Ice Chips: Toronto's Tanev Returns to Action, But for How Long?
In a thrilling development for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, defenseman Chris Tanev shed his non-contact jersey and joined the team's practice on Monday. This comes as a relief after Tanev's scary injury on November 1st, when he was stretchered off the ice during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
But here's where it gets controversial: Tanev's return might be short-lived. The team sought a second opinion on his injury on Friday, indicating there could be more to the story.
During the practice, Tanev paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, hinting at a potential lineup change for Tuesday's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. However, with the Leafs' recent injury woes, fans are left wondering if Tanev's return is a sign of stability or a temporary fix.
The Leafs' forward Matias Maccelli missed practice due to illness, but he hasn't seen much ice time this month anyway. Meanwhile, Dakota Joshua returned after recovering from his own illness, which caused him to miss the recent loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
In other news, the Ottawa Senators' Linus Ullmark is expected to start in goal against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. The Penguins added Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to their roster, both eligible to debut against Edmonton on Tuesday.
A significant blow for the St. Louis Blues: forward Dylan Holloway is out for six weeks with a lower-body injury. And the Chicago Blackhawks' woes continue as star forward Connor Bedard is placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, missing the upcoming game against Toronto.
And this is the part most people miss: with so many key players out, will the Maple Leafs' Tanev be able to make a lasting impact upon his return? Or will the team's injury troubles continue to plague their performance? Share your predictions in the comments below!
