Maple Leafs not expected to trade for a defenceman with Chris Tanev out, says Friedman

Chris Tanev's injury has opened a hole on the Maple Leafs' blue line, and John Chayka, Jim Hiller and Toronto have a decision to make about how to fill it.

For now, the answer is to stand pat. Elliotte Friedman said the Leafs are not expected to pursue a defenceman via trade and will "stick with what they have."

"I asked around if they have been poking around for D with Tanev out for at least a week, and people said no," Friedman said.

"They seem to say they're going to stick with it for a little bit." The veteran is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, expected out until at least Oct. 19.

So what does the blue line look like without him? Toronto's practice pairs had Jake McCabe with Darren Raddysh, Morgan Rielly with the injured veteran, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson with Troy Stecher.

The likely fix is moving Stecher up beside Rielly, then slotting Nick Blankenburg onto the third pair with Ekman-Larsson. Hiller has said his pairs are mostly "lefty-righties."

John Chayka's patience on defence has a clear deadline

Those pairings can hold up for a week or two. Rielly has four assists, and McCabe and Stecher are both a +2.

The concern is age. Tanev is 36, Ekman-Larsson 35, McCabe 33, and Rielly and Stecher are 32. Injuries tend to pile up on a group like that.

Chayka has already said he's open to adding on defence, and Doug MacLean questioned whether Toronto even has a true No. 1. Simon Edvinsson's name has floated around the Leafs too.

Standing pat makes sense for a week. If Tanev isn't back by early November, Chayka has to move, because this group can't absorb another injury without exposing everyone around it.

-

Running this blue line short-handed is like driving a car with an old timing belt. It runs fine, but you're always listening for the snap.

The Leafs are 3-2-1 and visit Utah on Tuesday.

The absence is a short-term problem for now. Long term, it's a warning about how thin and old this blue line really is.

Also read on Markerzone.com:
Boarding major may lead to NHL's longest suspension of the season yet