The Toronto Maple Leafs, who are off to a modest start in the 2026-27 NHL campaign, have once again lost veteran defenseman Chris Tanev, who missed the majority of last season with various injury concerns.
Naturally, concern is beginning to build again for the veteran blue liner, especially with how things fared for him last campaign. And one notable Toronto sports personality has an ominous prediction for the blue liner that won’t be easy for fans to see.
Notable Media Personality Has Grim Prediction For Toronto Maple Leafs After Chris Tanev’s Latest Injury
According to notable Toronto sports personality Sid Seixeiro, the Maple Leafs won’t make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season if they’re without Tanev for an extended period of time.
“Freaked out at what happened to Chris Tanev… a rather innocuous collision in front of his own net… this put Tanev out of the game on Saturday, and he’s on IR, and he’s going to miss a week. They’re not making the playoffs if he doesn’t play here, guys,” said Sid.
“If number eight doesn’t play, the Leafs do not make the playoffs,” he said. “Period. End of story. End of discussion. They are not deep enough. They are not strong enough. They are not skilled enough on their back end, as we saw last year, to survive without Tanev. They drowned without him last year.”
Tanev suffered an upper-body injury during their recent victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver at Ball Arena, and did not return.
Maple Leafs Defenseman Chris Tanev Missed Most Of Last Season
Tanev first missed time with a concussion before suffering a core-muscle injury shortly after returning in December, which ultimately brought an end to his season.
After signing a six-year, $27 million deal with the Maple Leafs in 2024, Tanev appeared in 75 games during his first season with Toronto. Injuries then limited him to just 11 games in 2025-26, making him one of several key players sidelined as the Leafs missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 10 years.
So far in his NHL career, Tanev has played for multiple teams and scored 36 goals with 175 assists in 884 games. He’s also played in 73 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, scoring two goals with 14 assists.
Maple Leafs Given Grim Prediction After Latest Chris Tanev Injury