The Maple Leafs have placed Chris Tanev on IR and recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai from the Marlies, according to NHL Rosters.
Tanev left Saturday's 6-3 win in Colorado with an upper-body injury after logging just 3:29.
The 36-year-old carries a $4,500,000 cap hit and has one assist this season.
There's no timeline yet, so the IR move is the clearest signal of how long this could stretch.
Toronto bet on veterans on the back end. Injuries are the tax you pay on that bet, and the first bill just arrived.
Calling up a defenseman from the Marlies is like grabbing the spare key from under the mat. It gets you in the door, but nobody planned on using it this soon.
Rifai gets the call with the Leafs heading to Utah on Tuesday.
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Chris Tanev's injury forces the Maple Leafs to turn to Marshall Rifai
McCabe has been skating alongside Tanev, and he logged 23:40 in Colorado.
He and Troy Stecher are both sitting at +2, the best marks on the Toronto blue line.
Stecher, on a $1,350,000 deal, has quietly been one of the bargains of the group.
Darren Raddysh, meanwhile, sits at -4 on an $8,500,000 cap hit.
Morgan Rielly leads the defense with 4 assists.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who had been listed day-to-day earlier in the week, played 14:25 on Saturday.
Does Rifai step straight into the lineup in Utah, or does Jim Hiller shuffle his pairs and keep him in reserve?
The Leafs are also without John Tavares, who is listed out until at least Oct 13 after welcoming his fourth child.
Toronto is 3-2-1, with William Nylander leading the team at 11 points.
The Leafs have allowed 18 goals through six games, so the back end needs bodies that can hold up.
Sergei Bobrovsky finally picked up his first win in Colorado, making 30 saves.
After Utah, the Leafs host Buffalo on Thursday and the Islanders on Saturday.
IR buys the Leafs time and a roster spot. What it doesn't buy is certainty about when their steadiest veteran comes back.
Should the Maple Leafs trade for a veteran defenseman while Chris Tanev is out?
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