Maple Leafs Announce Unexpected Roster Move Involving Chris Tanev, Leaving Fans Surprised
Photo credit: Toronto Maple Leafs / X
The Toronto Maple Leafs have make a bit of a surprising move by recalling Dakota Mermis from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and placed Chris Tanev on the injured reserve.We are still reeling from the aftermath of Chris Tanev’s scary incident on Saturday night when he was struck from behind by Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov and ended up laying motionless on the ice.After being tended to by medics, Tanev was eventually stretchered off the ice and was discharged on Sunday after staying overnight for evaluation. That hospital stay has led to the team placing him on the injured reserve for the time being:Maple Leafs D Chris Tanev has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 1, 2025.
D Dakota Mermis has been recalled from the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
In a corresponding move, the team brought back Mermis who briefly was with the team due to injuries, but was activated when Tanev was first brought off the injured list.
What Made the Maple Leafs’ Decision on Chris Tanev So Unexpected
While it is a bit surprising that the team has already placed him on the IR, it’s better to be safe than sorry and they have more than enough pieces to replace him for the time being and beyond Mermis also hold Henry Thrun and Matt Benning as depth.The decision that could be more unexpected is the fact that Mermis is going to brought up as the seventh defenseman while presumably Philippe Myers steps in.It feels like the team is more complacent when it comes to this particular call-up as William Villeneuve has been solid with five points in nine games (1 goal, 4 assists) for the Marlies, and the 24-year-old Thrun has three points in eight games (2 goals, 1 assist).
Mermis, 31, has skated in one game for the Maple Leafs this season, with a minus-2 rating. Last season, he appeared in four games with Toronto and Utah, having bounced back and forth with waiver claims.
His best season came in 2023-24 when he had eight points in 47 games however lost the rest of the season due to a broken jaw.
While there is no real indication as to when Tanev can or will return, the team is going to have to pick up the slack and there’s going to be more lineup tinkering in the future, especially with a tough game against Pittsburgh on Monday.
For now though, we can just be thankful that things aren’t seemingly as bad as it looked with Chris Tanev’s injury, and he can find his way back onto the ice relatively soon.
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