Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev placed on injured reserve; Connor Dewar activated

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Sunday that defenseman Chris Tanev has been placed on the injured reserve retroactive to February 25. In a corresponding roster move, center Connor Dewar has been activated from the injured reserve.

Facing the Atlantic Division rival Boston Bruins on Tuesday, Tanev exited early in the first period and did not return after suffering an upper-body injury. The following day, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube announced that Tanev would be out of the lineup on a day-to-day basis.

Through 57 appearances with the Maple Leafs this season, the 35-year-old Toronto native has recorded two goals and 15 assists for 17 points coupled with 18 penalty minutes and a plus-26 rating. On the season, Tanev has averaged nearly 20 minutes of ice time per night, while his 151 blocked shots rank third-best league-wide.

A veteran of 849 career contests counting stops with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, and Maple Leafs, Tanev has registered 35 goals and 172 assists for 207 career points. Tanev has also recorded 13 points through 60 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

An unrestricted free agent this past offseason, Tanev agreed to a six-year contract with the Maple Leafs worth $4.5-million per season, according to PuckPedia.

For Dewar, the 25-year-old Manitoban returns to the lineup after missing the past 11 games due to an upper-body injury. On the season, Dewar has made 29 appearances with the Maple Leafs in which he has recorded three points alongside five penalty minutes and a minus-two rating. The Maple Leafs originally acquired Dewar from the Minnesota Wild ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline in exchange for fellow forward Dmitry Ovchinnikov and a 2026 fourth rounder. Through 219 NHL games split between the Wild and Maple Leafs, Dewar has notched 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points.