Toronto Maple Leafs Deliver Crushing Update on Defenseman Chris Tanev

Chris Tanev suffered an upper-body injury against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night and he has been left out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup ever since.

On Sunday, he was ruled out against the Pittsburgh Penguins and he was also ruled out on Monday against the San Jose Sharks.

This has created an unfortunate situation for the Leafs, especially when you consider how Tanev has been a stud for the team this season.

He has been able to be a shutdown defenseman and when he's not in the lineup, the team plays significantly worse. It's unfortunate, but the stats back it up, especially with his +26 net rating.

Today, the Chris Tanev situation went from bad to worse for the Toronto Maple Leafs as it was revealed that he would have to be placed on the injured reserve.

Luckily, the Leafs were able to activate Connor Dewar who is currently playing in the team's matchup against the Penguins.

Tanev will only be able to return to the team later this week, although there is no guarantee he will be ready by then.

If the defenseman's absence drags on then, then it is clear that Brad Treliving will be forced to make a move for a blue liner at the trade deadline which is set to take place on Friday.

Guys like Rasmus Andersson and Colton Parayko are on the Maple Leafs wish list, although there is no telling whether or not these guys will actually get dealt by their current teams.

For now, the Maple Leafs will just have to white-knuckle it and hope and pray for some good news involving Tanev in the near future.