muscle injury. The 36-year-old Toronto native is in the third season of a six-year contract carrying a $4.5-million cap hit.
