Toronto Maple Leafs hit with Chris Tanev bombshell moments before puck drop
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev missed the last game with a lower-body injury and prior to tonight's tilt against Detroit Red Wings, the team got some huge news.
Overall, Chris Tanev has been a fantastic defenseman for the Leafs this season, notching 10 points and a positive rating of 11 to start the season.
However, after missing a game against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, a lot of fans were feeling not-so-great about the defenseman's status moving forward.
Chris Tanev back in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup
Earlier today, it was revealed that Tanev was slated to be in the lineup, but it would all hinge on how he looked in the warmup.
Thankfully, the warmup was a huge success for the veteran d-man, as Connor Timmins was told he would be the odd man out tonight.
According to David Alter, just moments before the game, Chris Tanev was confirmed as someone who would be playing.
Ultimately, this is great for the Leafs as a whole and to start tonight's game, it has definitely given the team a spark.
We say that because just seconds into the game, David Kampf opened the scoring in the 500th game of his career.
As for Tanev and his playing time, it remains to be seen whether or not head coach Craig Berube decides to put him on a minutes restriction.
With this team going through a plethora of injuries so far this season, fans have been hoping for some kind of normalcy.
Tanev has provided that, and they certainly need him in the lineup to make up for Morgan Rielly's struggles.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 27 | 172 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs hit with Chris Tanev bombshell moments before puck drop Do you believe Chris Tanev will have a good game with the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight? | ||
| YES | 160 | 93 % |
| NO | 12 | 7 % |
| List of polls | ||
