The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that veteran defenceman Chris Tanev is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
The update comes after Toronto placed Tanev on injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 10, over the weekend.
The Maple Leafs recalled Marshall Rafai when Tanev was moved to IR, though he is yet to play. Nick Blankenburg joined the lineup as a seventh defenceman on Saturday and dressed as one of the six blueliners in Tuesday’s loss to the Utah Mammoth.
Tanev sustained the injury in Saturday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Tanev skated in five shifts in the first period, registering a minus-1 rating in 3:29 of ice time. He was not on the bench for the beginning of the second period and was ruled out by the team shortly thereafter.
He has one assist in six games this season after being limited to 11 games last season due to a concussion, spine and groin injuries.
The Maple Leafs, who are 3-3-1 to start the season, parted with some defensive depth in their blockbuster deal for Kirill Marchenko on the eve of the season. That deal saw blueliner Emil Andrae, who had only been acquired in June, head to the Columbus Blue Jackets along with winger Matthew Knies.