Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev will miss the rest of the season after undergoing core muscle surgery, the team announced on Wednesday.
Tanev is expected to be ready for training camp in September.
The 36-year-old Toronto native was limited to only 11 games this season due to various ailments. Tanev last played on Dec. 28 against the Detroit Red Wings, logging 20:10 of ice time, and was just three games into a return from a 23-game absence due to a concussion when he was sidelined.
Tanev is in the second year of a six-year, $27 million contract he signed with the Maple Leafs in July 2024.
He appeared in 75 games in 2024-25, finishing with three goals, 15 assists and was a plus-31. He also blocked 189 shots, breaking a Maple Leafs team record for most in a season.
Toronto enters Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils riding a four-game losing streak and sits second-last in the Eastern Conference with 64 points. With the Leafs expected to sell assets by Friday’s trade deadline, it could mark the first time since the 2015-16 season that they fail to make the playoffs.